A Mexican friend texted me with a reaction to President Andres Lopez-Obrador’s casual attitude about the coronavirus. He was a bit critical, to say the least.
What’s AMLO, as his supporters call him, thinking? What does he know that we don’t know?
This is from Time:
President Andrés Manuel López Obrador and his government have said a shutdown of the country would disproportionately hurt poor people and also be a psychological weight on all Mexicans.They say there is no reason to impose major restrictions before health officials deem them necessary — a moment they are expecting in late March, based on the virus’ pattern elsewhere and the Feb. 27 date of Mexico’s first confirmed case.The approach is worrying many experts.
Well, late March is almost here.
So far, my Mexican friend said, the government has a three-part strategy: Wash your hands, don’t touch your face, and avoid people who are coughing.
Others say that President Lopez-Obrador is afraid of a deep recession, specially at a time when the economy is shrinking. He feels that a lockdown, like that of the U.S., could tip the economy, with massive unemployment and social chaos.
How bad was the pre-corona economy? One answer may be that Credit Suisse is projecting that the economy will shrink by 4%.
In the meantime, a lot of Mexicans can’t figure out why their country is the only one in the region with such a lackadaisical altitude toward the nasty virus.
Maybe President Lopez Obrador is picking his poison.
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