López Obrador wins the elections in Mexico: the night of change to the left that took 30 years to witness

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The place was taken by thousands of people who dance, sing, clap and wave flags

It is the Zócalo, the political heartland of the country, in the night of July 1 after the 39 National Electoral Institute confirmed the news They were waiting:

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This is the third attempt of the identified candidate with the left, and a lot of those thousands who are celebrating now were at his side.

The square is lit when AMLO, as he is known in the country, repeats his central election promises which, he says, will be the focus of his government:

"Do not lie, do not steal, do not betray the people ", he promises. A night of joy that many expected to live a long time. Some for several decades.

Because they were not always happy. Thirty years ago, left-wing candidate Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas led unprecedented days of protest against alleged electoral fraud.

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The politician is the son of former President Lázaro Cárdenas, one of the most beloved rulers of Mexico

That year he participated in the presidential race backed by a coalition of parties left, but lost after a controversial process. On the night of the election, for example, the official system for receiving the vote count came out.

When it was reactivated, the advantage of the opponent was gone. Cárdenas initiated from the Zócalo a tour of the country to denounce the alleged fraud

Calm down

Months later, in September 1988, the crowd gathered in the square demanded that the candidate take the ] National Palace a few meters from the meeting

The engineer, as he was known (it's his job), took time to calm things down.

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As time in his travels to the west of the country, where in those years was my place of work as a journalist, I had to testify .

Cárdenas delayed his events to talk to peasant columns – sometimes with shotguns – who arrived to join the movement.

"You are the son of El Tata," they said. "And what the son of my general says is an order."

In some indigenous cities, the father of the family called Tata. The same name was used to name the former President Cárdenas.

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This was the preamble of the protests on the country's leading political place.

To those who demanded a violent exit from the electoral crisis, Cárdenas announced the creation of the Democratic Revolution Party (PRD).

The square became the center of daily protests against the winner of the controversial trial. Carlos Salinas de Gortari.

Since then, the place has become a bastion of leftist movements.

In each presidential election, Cárdenas and then López Obrador filled this space where thousands of people can adapt.

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In Mexico City, reporters learned that this was only a first picture of history.

The other, at the end of the campaign, was the crowd gathered to protest

until the night of July 1, 2018, when López Obrador celebrated the victory with thousands of supporters. "I will not miss you," he promised.

His image appeared on the giant television screens used to broadcast the 2018 World Cup.

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  The new stage

  The night of triumph is very different from that of there at the age of 12. The Zócalo welcomed a crowd like this, but instead of songs there were cries of anger.

  It is in July 2006 that López Obrador wanted for the first time to be president. After a controversial campaign, he lost the contest for a difference of 0.56%

  There were no smiles or cuddles. Instead, a thick and widespread feeling of sadness, anger, frustration, helplessness is installed.

  In a particularly busy badembly, it was decided to resist what they called the fraud attempt and in a few hours. installed a huge Zócalo camp in the middle of the Paseo de la Reforma

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  It is one of the most emblematic avenues of the Mexican capital. For months, hundreds of country houses remained on their sidewalks and gardens.

  In almost every media, there has been an intense campaign of criticism. According to several investigations, the Planton Reformation – as the protest was called – then had a high cost to the candidate's image.

  Fidelity

  Entrenched, López Obrador's followers endured hot mornings in the afternoons and evenings

  With days like these, it seemed easy to lose patience. But that did not happen like that. He was particularly noticed among the elders who camped, perhaps the most faithful disciples of AMLO.

  In those months, in Zócalo, there were bademblies almost every day. Elders, as the authorities call elders, have always been the first to arrive.

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  And also most willing to talk to reporters. In the answers of some, I understood that this movement was not born in 2006.

  The resistance, they said, was not only against the attempt of fraud that They were denouncing at this time, but to defend the politician – they said-

  When he was head of government in Mexico City (2000-2005), López Obrador put in sets up a universal retirement system for the elderly.

  The program was severely criticized, but after several governments – even the federal government – applied it.

  

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