Clifford Chance

Mexico: Anti-Corruption Tsunami Warning II (Lessons Learned from the Operação Lava Jato Investigation)

2 July 2018

On July 1, 2018, in a tidal wave of support, voters elected Mr. Andrés López Obrador, a left-wing politician who has voiced his determination to fight corruption in Mexico, as the country's next President.

Throughout his campaign, Mr. Obrador stated on numerous occasions that he will end corruption in Mexico—a country that is ranked 135 of 180 on the Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index 2017, indicating that the country's public sector is viewed as highly corrupt. However, Mr. Obrador has yet to explain how he will achieve this goal.

What is clear is that Mr. Obrador and his new administration will be expected to increase anti-corruption enforcement activity in Mexico upon taking office, which would likely have a follow-on effect in the United States.

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