López Obrador Office of Public Affairs

Andrés Manuel López Obrador celebrating his election as president of Mexico on July 1, 2018, at the Zócalo square in Mexico City.

MEXICO CITY — July 1 marks anniversary of the election of Andrés Manuel López Obrador as president of Mexico. And he’s planning a big party — despite concerns on how his administration is dealing with the country. 

President López Obrador, or AMLO, said he’s ready to celebrate at the Zócalo, Mexico City’s main square.

He said the party will include mariachis and dancing, and promised it will be an austere celebration to explain his government’s progress.

“This is a classical expression of populism; I mean, it makes no sense,” said José Fernández Santillán, a political science researcher at Mexico City’s Tec de Monterrey College.

Critics and analysts like him said AMLO has nothing to celebrate, as crime rates go up, while the economy goes down. 

Murder rates have hit record highs, and financial rating companies have lowered Mexico’s grades significantly. 

Santillán said AMLO has allowed the Trump administration to use him for immigration policies with trade threats.

“This is a problem! Now Mexico is involved in internal American politics,” Santillán said.

The researcher said AMLO hopes to prove with the event that his popularity is still high, despite deepening divisions among Mexicans.