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MEXICO’S President-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has announced his government is set to ditch a controversial airport after the public rejected it in a vote.
He promised to accept the outcome of a referendum on the construction of a new airport for Mexico City which ran from October 25 to October 28 in which 70 percent of voters wanted to see the project cancelled.
The US$13 billion airport has been partially built and is backed by many wealthy Mexican investors. Construction began in 2015, but it has been beset by rising costs, delays and allegations of corruption.
Mr Obrador, who is due to take office on December 1, claimed the government would save 100 billion pesos by converting a military airport north of the capital and keeping the existing airport.
His decision was in defiance of the wishes of big business which insisted that the airport project should go ahead.
"Our decision is to follow the referendum mandate. The citizens’ decision is rational and democratic,” he told reporters, dismissing allegations that the vote was rigged.
