President Andres Manuel López Obrador celebrated a high point in his six-year term this week as he opened Mexico City’s second airport, Felipe Ángeles International, accompanied by hundreds of his supporters and scores of dignitaries.
Highlighting the “record time” that it took to build the facility, AMLO described the airport as “belonging to the nation, not individuals,” and untainted by corruption or scandal.
Soon after assuming office, the president scrapped a far more expensive airport (Tecoxco) started by his predecessor in favor of Felipe Ángeles, built on the site of an Air Force base 43 kilometers north of Mexico City’s center.
Some commentators took exception with AMLO’s interpretation. “The [new] airport does not belong to the nation or the people. It’s the Army’s,” noted journalist Denise Dresser. “The military built it and got the contracts to manage it, will pocket the profits, and [can] withhold any information [about it] that should be in the public domain.”
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