Mexico: Presidential inauguration in Mexico City December 1 /update 1

Event

Increased security measures and associated transportation disruptions are expected in the capital Mexico City amid the inauguration of President-Elect Andres Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) on Saturday, December 1. The swearing-in ceremony will take place at the Congress building beginning at 11:00 (local time), followed by events at the National Palace.

Road closures, checkpoints, and a visible security presence are to be anticipated in the city, with some 2000 security forces to be deployed on the day. Increased security measures and disruptions are also possible at Mexico City’s Benito Juárez International Airport (UIO), particularly in the morning as world leaders arrive ahead of the ceremonies and in the evening as they leave.

Metro and bus stations in the vicinity of the Congress and the National Palace - including Candelaria, Fray Servando, and Zócalo - will be closed beginning at 22:00 on November 30. Line 4 of the Metrobús will also be significantly disrupted, with numerous stations closed along its route.

Context

AMLO, of the leftist National Regeneration Movement (MORENA) and former mayor of Mexico City, will be the first leftist president in Mexico since the end of the country’s one-party system. AMLO - who received more than 53 percent of the vote, well ahead of the second-place candidate’s 23 percent - campaigned largely on an anti-corruption platform, citing corruption as the underlying source of the country’s violence and poverty issues. His term will run until 2024.

Some 20 heads of state will be present at the swearing-in.

Advice

Individuals present in Mexico City are advised to be prepared for increased congestion in the downtown area and follow any instructions issued by the local authorities.