On 9 July the opposition Frente Amplio por México (FAM) presented its official registration to the national electoral institute (INE) ahead of Mexico's 2024 presidential elections.
Analysis:
The FAM, comprising the right-wing Partido Acción Nacional (PAN), centrist Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI), and left-wing Partido de la Revolución Democrática (PRD), is the name that the Va por México opposition alliance is using to select its candidate for the 2024 presidential elections, predominantly to avoid sanctions over premature campaigning. The alliance announced the registration of over 30 applicants to become the leader of the FAM and its 2024 candidate. Whoever is ultimately chosen from the broad field of applicants will have their work cut out to beat the candidate for the ever-popular ruling Movimiento Regeneración Nacional (Morena) party.
- In a joint statement, PAN leader Marko Cortés, PRI leader Alejandro Moreno, and PRD leader Jesús Zambrano announced the official registration of the FAM, stating that it was “an important step for this great effort between citizens and political parties”.
- Cortés told the press that “with this formalisation we demonstrate that there is no simulation, we are doing this in accordance with the constitution”. Moreno also stressed the “transparent and democratic manner” of the selection process.
- President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has repeatedly questioned the democratic nature of the opposition alliance’s selection process, claiming that party elites had already selected PAN Senator Xóchitl Gálvez as the candidate.
- Along with the formalisation of the alliance, FAM closed its candidate registration process. Those to register included politicians from PAN, PRI and PRD, as well as members of civil society.
- Potential candidates include Gálvez; PRD Senator and former Mexico City (CDMX) governor (2012-2018) Miguel Ángel Mancera; former Tamaulipas governor (2016-2022) Francisco García Cabeza de Vaca (PAN); former Querétaro governor (1997-2003) Ignacio Loyola; former Michoacán governor (2015-2021) Silvano Aureoles (PRD); president of the lower chamber of congress and former interior minister (2000-2005) Santiago Creel (PAN); former ambassador to Brazil (2012-2016) Beatriz Paredes (PRI); and former tourism minister (2015-2018) Enrique de la Madrid (PRI).
- Former economy minister (2012-2018) Ildefonso Guajardo Villarreal (PRI) will head up international liaison for the coalition.
Looking Ahead: The aspiring candidates must collect 150,000 signatures to indicate public support for their candidacy. Those who do so will participate in a forum on 10 August to communicate their vision to the people. Public opinion polling will then be used to select the top three candidates.
