On everything from soccer to geopolitical issues, Argentina and Mexico have enjoyed a history of close ties. But today more than ever, their warm relationship is offering Latin America an alternative pole of power and influence, based on a vision of regional autonomy and solidarity. One indication of this was Argentine President Alberto Fernandez’s three-day trip to Mexico City last month, at the invitation of his Mexican counterpart, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, widely known as AMLO. The summit was marked by a flurry of private meetings, official ceremonies, news conferences and effusive mutual praise.
“A friend is nothing more than oneself in another skin—and that is what I feel with Andres Manuel,” Fernandez remarked to journalists at one point during his visit. The Mexican president also had kind words for his Argentinian counterpart, saying, “We have great respect for the government of Argentina and we appreciate Alberto. We consider him a consequential man.”
The burgeoning “bromance” on display over the three-day visit underscored what is arguably the most robust partnership in a region currently characterized by a leadership vacuum, and where internal fractures and crises have caused many countries to become increasingly inward-looking.