Former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador broke his silence with a nearly 50-minute video promoting his book 'La grandeza' and praising President Claudia Sheinbaum. He insisted on his retirement but outlined conditions for a potential political return. The appearance sparked polarized reactions, though its impact on public debate faded quickly.
On Sunday, López Obrador released a video exalting pre-Hispanic civilizations as perfect societies, denying human sacrifices and challenging traditional historiography to promote his view of 'Mexican humanism.' He repeated variants of 'I retired' or 'I'm retired' more than 20 times, but warned he would take to the streets if democracy is attacked, a coup is attempted against Sheinbaum, or sovereignty is violated. He praised the president, urging support for her 'a lot, a lot, a lot' and denying any intent to overshadow her.
Sheinbaum responded respectfully, thanking the praise, but clarified that the country faces no circumstances justifying the former president's return. Her reaction was brief and she continued her agenda without engaging further. Since the assassination of Carlos Manzo, Sheinbaum had lost control of the public agenda amid criticisms over insecurity, corruption, and impunity, worsened by external pressures like those from Donald Trump.
National and international criticism, including protests by farmers, transporters, and the Coordinator, as well as scandals like Segalmex and fiscal huachicol, forced López Obrador to defend his legacy and the Fourth Transformation (4T). However, the video did not sustain a national debate; it had an initial peak of attention on social media but deflated quickly, reflecting social fatigue and a shift in focus to Sheinbaum as the central power figure.