López Obrador Accuses US of Interfering in Mexico to Bolster Right-Wing Opposition

Former Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador accused Washington on Wednesday of using “interventionist and unscrupulous practices” to strengthen Mexico’s right-wing opposition and weaken the leftist political movement he founded.

The comments come amid growing tensions between the United States and Mexico, now led by President Claudia Sheinbaum, whom López Obrador praised as “the best president Mexico has had in our time.”

One of Mexico’s most influential and popular political figures, López Obrador has largely remained out of the public spotlight since leaving office in 2024. He returned to the political debate with a strongly worded five-page letter posted on X, criticizing US President Donald Trump.

López Obrador said Trump had changed significantly since his first term, when he described the US leader as pragmatic, cooperative and willing to engage in dialogue.

“Speaking from what I personally experienced and can prove, the Trump of today is different from the one I dealt with,” he wrote.

He attributed that change to what he called “false friends and advisers, both internal and external,” accusing them of steering Trump toward “vile and sinister adventures.”

Although he no longer holds public office, López Obrador remains a powerful voice within Mexican politics, and his remarks were widely seen as a strong show of support for Sheinbaum, his political protégé.

The criticism follows more than a year of often strained but largely cooperative relations between Mexico and Washington. In recent days, however, Sheinbaum has intensified calls to defend Mexican sovereignty.

A key source of friction has been the US Department of Justice’s April indictment of 10 Mexican officials over alleged links to drug trafficking.

López Obrador also accused US authorities of attempting to undermine the ruling Morena party, which he founded, under the pretext of combating migration and narcoterrorism.

He concluded his letter with a pointed message to the US president: “For the good of all, may the other Trump return.”