19-07-2018: Latin American Weekly Report

Mexico’s President-elect Andrés Manuel López Obrador went on holiday this week to recuperate after an arduous electoral campaign, but not before providing details of initiatives he insists will produce the most sweeping change to the country since the Revolution a century ago. López Obrador tabled a series of plans to address the country’s most pressing challenges: a 50-point ‘Republican austerity’ plan designed to reduce government expenditure and combat corruption to fund a surge in social spending; a 10-point security plan to tackle mounting violence; and an undisclosed plan presented to a visiting high-level delegation from the US government to reshape bilateral relations. Less clear is whether he has a Plan B in the event of failing to meet the heady expectations he aroused during the campaign.