The President of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, said on Thursday that the economic and health crisis caused by the expansion of the new coronavirus (Covid-19) has come to his country “like a ring on the finger” to strengthen the objectives of his government, which he calls himself the “fourth transformation”. His presidential term ends in 2024, with no possibility of reelection.

“This came as a ring to the finger to strengthen the purpose of the transformation,” said López Obrador during “La Mañanera”, his morning press conference with which he tries every day to set the information agenda for the Mesoamerican country. “This is not going to take long and we are going to get stronger, and we are going to get stronger because they are not going to make us change our purpose to end corruption,” added the president, assuring that the nation is simply going through a “transitory crisis.”

López Obrador’s words come a day after the Ministry of Finance has estimated that the Mexican economy will contract to a maximum of 3.9% this year, due to the economic impact associated with the pandemic. Other institutions such as Barclays also foresee a drop in GDP of close to 4% by 2020.

The expansion of the coronavirus has been a stumbling block to the high objectives that López Obrador has set for his six-year term, which began in December 2018. During the “fourth transformation”, the President has promised to ban corruption, a growth of 4% per year and to put end to rampant criminality. But in 2019, its first year, the economy decreased 0.1% and the country registered its year with the highest number of homicides since data collection began in 1997.

So far, Mexico has officially counted a total of 1,510 people infected and 50 died from Covid-19. The country identified the first case on February 27 and, since then, the disease has not stopped spreading in the ninth country with most diabetics in the world, 10.7% of people between 20 and 69 years. It was not, however, until March 30 when the country declared a health emergency in its territory that will be in force until April 30.

In its attempt to contain the pandemic, the López Obrador government has ordered the suspension of economic activities classified as non-essential, while prohibiting those over 60, pregnant women and diabetics from going to their jobs. The declaration does not oblige citizens to have to stay at home, but simply recommends voluntary confinement. .