Mexico's president-elect grounded for hours on commercial flight after he refuses to use luxury jet

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Independent


‘I would be ashamed to have a luxury plane in a country with so much poverty,’ says left-wing leader

Adam Forrest
@adamtomforrest
3 hours ago



President-elect was stuck for three hours ( Reuters )

Mexico’s president-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has vowed to uphold a promise to sell a luxury presidential jet, despite getting grounded on a commercial flight.

Bad weather in Mexico City shut down the capital’s airport, forcing the recently-elected politician to wait on the tarmac with hundreds of other passengers for three hours.

The left-wing populist has pledged to turn his presidential palace into a cultural centre and sell the presidential plane costing $218m (£165m).

. . .

The president-elect, who won by a landslide in July, added: “I would be ashamed… to have a luxury airplane in a country with so much poverty.”

Read more: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/mexico-presidentelect-lopez-obrador-grounded-flight-luxury-jet-expenses-a8548276.html

[Fred Sanders]

1. Anti-corruption crusader's like Obrador are needed in America even more. Progressive socialism!

Corruption. Voters hate corruption.

Good thing anti-corruption is a main plank of the D platform now.

[lagomorph777]

2. When can we get a real leader like that?

[dsc]

3. I appreciate the idea but the jet isn't solely a luxury

it is a matter of safety (not only of him but of fellow passengers) and of his being able to get places in a hurry if need be. I wouldn't want to be on a plane with Trump or any other current President who by definition is a prime terrorist target.

[PatSeg]

6. That's a good point

Sounds a bit like political show.

[Judi Lynn]

8. He's not grandstanding, he's making a point. He can use a smaller, efficient airplane easily.

I could never buy an attack on this man as being political, as he has been working for the poor for decades. That's why million of Mexican citizens made their way to the town center in Mexico City when it was announced he "lost" to Felipe Calderón in 2006, and stayed there for many weeks, coming from all points in Mexico, leaving their homes, jobs, to stand in wait, demanding a recount, and rightly so.

He would never need to do a thing to have the total attention of a country which loves him this much. You might want to spend a moment learning more about this former Mayor of Mexico City, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.











Leftist protest paralyzes Mexico City
updated 8/1/2006 3:55:45 AM ET

MEXICO CITY — Supporters of Mexico’s leftist presidential candidate brought rush-hour traffic to a crawl Monday, causing the stock market to drop and forcing office workers dressed in business suits and high heels to hike for miles to work.

The sprawling tent cities in the financial heart of the Mexican capital were another sign that Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and his supporters won’t accept anything less than victory from the top electoral court.

The tribunal is weighing allegations that fraud gave ruling party candidate Felipe Calderon a slight advantage in the July 2 election. It has until Sept. 6 to declare a president-elect or annul the elections.

Lopez Obrador is demanding a vote-for-vote recount, and has vowed to block the city center until the Federal Electoral Tribunal rules on his request.

Mexico’s stock market opened lower Monday, a sign the protests were making investors nervous.

“We’ll stay here for as long as it takes, but we’re not going to let them impose a president on us,” said farmer Anacleto Garcia Martinez, 53, as he warmed his coffee on a wood-burning brazier set up beneath a tarp strung from the wrought-iron gate leading to Chapultepec Park.

More:
http://www.nbcnews.com/id/14119697/ns/world_news-americas/t/leftists-supporters-paralyze-mexico-city-center/#.W6UdDGhKjIU

[aggiesal]

9. I was going to say the same thing ...

How much could he get done in those 3 hours?
His time is more valuable then most.
I wouldn't sit for 3 hours waiting for a plane.

Plus he can get work done on a private plane.

[Judi Lynn]

11. The point he is making is a little more intelligent than that.

He undoubtedly will use a smaller, less expensive plane, not a "luxury" whiz bang.

He is also taking a deep salary cut, not going to live in palatial surroundings, cutting absurd privileges to high officials throughout his administration, etc.

His actions are well worth grasping.

The President of Bolivia has implemented many of the same decisions, as well as a former guerrilla, President José "Pepe" Mujica, in Uruguay who continued to drive his VW Beetle, and lived with his wife in their own house on a farm, etc.

The history and struggle of the Americas is so worth knowing about it's a real shame US corporate interests have always blocked information about Latin American people being treated with respect.

[aggiesal]

16. I know what point he is trying to make ...

and it deserve to be discussed.

But, I agree with an earlier post that Mexico is pretty much a narco state.
If he does anything to pi$$ off the drug lords, they'll find his smaller, less expensive,
less guarded, not a "luxury" plane, and blow out of the sky.

What good could he possibly do then?

[SpankMe]

4. Taking a risk with the security thing

From the article:

Mexico’s new leader, also known as “Almo,” has also said he will refuse to accept Secret Service-style bodyguards when he is sworn in as president in December.

He shouldn't shun high levels of security for himself. Mexico is almost a narco-state. I can see the drug loonies trying to bump him off if he backs off on his security.

[George II]

5. No doubt tomorrow morning trump will be tweeting that he's a "loser" and speculate on how....

....he'll be able to get back and forth from the golf course.

[Judi Lynn]

7. Mexican president-elect stuck on commercial flight - video

0:19
Mexico’s president-elect had to wait three hours on the tarmac of an airport runway waiting for a commercial flight to take off, after promising to sell the country’s presidential plane. In video footage posted online from onboard the delayed flight from Huatulco to Mexico City, Andrés Manuel López Obrador said he would 'die of shame' if he used 'a luxurious plane in a country where there is so much poverty'.

Mexico's president-elect vows to ditch official plane or 'die of shame'
Fri 21 Sep 2018 09.53 EDT

https://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2018/sep/21/mexican-president-elect-andres-manuel-lopez-obrador-stuck-on-commercial-flight-video

Video at link.

[keithbvadu2]

10. Obviously saving money to pay for Trump's wall.

Obviously saving money to pay for Trump's wall.

(Sarcasm thingie goes here)

[Judi Lynn]

13. That's it! n/t

[The Mouth]

12. No elected official should have a private jet

Make it required that anyone getting one CENT of taxpayer money fly in cattle class.

[Scruffy1]

14. Duh. If the airport is closed, it's closed. This applies to all planes.

I'm not buting much of the logic behind private jets. The only thing Air Force One is really good is photo ops and politicking. When you are the President people come to see you. What's the use of a President visiting a disaster? If your time is realy valuable then you need to o stay close to your office.

[dembotoz]

15. Good for his image and sets an example

Maybe a conference table on sale from Ikea could be work

[Sgent]

17. What kind of plane do they have

that costs $165m?

I'm actually ok with there being a presidential plane, but there are much cheaper options. Note that the performance of planes in Mexico is limited due to the height above sea level of Mexico City, but even so...

[geretogo]

18. I'm sure Der Fuer Trump is getting ready to over throw his government for doing that .

[roamer65]

19. He should have a small basic commuter type jet.

He needs to get to meetings within a decent time frame. It’s essential for doing the Mexican people’s business.

He should also have a small yet elite security team.