Argentinian president to visit Mexico City for Flag Day celebration

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO) will host his Argentinian counterpart Alberto Fernandez for a visit today in Mexico.

Fernandez is the only Latin American leader invited to Mexico’s Flag Day celebration, reinforcing the close affinity between the two leftist leaders. This will not be Fernandez’s first visit to the country, as he also visited AMLO in 2019 weeks before his inauguration as Argentinian president.

This visit is likely an attempt by Fernandez to burnish his credentials as a regional leader while further cozying up to AMLO. Argentina, in conjunction with Mexico, is contributing to the region’s AstraZeneca vaccine production, giving the nation immense power over its distribution. Fernandez also became the first Latin American leader to speak with US President Joe Biden after his election, eager to find common ground with the new US president.

Expect Argentina and Mexico to build on the cooperation fostered by joint production of the AstraZeneca vaccine. However, AMLO’s isolationist tendencies and Argentina’s spiralling economy mean that Fernandez is likely to focus on stabilising his country’s economy before committing to any deeper ties with Mexico.

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