AMLO Speaks, Los Angeles Times Leaks

ByJulio Hernández López

This column by Julio Hernández López originally appeared in the June 4, 2026 edition of La Jornada, Mexico’s premier left wing daily newspaper.

At eight o’clock last night, former president Andrés Manuel López Obrador made his first fully political comeback with five pages arranged in an X. It was in support of President Sheinbaum “without conditions” and to offer a “respectful reflection” on Donald Trump’s second presidential term.

The politician from Tabasco had indicated that one of the three reasons that would lead him to return to the streets and public squares was the occurrence of direct external interference or meddling by any government or international organization that compromised the independence of Mexico.

President Sheinbaum’s Sunday speech and her subsequent rejection of the meddling ambassador’s positions are in sync with what López Obrador has now disseminated, with understandably looser language (he is no longer the president), with harsh adjectives against the Mexican and American far right, and another coincidence with Sheinbaum’s position: to give Trump space to rebuild the bilateral relationship, without fully blaming him for the breakdowns.

AMLO (his initials once again dominating the media) noted “the surprising change in President Donald Trump’s attitude, especially regarding the relationship with Mexico. Speaking from personal experience and proof, the Trump of today is different from the one I knew.” Therefore, at the end of his statement, he attributed “Trump’s surprising change to his false friends and advisors, both domestic and foreign, who have been leading him into vile and sinister adventures. For this reason, I do not rule out—and hope—that President Trump will change course,” and he concluded with a paraphrase of his famous battle cry: “For the good of all, let the other Trump return.”

AMLO’s reactivation, thus far limited to correspondence, must be measured by the opposition, which feels it is growing due to the US onslaught against the Fourth Transformation (4T) and by the Washington power structure itself. The López Obrador factor can invoke and unite nationalist sentiment and progressive leanings. We will see if, later on, the former president decides to convene and lead public events and shift the balance of power that conservatism and the White House believe they are gaining.

Meanwhile, and in a similar vein to that preceding the official filing of the U.S. request for the provisional arrest, for extradition purposes, of Governor Rubén Rocha Moya and nine other individuals, the Los Angeles Times yesterday reported the alleged actions of the neighboring government against Alfonso Durazo of Sonora and Américo Villarreal of Tamaulipas, whose visas have reportedly been revoked and who are under investigation. The use of the conditional tense stems from the writing style of the text itself, authored by Steve Fisher and Kate Linthicum, who cite sources such as “multiple sources,” “sources familiar with the cases,” and “individuals familiar with the case who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal matters.”

The truth is that these kinds of leaks often serve to foreshadow government operations carried out by agencies that conduct intelligence gathering to test the waters, warn, and prepare the ground. Naturally, the aforementioned leaders denied any involvement in criminal matters. The President, in her morning press conference, questioned the political motivation behind the visa issue and its potential elimination.

And, while yesterday, during a hearing in the United States House of Representatives, the United States Secretary of Homeland Security, Markwayne Mullin, spoke about the meetings he held with the President of Mexico and some members of her cabinet: “I must say we have been impressed. They have been very cooperative, much more so than the previous administration. However, they also strongly believe in defending their sovereignty, and we must respect that.” Until tomorrow!