Mexico’s ruling party presidential candidate slips, says outgoing leader led by ‘personal ambition’

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico’s ruling party presidential candidate slipped up during a campaign speech Friday and said President Andrés Manuel López Obrador was motivated by “personal ambition,” but later acknowledged the phrase could have been misinterpreted. The phrase is used in Mexico to describe a desire for personal economic gain. Former Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum holds a comfortable polling lead ahead of the June 2 elections and has sought to link her candidacy to López Obrador, who founded their Morena party. He is by far the more popular of the two politicians, and Sheinbaum has pledged to follow his policies. She later posted a statement on her social media accounts saying: “It’s obvious President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has transformed our country without personal ambitions.”