Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador says that private jets are for the “neoliberal elite” so he flies commercial. Former U.S. President Trump called the leader to the South “Juan Trump,” seeing him as a similar ‘outsider’ to the elite class.
Mexican President ‘AMLO’ refused use of his government’s VIP-configured Boeing 787-8, and had it stored in the Southern California desert. After years of trying, the plane has finally been sold to the government of Tajikistan for approximately $92 million. Tajikistan is one of the world’s poorest countries, and is surrounded by Afghanistan, China, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.
Informo al pueblo de México que hoy se celebró el contrato de compra-venta del avión presidencial. El gobierno de Tayikistán depositó mil 658 millones 684 mil 400 pesos, de conformidad con el avalúo oficial, a la cuenta del Instituto para Devolver al Pueblo lo Robado. Este dinero… pic.twitter.com/ILw0IDlSn6
— Andrés Manuel (@lopezobrador_) April 21, 2023
I inform the people of Mexico that the purchase-sale contract for the presidential plane was concluded today. The government of Tajikistan deposited 1,658,684,400 pesos, in accordance with the official appraisal, to the account of the Institute to Return the Stolen to the People. This money will be invested in two hospitals, in Tlapa, Guerrero and in Tuxtepec, Oaxaca, which will be built by military engineers and inaugurated before the end of our term.
Here’s AMLO flying Delta coach:
⚡️#LoÚltimo El Presidente @lopezobrador_ abordó al vuelo Delta Airlines que lo llevará a Washington, DC, con escala en Atlanta, por la pista.
📹 Isabella González pic.twitter.com/aGZIMpwFyk
— REFORMA (@Reforma) July 7, 2020
The aircraft had been expected to become part of the fleet of a rebooted Mexicana Airlines to be owned by the government and run by the military. Due to safety concerns a new Mexicana wouldn’t even be permitted to fly to the United States.
The Presidential Boeing 787 was reportedly purchased for $218 million, though that seems high. They’d expected to sell it for $150 million when they Lopez Obrador assumed office in 2018.
(HT: @istrakhov)
AMLO is 100% a polarizing figure, and in that regard he’s similar to Trump, but that’s where it all ends. In the US he would be considered far left due to social programs, etc.
he obviously speaks enough English to be able to sit in an exit row.
I’m sure the US paid for that in one form or another. They probably can’t pay for fuel and insurance
@Jobmero except Trump flew on Air Force One, a 747-300 and ordered two 747-8’s to replace the current planes that serve as Air Force once. Trump was the epitome of what is wrong with America. One other thing that Mexico does right, you can’t buy real estate there unless you are a Mexican citizen.
Don’t be surprised if it ends up under a de facto Russian control.
This guy is nothing more than a third rate thug. A cartel narco-leader just as corrupt or even worse, if ever possible, than Donald Trump. A true populist king with nothing more than self enrichment aspirations!
@UnionTHAT Foreigners can buy real estate in Mexico. It is expressly permitted in your FMM when you enter.
They expected the airplane to sell for $150,000,000 USD in 2018. Now, five years later they sell it for $92,000,000 USD. Good job selling it for $58,000,000 USD less than the original appraised price. If they had got to work right away and sold it for even $120,000,000 USD, they would be well ahead of where they are now. This is what happens when pride requires that you sell it for top dollar. I wonder if the whole economy of Mexico is running this way.