Mexico’s Lopez Obrador Raffles His Watch in Colorful Final Press Conference

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – In his final morning press conference as president of Mexico, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador held a raffle for his watch on Monday, continuing a tradition of engaging and unconventional stunts that characterized his time in office.

Lopez Obrador’s successor and former confidante, Claudia Sheinbaum, is set to take office on Tuesday. She has committed to maintaining the daily press briefing, known as the mañanera, although she is expected to adopt a more scripted and formal approach.

“We will not have time for questions and answers, but we will have time for what I promised you: we are going to raffle off the watch,” Lopez Obrador announced while removing the timepiece, which he described as being worth between 2,000 and 2,500 pesos (approximately $100 to $125). Local sources identified the brand as Momentum.

In Latin America, observing the watches worn by leaders has long been a political pastime, with many politicians facing backlash for donning expensive accessories that clash with their promised ideals. Earlier this year, Peruvian President Dina Boluarte came under fire over the source of her Rolex collection, and Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has faced similar scrutiny regarding luxury watches.

Fidel Castro, the former Cuban leader, was known to wear two Rolex watches on the same wrist, with one allegedly set to local time and the other to Moscow time.

During his tenure as mayor of Mexico City in 2005, Lopez Obrador attracted criticism for wearing an expensive Tiffany watch. However, since taking the presidency in 2018, he has carefully crafted an image in line with his Morena party, which advocates for the welfare of the country’s poorest citizens and aims to combat political corruption.

For the raffle, aides set up a table, and Lopez Obrador invited a journalist to randomly select a name from a bingo-style drum. A reporter from a local outlet was chosen as the winner, going on stage to embrace Lopez Obrador and pose for photographs with the watch.

The mañanera concluded with the premiere of a music video paying tribute to the president, featuring his wife, along with live performances and traditional dance. An emotional Lopez Obrador was accompanied on stage by members of his cabinet.