The president in his bubble

“Those who marched did so in favor of the privileges they had before the government I represent. They did it in favor of corruption, they did it in favor of racism, classism, discrimination.” With these words, President López Obrador disqualified the hundreds of thousands of citizens who took to the streets on Sunday, November 13, in defense of the INE.

But no one should be surprised by statements by the Tabasco politician. His reaction was as expected. When he doesn’t like the message, his primary impulse is to blame the messenger, whose credibility he viciously and spitefully seeks to destroy. Thus, he deploys a psychological defense mechanism against a reality that reveals itself to his will.

A wide segment of public opinion views your electoral reform initiative with great concern. It could not be for less. The president intends to rebuild institutions that have served Mexico reasonably well. With it, it was possible to establish an authentic electoral competition, the alternation of parties in the government and the peaceful transmission of power.

López Obrador seeks to replace them with something new, untested. But his initiative is not based on a reasonable and objective diagnosis, but on a distorted version of the past, constructed for convenience. López Obrador remains convinced that he has never lost an election. His defeats he attributes to electoral fraud.

Despite the lack of evidence, his version served to keep him at the head of a coalition of opposition parties. He thus avoided a renewal of leadership, something natural in democratic conditions. He maintained control by containing the rise of alternative leaderships, such as that of Marcelo Ebrard in 2012. When he lost control of the coalition, he founded his own party, with which he came to power after the third attempt.

A characteristic feature of his management as President of the Republic has been his lack of openness. He made the National Palace not only his residence, but a bunker that protects him against discordant ideas and information. President López Obrador reads the press and follows the polls, but he does not listen to anyone, except his own voice and that of his entourage of sycophants and unconditional supporters.

The tendency to turn his inner circle into an echo chamber was accentuated with his coming to power and with the passage of time. The few who could speak to him truthfully have left or drifted away. López Obrador inhabits an ever smaller bubble. From there he will continue to rule the country until the end of his six-year term. His disconnection with reality seems hopeless; he advances inexorably.

Difficult times are coming for Mexico. The symptoms of presidential isolation will worsen. The ability to correct, which has been in short supply, will be completely lost. The president will blame his opponents for his mistakes and failures. He will see great conspiracies against him on all sides. His hunger for glory will lead him to rash decisions, which can cause serious damage to the country.

There is a greater danger than usual because López Obrador continues to be a very powerful president. Within Morena and his allies there are no counterweights. Important figures in his party are blindly loyal to him. His ambitions lead them to eat from the president’s hand, with interested submission. The only discordant voice in Morena, that of Ricardo Monreal, expresses himself with insecurity.

The march in defense of the INE, which was a great success, will hardly alter the inertial force that consumes the ruling party. However, it may have a more modest achievement, but one of great importance. If it energizes and unites the opposition, it would reinforce the only dam with the capacity to contain the destructive wave at the end of the six-year term.

*CIDE professor.

Twitter: @BenitoNacif