The latest polls out of Mexico show Partido de la Revolución Democrática (PRD) candidate and 2006 runner-up Andrés Manuel López Obrador trailing only four points behind longtime frontrunner and Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI) candidate Enrique Peña Nieto. Yesterday’s poll, published by La Reforma newspaper, shows López Obrador capturing 34 percent of the vote versus Peña Nieto’s 38 percent. At a press conference after hearing the news, López Obrador stated that he “is very happy with the result and his overall strategy is working well.”
According to analysts, López Obrador’s recent surge in popularity is tied to recent student protests against Peña Nieto and his perceived dependence on corporate campaign supporters, including ties to telecommunications giant Televisa. López Obrador’s campaign has sought to exploit this perception by taking a stance against corporate monopolies in services.
Although there has been a recent slump in Peña Nieto’s popularity, most observers still believe that he will win on July 1 as most polls still show the PRI candidate with a comfortable lead over other hopefuls.
