Giving Compass' Take:

• The author details the win of Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Mexico's new president, and outlines key takeaways from the election and what they mean for the people of Mexico. 

• What impact will AMLO have on fighting poverty and corruption?

• Read about how technology had a helping hand in the aftermath of Mexico's earthquake last year. 

Leftist candidate Andrés Manuel López Obrador, known as AMLO, won more than 53% of the vote in Mexico’s presidential election on Sunday, trouncing candidates from traditionally dominant political parties in the most resounding outcome in the country’s democratic history, according to The New York Times.

The victory gives AMLO a mandate to reshape the country and, above all, represents a rejection of the political status quo, according to The Times. Both chambers of Congress are now under the control of the new leader’s insurgent political party, the National Regeneration Movement (MORENA).

AMLO takes office in December and his term extends through 2024. Here are five key takeaways from the election and what his presidency could mean for poverty, inequality, and more.

  • Fighting Poverty and Inequality: AMLO has positioned himself as a champion of the economically disenfranchised, promising an expansion of welfare benefits, subsidies for agricultural workers, and better pensions for the elderly throughout his campaign.
  • What to Expect From AMLO’s Past Experience: AMLO has a lengthy political background and was the head of Mexico City’s government between 2000 and 2005. During this time, he expanded welfare programs, spearheaded vast public infrastructure projects, and increased government transparency.
  • Taking on Corruption: In the months leading up to the general election, news of one of the the largest corruption scandals in Latin American history began to surface, involving more than $800 million in bribes from a construction company to Mexican officials.
  • Drug Cartels and Violence: May 2018 was the most violent month of the past 20 years in Mexico, and more than 136 politicians were assassinated since the start of the year as part of a brutal campaign to exterminate reformist candidates by drug cartels.
  • Comparisons to Trump and Other Countries: Pundits have argued that he’s Mexico’s Donald Trump. But Greene said that these comparisons are superficial and misguided.

Read the full article about Mexico's new president by Joe McCarthy at Global Citizen