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Mexican President-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, on October 25, 2018, in Mexico City, during the consultation on the construction of the new Mexico City airport. REUTERS / Andres Stapff
Following a controversial public consultation, President-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador announced the cancellation of the new airport in Mexico City, which is being built on Lake Texcoco. In its place, three existing airports will operate simultaneously. This will allow the future government to save $ 5 billion, according to Lopez Obrador who will take office on December 1.
With our correspondent in Mexico, Patrick John Buffe
The project of the next government is to recover the military airport of Santa Lucia, where will be built two new tracks. In addition, it will modernize the current Mexico City Airport and reactivate that of Toluca. This should resolve, within three years, the serious problems of saturation of air transport.
This decision, Lopez Obrador believes that it respects the mandate of the people, who spoke at a consultation attended by over a million citizens. Seventy percent of them voted against building the new airport. A solution advocated by the future president who was satisfied with this first consultation.
" We are happy because we have achieved a democratic exercise, " said Lopez Obrador. And it's the people who decided. And we must continue to create a democratic habit. Because when there is democracy, there is no corruption. "
However, this decision does not please the private sector, very involved in the construction of the new airport. A pharaonic project whose cost is estimated at $ 13 billion. Lopez Obrador was nevertheless reassuring by stating that the interests of companies and investors would be safeguarded.
► (Re) read: The pharaonic project of Mexico City Airport in pictures