MEXICO CITY — While Mexico’s ruling Morena party gathered to celebrate 15 years of political influence, the milestone served as a stark reminder of the enduring shadow cast by its founder, Andrés Manuel López Obrador. Despite the transition to the presidency of Claudia Sheinbaum, the anniversary celebration underscored a lingering ideological and emotional divide within the “Fourth Transformation” (4T) movement.
The festivities took place at the Auditorio Nacional—the historic site of Morena’s founding—and drew a massive crowd of militants, government officials, legislators, and party founders. However, the event was marked by notable high-level absences. President Sheinbaum did not attend, citing her “neutral” status as head of the Executive Branch, and several high-ranking cabinet members were likewise missing. Furthermore, federal deputies remained in Congress to defend the president’s current legislative initiatives, choosing parliamentary duty over the party’s milestone celebration.
The most glaring absence, however, was that of López Obrador. In his stead, the party played two commemorative videos; notably, the footage highlighting López Obrador’s political struggle was significantly longer than the tribute dedicated to Sheinbaum.
The atmosphere inside the venue suggested that the party’s grassroots base remains deeply loyal to the “Obradorismo” brand. While attendees waved flags representing both the LGBTQ+ community and Palestine, the chants echoing through the hall were predominantly the classic “Es un honor estar con Obrador” (It is an honor to be with Obrador). The variation, “Es un honor estar con Claudia hoy” (It is an honor to be with Claudia today), was heard with noticeably less fervor.
This friction between “purists”—those who remain devoted to López Obrador’s specific brand of leadership—and “Claudistas” was a central theme of the evening’s rhetoric. Party leaders used the platform to urge members to maintain the movement’s core principles while warning against “triumphalism.”
Alfonso Durazo, president of the National Council of the movement, addressed the challenges of the current political climate. He cautioned that the party’s actions must be guided by “congruence, honesty, humility, and political maturity.”
“Every error, every internal difference is amplified by a media ecosystem that follows our every move and interprets them with evident malice,” Durazo stated. “Those who represent Morena represent a cause, and our conduct must rise to that responsibility.”
The loyalty gap was further evidenced in the speeches of party leadership. Ariadna Montiel, a prominent party director and a known loyalist to López Obrador, spent 29 minutes on stage mentioning the founder’s name 10 times, while mentioning Sheinbaum only three times. In her address, Montiel emphasized the need to honor López Obrador’s legacy by acting with “humility, austerity, and a low profile,” ultimately posing a rhetorical question to the faithful: “Why do we want power?”
As Morena navigates its first year under Sheinbaum’s presidency, the anniversary serves as a barometer for the party’s internal dynamics. While the movement moves forward into a new era of governance, the symbolic and emotional capital of López Obrador remains the cornerstone of the party’s identity.