From his ranch in Palenque, Chiapas, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, Mexico’s former president, has launched a blistering critique of Donald Trump’s current administration.
In a lengthy message on X, AMLO has not only called for a course correction but has also sought to position himself as a protector of national sovereignty, aiming to influence a bilateral dynamic that is increasingly tense and complex.
From Friendly Neighbor to “Vile Adventurer”
The central axis of AMLO’s argument revolves around a perceived shift in Trump’s character. He recalls his own government as a period of respectful cooperation, where dialogue prevented trade wars and made the T-MEC possible. By contrast, AMLO does not attribute the change to political circumstances but to the bad influence of “false friends and internal and external advisors” who, in his view, have led the American president into “vile and sinister adventures”.
His greatest concern is the designation of Mexican cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs). López Obrador warned that this classification could justify unilateral actions, allowing the U.S. to pursue individuals without sufficient evidence in a form of extrajudicial “execution” outside its territory. His final plea, “Por el bien de todos, que regrese el otro Trump” (“For everyone’s good, may the other Trump return”), points to a past he considers more predictable and respectful of Mexican sovereignty.
Sovereignty Under Fire: FTOs, Extraditions, and Investigations
AMLO’s intervention is not occurring in a vacuum but in a context of maximum diplomatic friction known as “CIAgate,” triggered by the death of U.S. agents in Mexico. In May 2026, the Trump administration formalized the designation of six Mexican cartels (including Sinaloa and Jalisco Nueva Generación) as FTOs, a move critics argue could paralyze trade and justify military action.
Supporting President Claudia Sheinbaum, AMLO echoes her stance that these attacks do not seek to solve the fentanyl crisis but are of a “political and electoral” nature, aiming to “weaken Morena.”
This tension is further fueled by a Los Angeles Times report revealing U.S. investigations into Morena governors Alfonso Durazo (Sonora) for alleged ties to organized crime and Américo Villarrea for fuel theft. Both governors have denied the accusations and claimed their visas are still valid.
Andrés Manuel López Obrador has emerged as a crucial bulwark for the current administration, interpreting U.S. pressure as interventionism and a coordinated attack on the political project he leads.
The former president has also been publicly critical of the Trump administration’s interventions in Venezuela, as well as the rhetoric surrounding an invasion of Cuba.