Presidential hopeful Andrés Manuel López Obrador after pledging last month in Zacatecas to implement policies favorable to small-scale, environmentally friendly agriculture. (Photo courtesy López Obrador campaign)
As soon as he stepped on stage before the crowd of small farmers at a recent campaign rally in the central state of Zacatecas, the current favorite to win Mexico’s upcoming presidential elections promised he would radically change their lives. “I tell you with total sincerity that rescuing the countryside is one of the main priorities of our government,” Andrés Manuel López Obrador said to cheers. “We are going to give the kind of boost to productive activities in the countryside that hasn’t been seen for decades.” The veteran leftist, who has a 20-point lead in most polls ahead of the July 1st election, then launched into a long and detailed list of commitments beginning with a high-profile pledge he has made up... [Log in to read more]
