Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador 'New Era' of Politics, Family Scandal and Wealth

Leftist Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, also known by his initials AMLO, won Mexico's presidential election at the third attempt in 2018.

His victory was the first time a leftist politician has been elected in Mexico in three decades. According to the BBC, AMLO has promised to carry out a "radical transformation" in the country and end corruption.

Lopez Obrador has also slammed the "power mafia" that has ruled the country for decades. His plans also include increasing scholarships and expanding social welfare programs for the elderly.

AMLO had also promised to achieve peace and end the war in Mexico at a time when the murder rate jumped through the roof due to the Mexican drug cartels' feud.

But recently, he was criticized for the killings of Mexican journalists in the country. His politics and policies are not the only things under scrutiny, with Lopez Obrador's family, especially his son, facing a new series of scandals.

Scandal Involving Family of Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador

Jose Ramon Lopez Beltran, son of Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, recently made the headlines due to his controversial house in Texas.

Lopez Beltran's wife, Carolyn Adams, claimed that she rented the house formally and under the rules of the United States. However, Mexicans Against Corruption and Impunity (MCCI) got other information, The Yucatan Times reported.

In a press release, the civil organization said the house was never registered for the rental of the property in the Texas real estate system.

A real estate agent licensed to operate in Texas told the group that if they rented the house, they had to declare it in the HAR system, which is the system used by agents in Houston.

Reports noted that this could mean that the transaction was carried out outside, between private parties, and paid no rent.

A former Baker Hughes executive cited for leasing his Houston home to Lopez Obrador's eldest son said he has no prior knowledge of who the lessee was.

Keith Schilling, who worked for Baker Hughes from 2016 to 2019, told Bloomberg that he had no prior relationship, personal connection, or familiarity with the lessee or the lessee's family.

He added that in any of his roles at Baker Hughes, he "had no responsibility for any business activity related to or in Mexico."

Several shareholders of the U.S. company requested a probe for a possible conflict of interest and irregularities. It was found that Baker Hughes has contracts with Lopez Obrador's government for more than $151 million in works for Mexico's state-owned oil company, Petroleros Mexicanos (Pemex).

The Lopez couple reportedly occupied the property between 2019 and 2020, coinciding with the time when Pemex granted significant extensions and cost increments to contracts with Baker Hughes.

A letter by Juan Carlos Luna, sent to the Department of Justice, noted that "these facts create the perception of a possible conflict of interest and a potential scenario that could have crossed the line of Baker Hughes' legal and ethical obligations."

Luna, who wrote on behalf of a certain group of Baker Hughes shareholders, added that as such, a complaint is warranted, and a probe is necessary.

According to MCCI, AMLO's son and wife have lived in two Texas homes. The first, located in the north of Houston, had its own cinema room and pool. The couple later moved into a newly built 548-square-meter property near Houston.

Lopez Obrador's government was under fire for reports that his son has been living an "affluent lifestyle in Texas." But the Mexican president defended his son and said that his son has no influence in his government, adding that his son's wife is also from a wealthy background, The National Post report.

The Mexican president said critics were using the story against him to impose a perception that he is no different from others that came before him. Lopez Obrador noted that he is "not interested in money."

Wealth and Salary of Mexico's President AMLO

As of February 2022, the Mexican president has a net worth of $600,000, which comes from his salary. According to Wealthy Persons' profile, he took a 60 percent pay cut after becoming the president in 2018.

Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador earlier said he does not own any real estate, vehicles, or personal property. However, a spokesman for the president's office said that Lopez Obrador's real estate, vehicles, possessions, and household goods, such as works of art and other valuable objects, were disclosed in his wife's name, according to Reuters.

Lopez Obrador once said in a press conference that his principal asset had been property in the southern state of Chiapas, which he inherited from his parents. It is now registered under his children's names. He then said that money has never interested him, adding that he fights for "ideals, for principles."

Alexandra Zapata of the Mexican Institution for Competitiveness (IMCO) noted that Lopez Obrador had lost credibility in how he talks about his property, assets, and interests. IMCO is a think-tank that promotes good governance and fights corruption.

Mexican politicians have been accused of hiding their wealth by registering their assets under relatives' names. In 2019, the Mexican president disclosed a monthly net income of $5,600 from his government work.

This article is owned by Latin Post

Written by: Mary Webber

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