Obrador promises to end the neoliberal mafia.
The expectation is that, like Lula, he will implement ambitious social programs to combat poverty.
Do Viomundo - In his third attempt to reach the position, the former mayor of Mexico City, Antonio Manuel López Obrador, known as AMLO, was elected the new president of Mexico this Sunday.
Early results indicate that he will receive just under 50% of the vote, compared to approximately 27% for Ricardo Anaya of the National Action Party, and 17% for José Meade of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI).
The two main opponents admitted defeat, guaranteeing that there will be no questioning of Obrador's mandate.
He was elected by Morena, the National Regeneration Movement, which formed an alliance on the left with the Labor Party and on the right with Encuentro Social, a conservative party founded by a neo-Pentecostal pastor.
López Obrador campaigned on a platform of fighting corruption and crime, with a focus on social justice.
However, he softened his image compared to previous campaigns, much like Lula's.
Like the former Brazilian president, AMLO wrote a letter to investors promising Central Bank autonomy, budgetary balance, and respect for private property.
Just as Lula announced that it would be "peace and love," López Obrador's advisors said that he would counter campaign criticisms with AMLOve, a play on words with the word "love" in English.
The coalition led by López Obrador came out ahead in five of the nine state races and elected the first female mayor of Mexico City, Claudia Sheinbaum.
Partial results for the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate show an advantage for the Morena/PT/ES coalition, but without a broad majority.
López Obrador has been described as a "conservative leftist" who should focus on economic issues.
One of his campaign jingles promised to end "the neoliberal mafia".
The expectation is that, like Lula, he will implement ambitious social programs to combat poverty.
Although much has been said about a possible hardening of relations between Mexico and the United States, there is at least one thing in common between Donald Trump and AMLO: both were elected on an anti-establishment wave, of the same ilk that brought about Brexit.