Regardless of the Result, A Step Forward for Mexican Democracy

As the citizens of Mexico and the world await the final election results, it’s important to recognize the democratic progress Mexico has made to date. It wasn’t long ago that a single political party held a stranglehold on Mexican politics – the fact that this is such a close election with such high voter turnout speaks volumes about Mexico’s democratic progress. It is my hope that the current recount will evolve peacefully according to Mexican law, and that Mexican electoral institutions will prove themselves worthy of the respect of the Mexican people. Close elections and even recounts have become common here in the U.S., and there is every reason to believe Mexican institutions will similarly be able to meet this challenge. Regardless of who is ultimately declared the winner in these elections, it is my expectation that the U.S. and Mexico will remain close partners on the wide range of issues that affect our neighborhood, from border security to narcotics control to human rights and democracy in the region.

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