Pedro Ferriz de Con in Voz News: ‘AMLO is the head of the so-called 'narco-government’, while Sheinbaum is left without allies due to the region's shift to the right

Mexican journalist and analyst Pedro Ferriz de Con asserted that Andrés Manuel López Obrador continues to wield decisive power behind the scenes of Claudia Sheinbaum's administration and maintained that the former president is, in his view, "the head" of the structure that protects drug trafficking in Mexico. During an interview with Voz News, Ferriz de Con described the current situation as a "maximato" — referring to a power operating behind the government — and stated that López Obrador "remains the key factor". At the same time, he noted that Sheinbaum is losing international allies amid the rise of right-wing governments in Latin America.

Ferriz de Con argued that López Obrador's recent public reappearance — presented as an opportunity to discuss his new book — shows that the former president continues to intervene in Mexican politics despite claiming to have retired. "It's a retirement like when bullfighters cut off their ponytails and then return to the bullring," the analyst explained to the news anchor and executive director of the program, Karina Yapor. In his view, López Obrador seeks to project that Sheinbaum maintains her own leadership, but at the same time hints that he continues to wield decisive influence over the government. "When, deep down, since he is the one calling the shots, what he's really saying is, 'Yes, we have a one-man rule here,'" the analyst noted.

Regarding the investigations the United States is reportedly conducting against members of the former president's inner circle, Ferriz de Con stated that the U.S. crackdown is reaching López Obrador's closest circle, especially his son Andrés Manuel López Beltrán. The journalist mentioned the case of Jorge Amílcar Olán and asserted that his whereabouts in Europe are part of a broader investigation. According to Ferriz de Con, "a net is being cast around Andrés Manuel López Obrador's inner circle," and Washington's primary objective is to reach the former president himself.

In this context, Ferriz de Con made his strongest accusation yet, stating that "López Obrador is the head of this entire government operation, which has been described as a 'narco-government' linked to organized crime." The analyst maintained that, since 2018, the cartels have enjoyed political protection to operate with impunity and asserted that drug trafficking functions as "a parallel government" across much of Mexican territory. These statements reflect Ferriz de Con's interpretation and do not in themselves imply that these accusations have been established in court.

The analyst also questioned Sheinbaum's ability to distance herself from figures and structures inherited from López Obrador. In his view, the mayor is caught in "a very perverse game, which is defending the indefensible," and he maintained that the former president's influence continues to extend into strategic areas of the government. "Claudia, with few resources, practically has no one left in her cabinet who is truly hers," he stated, before noting that various security institutions would continue to be dominated by the socialist leader.

Finally, Ferriz de Con linked the situation in Mexico to the political shift that, according to him, Latin America is currently undergoing. "There is a very clear global trend toward governments moving toward the center and the right," he stated, citing the political changes in Colombia and Peru and the electoral landscape in Brazil. This regional shift, he argued, is leaving the Mexican government increasingly isolated. "Sheinbaum has practically no allies left on the American continent," he said.

You can watch the full interview by clicking on the video below.