Battered and bruised, Mexico has borne the brunt of Donald Trump’s pernicious populism. The country is responding with a populist firebrand of its own. Andres Manual Lopez Obrador — Almo to his followers — won Sunday’s presidential election. This result further drags down hopes of modernizing the image of America’s southern neighbor.
There is a mysterious, magical and yet foreboding quality to the land of the Aztecs. Gruesome rituals and grand temples represent a long history of ignominious acts and great achievements. These contrasts continue to this day. Mexico City is a marvelous megacity with its fair share of fashionable features. It also highlights the vast expanse that remains between the privileged and the poor.
[LEARN: Global survey ranks Mexico high for its heritage.]
Tourists continue to flock to Cozumel and Cancun, even as gangs wage a bloody war in the shadows of those resorts. Despite efforts to root them out, the drug cartels manage to corrupt police and politicians alike. They remain one of the most serious threats to the country’s global image.
Key Takeaways From the Rise of Populism
Populism didn’t start with now-President Trump. Other world leaders increasingly need to prepare to counter such attacks on their national brands. First, they need to act far earlier, defining the debate at debut. Second, forget the facts and focus on feelings. Create a campaign that resonates emotionally, not just logically. Finally, fully and repeatedly engage. Those with truth on their side tend to believe saying it once is sufficient. Politicians propagating exaggerations and falsehoods will repeat them again and again. If you’re not there every time, the lie will ultimately prevail.
[READ: Which countries are viewed as the most corrupt.]
As Trump won primary after primary, Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto’s government opted for a friendly approach. Trump used the visit to a presidential palace to brandish his statesman credentials without actually altering course. Again, this was a strategic miscalculation , because populists thrive on propaganda.
Mexico needed to find authentic American advocates and amplifiers to advance its cause. Yet little has been heard from north of the Rio from those pushing a positive message, not just attacking Trump for their own political purposes. The debate, even by the Democrats, was largely defined in terms of gradations of the severity of the problems posed by Mexico to the United States.
Once in the White House, Trump put NAFTA, his wall and immigration at the top of the agenda. The Mexican government still did not have a public engagement strategy. Instead, they hoped to resolve the issues through diplomatic channels and a backroom connection to Jared Kushner. Neither proved effective. Too late in the process, they finally hired a public relations firm. But the damage was already done.
Almo: Almost Too Much?
With U.S. politicians launching verbal cannonballs across the border, Mexicans appear ready to embrace their own outsize and outlandish personality. Almo comes from a long line of Latin American leftist leaders. Ironically, few remain standing or successful. Hugo Chavez and his successor Nicolas Maduro drove the rich Venezuelan economy into the ground. Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and his successor Dilma Rousseff were both driven from power in Brazil. The same fate met Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner in Argentina. This doesn’t seem to dissuade dispirited Mexicans.
There is a logic to fighting rhetorical fire with fire. There will be a fleeting feeling of fighting the good fight. Some may be led to believe national honor is being restored or , at the very least , Trump is finally being knocked around. It is a quixotic folly. Unfortunately, just like Pena Nieto, Obrador will provide his U.S. counterpart with an even more useful opponent.
A Mexican opponent could not come at a better time for Trump. Reeling after the public fallout from his “zero tolerance” policy that ripped families apart, the Trump administration is desperate to refocus the immigration debate. A leftist politician from another country allows the White House to maintain an uncompromising position. Ultimately, Mexico’s brand will continue to serve as the preferred punching bag for Trump.
[LEARN: Family separation may affect kids’ brains.]
There may be slightly more than two years to this drama if Trump is not re-elected. It will take much longer to repair the damage and restore the gleam to Mexico’s global image. The most costly casualty is clearly trade. Trump’s threats to withdraw from NAFTA have already diminished international interest in investing in Mexico. They have also showed how even long-standing agreements are vulnerable. Somewhat less challenging to rebuild are tourism and export sectors. While they are buttressed by a favorable national brand, advertising campaigns can more quickly restore their luster.
The less recognized impact is on Mexico’s international influence. Once seen as one of the closest partners of the United States in Latin America, the status it derived from that relationship has evaporated. Coupled with the economic hit, Mexico may soon see itself outpaced by other regional powers like Colombia, or even an emerging Argentina.
The Language of Change
One of the first constructs to be learned in Spanish is the no-fault “se.” It is very difficult to assign blame in the language. This is one of the principal reasons problems persist unabated. Crime happens to us. Trump happens to us. Almo happens to us.
The country must become more assertive about reclaiming its identity and its global image. Many Americans — indeed , many U.S. companies — are assertively distancing themselves from Trump. They are defining their brands and the national brand on their own terms.
In the coming years, Mexicans and Mexican companies need to aggressively articulate the values for which they stand, independent from their government. They need a brand rooted in and reinforced by real people and experiences.
That personal, private sector push might finally hold the potential to emphasize the nation’s many positive features and promising future — rather than its past problems.
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Commentary: How Mexico’s Election Results Will Affect Its Global Image originally appeared on usnews.com
