Lopez Obrador: Will He Transform Mexico?
September 22, 2005

by Maya del Mar		print version
		print version (graphics)

Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has been the Chief of the Federal District, or “Mayor of Mexico City,” since 2000. He was born on November 13, 1953 in Tepetitan, Tabasco (view chart).

He was elected from the PRD, the Revolutionary Party, and has been a populist mayor, enacting policies geared towards bettering people’s lives. Examples are a small old age pension, free school supplies for young children, free medical attention for the poor, and improvements in the transportation situation. His party is not from the elite class, as are Mexico’s other two parties—the PRI, which had a tight grip on politics for 70-plus years, and the PAN, from which comes President Fox.

Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (often shortened to AMLO) began his political career with the PRI, in his home state of Tabasco. That was the only party available then. Later he switched to the new PRD, eventually becoming its president, and engineering the campaign of its leader, Cuauhtemoc Cardenas, to become Mexico City’s first elected mayor. AMLO was always interested in politics, and before joining the PRI, he studied political science and public administration at the University of Mexico.

The Mayor of Mexico City is the second most important post in Mexico, and it should be—it is a huge huge job. During his tenure, Lopez Obrador has become one of the most recognizable and popular politicians in Mexico. He is both lauded and criticized. He holds a running dialog with the media, meeting with them every morning, and telling them of the day’s agenda.

His leadership has been focused on social issues. His slogan is, “First, the poor.” He has improved social services, reduced crime, and authorized highway-building projects which have reduced traffic congestion. At the same time, when a couple of his close collaborators were accused of corruption (although never Obrador), he was slow to act against them, and some of his public transit and highway projects have had problems.

Lopez Obrador is very, very popular in Mexico City. He has obviously been preparing to run for President of Mexico at the next election in 2006. When Fox tried to get him out of the race by making pretext-legal challenges against him, the people rebelled. On April 24, 2005, 1.2 million people gathered in the heart of Mexico City to demonstrate for Lopez Obrador. This was the largest protest in Mexican history.

Both Lopez Obrador, and voices for the people, say that this is not about one person. It is about a change in direction for Mexico. “What we want,” says a spokesman, “is justice. To us democracy means more than elections. It means economic stability—our capacity to make a living in Mexico, without having to migrate. It means a halt to the continued violation of human rights in our communities. It means having a government that attends to the needs of the people. We’re tired of governments which put other interests first.”

This is Lopez Obrador’s promise, and in many ways his performance. There is hope in Mexico for the first time in a long time. And yet, a good deal of controversy swirls around Lopez Obrador. He is a highly political person, and attracts criticism from many political groups.

In July, the leader of the Zapatistas, subcomandante Marcos, issued a new manifesto for the left in Mexico. In it he said that the Zapatistas support no political party, including Lopez Obrador and the PRD.

The chart of Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has Sun in Scorpio and Moon in Aquarius. Mercury conjoins his sun, showing that he communicates himself, who he is. Scorpio gives him the scrappiness to enjoy politics and endure in it. So do Saturn and Venus conjunct in Scorpio.

Transformative Pluto is in Leo, a sign of command. It conjoins Pallas Athena, the strategist, and Juno, the idealistic but fearful partner. Pluto squares Sun-Mercury, providing a continual push to power. Power is constantly on his mind, in all of its aspects. And fear accompanies it, as well it should in the dangerous arena of politics.

Aquarius Moon gives him a broad and progressive social outlook. Vesta too is in Aquarius, giving him a political-social focus, particularly in his work. Vesta trines Jupiter in Gemini and Neptune in Libra to give him a close, harmonious grand trine in air. His ideas, imagination, and idealism are free-flowing.

Aquarius Moon trines Mars in Libra to give him easy access to action. That action is through partnership which is often diplomatic and mediating, often competitive. And with all his Scorpio, Lopez Obrador is a fierce and savvy competitor.

North Node of the Moon is in Capricorn, the sign of structure, responsibility, institutions, and government. People in these spheres are those to whom he has easiest access, and who help him to move ahead.

South Node in Cancer is of the people. This is the place he is most deeply coming from, and with Uranus conjunct that Node in Cancer, his soul carries feelings of independence and autonomy for the people. This idea is deeply imprinted in AMLO, and his campaigning and working for and with the people is not phony (although Obrador is at the same time a politician, playing the game). It ties in completely with his Moon and Vesta in Aquarius. This is where he is most at home, trying to engineer a better society.

Lopez Obrador now has four progressed planets, plus Chiron and North Node, in the governmental sign of Capricorn. This could be the time for him to assume the top post in Mexico—President. He would have the power of the people behind (and within) him, and this is a necessary quality for leadership to succeed. This next year in Mexico (and everywhere) will be exciting.

AMLO’s fight is gathering momentum across Mexico. He is riding the wave of rebellion against the neoliberal model which is sweeping across Latin America. As John Ross, veteran Mexican journalist, says, it “has ravaged the poor, depleted national economies, driven the farmers off the land, and made consumers dependent on products made by far off multi-nationals.”

All over Latin America, the rebellion that is gathering is looking for just such a leader as AMLO. His visionary, idealistic combination of Scorpio and Aquarius give him the qualities to fill that niche.