In a bold move to interfere in U.S. elections, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador made a striking plea on Thursday, urging Hispanic voters not to support Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who recently declared his candidacy for the Republican nomination in the 2024 presidential race.
Just one day after DeSantis announced his bid for the presidency, Lopez Obrador called a press conference. DeSantis, known for his stance on stricter border security, including the potential closure of the Mexico-U.S. border, has been vocal about his efforts to combat illegal immigration.
Labeling DeSantis as “anti-immigrant,” Lopez Obrador rallied Hispanic voters to reject his candidacy. As reported by The Guardian, he expressed, “I hope the Hispanic community in Florida wakes up and denies him their votes.”
These remarks represent yet another instance of the unpredictable Mexican leader’s attempts to sway U.S. elections. He has grown increasingly resentful of Republican criticism concerning his administration’s handling of immigration issues and the influx of fentanyl into the United States.
Back in March, when senators discussed the possibility of military action against drug cartels responsible for the production and distribution of fentanyl to the U.S., Lopez Obrador pledged to launch an “information campaign” against Republicans, advising Hispanics not to support them.
He asserted, “Starting today, we will initiate an information campaign aimed at Mexicans living and working in the United States, as well as all Hispanics, informing them of our actions in Mexico and highlighting how this Republican initiative is an affront to the Mexican people, a lack of respect for our independence and sovereignty.”
The governor of Texas, Greg Abbott, also faced Lopez Obrador’s rhetorical attacks in July 2022 when the Mexican president declared that Mexico would urge its citizens not to vote for Abbott or his party.
Lopez Obrador issued a warning, stating that unless the United States changed its “interventionist, inhumane, hypocritical, and corrupt” policies, Mexico would demand that not a single vote from Mexicans or Hispanics be cast in favor of Republicans.
Furthermore, while seeking assistance from the Chinese Communist regime to combat fentanyl production in Mexico, Lopez Obrador took swipes at American lawmakers.
“Unjustly, they blame us for problems that stem from their own moral decline and welfare crisis,” he wrote. “These positions are absurd, manipulative, propagandistic, and demagogic. They display a lack of respect and pose a threat to our sovereignty.”
Meanwhile, Governor DeSantis has announced that Florida will be deploying law enforcement officers and National Guard troops to the Texas-Mexico border to assist with the ongoing immigration challenges.