Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador will fly to the United States on Tuesday for meetings with President Donald Trump. This means that the president of the tenth most populous country in the world hopes that his flight will not be delayed, will stuck any hand luggage in overhead and will pray for a constant cabin temperature, while dreaming of more space for legs. You know, like the rest of us.
The president, who says that private presidential planes are the outward signs of the "neoliberal elite", will even have to stop. There are no direct flights from Mexico City to Washington, "said López Obrador last week at his daily press conference." But we can make a connection and arrive in Washington a day before the meeting we have. "
A spokesman for the Foreign Ministry did not confirm the president's exact itinerary, citing security concerns. But we have many more questions than on which flight it is.
We have an idea of how the president flies commercially, because this is not the first time he has done so. He did this several times on domestic flights to Mexico.
Videos and reports show him starting his journey through Mexico City's aging airport, assailed by travelers in search of selfies shocked to see a president pass.
He then goes to security and goes to his door. CNN cannot confirm whether it is tempted to buy unnecessary magnets in tourist shops or buy overpriced coffee.
When he has boarded his plane in the past, he sits in a coach, chatting with other passengers all the time. The show has become a kind of signature for the longtime politician.
This week's flight will be slightly different, however - the trip will be López Obrador's first international visit since taking office in December 2018. It is unclear how this could change what has become, at least nationally, a fairly standard operating procedure.
In the United States, he will have to go through customs and immigration, although his diplomatic passport should at least allow him to access a faster line. It will be an unusual day at the office of the United States Customs and Border Protection Officer responsible for stamping this passport.
Is it safe?
If you subscribe to the idea that presidents are targets, then the answer is no - traveling through several public airports and being trapped in planes with strangers increases López Obrador's exposure to potential threats. But he might not agree.
The president has avoided armed guards since taking office, dissolving details of previous presidential security. Instead, he travels with a handful of assistants and escorts who systematically allow the public to access the president directly.
His office does not release the exact details of his trips to the public, and he often shows up at the airport unexpectedly.
But for this trip to the White House, the president has already announced publicly that he would fly on Tuesday.
A simple online search shows that there aren't many flights to choose from, especially during a demand reduction pandemic. Mexican authorities could of course book a series of one-way flights, which would make it more difficult to map potential flights.
But anyone who wants to see the president in person could make a fairly reasonable estimate of the flight he could leave from Mexico City.
There is also the fact that the president chooses to fly in the middle of a pandemic. The risk of infection from flying can be mitigated when best health practices are practiced, such as wearing a mask. But López Obrador has never worn a mask in public and we don't know if he will do it during this trip.
Masked or not, commercial flying is certainly more risky than staying at home or flying in private. And López Obrador has his own plane. He simply chooses not to use it.
Wait, he has his own plane !? Why doesn't he just use it?
Officially, the Mexican government purchased a Boeing Dreamliner 787-8 for presidential use in 2012. The price of the plane was $ 218.7 million.
López Obrador, a leftist known for his populist positions and solid base among low-income communities, had long decried the plane as a notorious example of government excess and vowed never to use it.
López Obrador said earlier this year that he would sell tickets and draw the plane for the winner. But what exactly would the lucky winner of the draw do with a large jet carrier? Later, he changed his proposal, saying that he would still sell tickets to cover the cost of the plane but, instead of giving the plane himself to the winner, would instead give a cash prize of $ 20 million. Mexican pesos to 100 winners, the equivalent of about $ 900,000.
Meanwhile, attempts to sell or lease the aircraft will continue.
Critics say López Obrador's reluctance to use this plane, or another Mexican Air Force plane, is a cheap political coup designed to appeal to many Mexican voters who will never be able to afford a ticket. 'plane.
Supporters supported his position, saying that boarding an airplane with large leather seats, a double bed, and a spacious bathroom with shower would be out of the question with so many Mexicans struggling in poverty.
Whatever your camp, commercial flight is certainly the cheapest option. A Kayak.com search over the weekend for a round-trip ticket Mexico City - Washington, DC, round trip Tuesday and Thursday, cost just over $ 1,100 per person.
