On Tuesday June 5th in Mexico City, a much anticipated meeting took place between Mexico’s presidential frontrunner, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, and the country’s top tycoons — despite a war of words between the two camps in recent weeks. “We did pretty well,” said Carlos Slim Domit, Chairman of Grupo Carso and a son of billionaire Carlos Slim Helú, according to Reforma newspaper. “Very interesting,” was how mining mogul German Larrea, Mexico’s second richest person, described it to Reforma.
Sponsored by the Mexican Business Council, an elite business group comprised of 60 of Mexico’s most wealthy and powerful men and women, the behind-closed-doors meeting was an attempt to smooth differences with the man favored to win the July 1 election. The business community has been increasingly outspoken about its opposition to some of López Obrador’s economic proposals. Last week, mining tycoon Larrea warned his employees of the risk of a “populist” winning the election and asked them to think twice before voting for him, according to Reuters.
The talks reportedly succeeded in reducing tensions. “It was a very good meeting with good results,” López Obrador told reporters after the three-hour session, according to the news website SinEmbargo. “There was no confrontation. There weren’t any complaints. There are approaches where we do not agree. This is normal. [But] they were very respectful and so was I. Doubts were clarified and things were smoothed out,” the candidate said.
Andres Manuel López Obrador (RMT)
López Obrador, who has around 50% support in most opinion polls ahead of the vote, also said the parties agreed to meet again if he wins to work hand-in-hand to foster democracy and job-creating economic development. “We are going to have a cooperative relationship between the private and public sectors,” the candidate said.
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Source: Forbes.com