Poll Stunner: Super Majority of Mexicans Support AMLO Blocking Migrant Caravans, Using Troops to Guard Border as ‘Trump’s Wall’

While liberal activists derisively accused him of building and paying for “Trump’s wall” by putting Mexican troops on the border with Guatemala to interdict migrant caravans, a new poll shows a sharp increase of support so that now a super majority of Mexicans are in favor of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (nicknamed AMLO) in his efforts to secure Mexico’s southern border. AMLO sent National Guard forces to the border last month to stop caravans from crossing through Mexico to the United States and deport them to their home countries.

President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, official photo.

The poll also shows a majority of Mexicans agree with the idea that Mexico is acting as “Trump’s wall”, but that has not impacted the strong support for AMLO or his extraordinary actions against the caravan migrants. 64 percent support closing Mexico’s border to migrants and 73 percent support using troops to stop the flow of migrants. AMLO’s approval rating is 71 percent.

Mexican National Guard forces mass to stop a migrant caravan after crossing river from Guatemala, January 20, 2020, screen image.

The poll by El Financiero was reported by Carin Zissis, the Online Editor-in-Chief of Americas Society and Council of the Americas.

“Via @almorenoal, new El Financiero poll shows AMLO’s approval staying high at 71%. Also: 64% of those polled support closing MX’s border to migrants. 73% back use of National Guard to stop migrant flows. 1/2 …More people—45%—think AMLO’s government is managing economy well compared to those who think not, at 33%. But a growing portion—now 56%—think government is handling public security poorly, with 31% saying it’s handling it well.”

Via @almorenoal, new El Financiero poll shows AMLO's approval staying high at 71%.

Also: 64% of those polled support closing MX's border to migrants.

73% back use of National Guard to stop migrant flows.

1/2 https://t.co/r8ttLO1s5m

— Carin Zissis (@CarinZissis) February 4, 2020

More people—45%—think AMLO's government is managing economy well compared to those who think not, at 33%.

But a growing portion—now 56%—think government is handling public security poorly, with 31% saying it's handling it well.

Poll (via phone): https://t.co/etXUghY4Yi

2/2

— Carin Zissis (@CarinZissis) February 4, 2020

Translation of excerpt from El Financiero article:

On the issue of migrants, the survey reveals important movements of opinion in recent months. The proportion of Mexicans who agree to employ the National Guard to stop the flow of Central American migrants on the southern border increased 18 points, from 55 to 73 percent, between July 2019 and January 2020. Support for the closure of Borders rose 15 points, from 49 to 64 percent between November of last year and January of this year, registering the highest percentage of border closure support to migrants in the series of surveys.

The proportion of respondents who agree with the idea that Mexico became the “wall” of Donald Trump for his work to detain Central American migrants increased from 44 percent in July 2019, to 52 percent in the month of January. The idea of ​​the “wall” became a majority perception.