GACM

Bird's eye view of the remains of the new airport that was being built in Mexico City in 2019.

MEXICO CITY — One of the signature projects for Mexico’s president since he took office in 2018 was to stop the construction of a new airport in Mexico City, while building a new one. The promise was to cut expenses and clear corruption from the project, but a congressional audit tells a different story. 

The previous administration had projected an international airport in Mexico City would become one of the largest hubs in the continent. 

But President Andrés Manuel López Obrador accused his predecessor of wasting money and favoring certain businessmen. He ordered the project be canceled and construction begin of a commercial air terminal inside a military airport.

But a federal audit reveals that the cancelation is costing 232% more than expected. 

The audit also indicates that two secretaries tried to hide information or classify it. 

During a press conference, chuckling, the president said the auditors exaggerated and provided false data.

But López Obrador hasn’t provided any facts to prove his accusations or defend his strategy.