Jeremy Corbyn, Bernie Sanders Congratulate Mexico’s President-Elect AMLO

U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders and the leader of the British Labour Party Jeremy Corbyn were some of the high-profile progressives who congratulated Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador after his overwhelming victory on Mexico’s presidential elections on Sunday.

“Today is a wonderful day for Mexico. Se abre hoy una nueva pagina en la historia de Mexico [A new page in the history of Mexico is turned today]. The landslide victory of the new president-elect of Mexico Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador gives new hope to the people of Mexico and to all those around the world demanding societies that work for the many, not just the few. I wish I could have joined the crowds packed into the Zocalo last night in Mexico City to celebrate this historic moment,” said Corbyn, using both English and Spanish, in a video posted on his official Facebook page.

Corbyn repeated Lopez Obrador’s recurring words “yes we can” and assured that change is possible both in Mexico and in United Kingdom, where the left is still the opposition.

“We can bring a voice to the poor and marginalized, we can bring change, we can win. Today is a new beginning. As we build for the future we must also remember and secure justice for those who died during those elections,” he continued, in reference to the many candidates, politicians and citizens who were killed during the campaign period.

Lopez Obrador, or AMLO, and Corbyn are reported to be personal friends and have participated together in political conferences and seminars. They have also enjoyed holidays together, as seen in several pictures they have taken in the UK and Tabasco, AMLO’s home state.

In his Facebook site, Bernie Sanders also congratulated Mexico’s president-elect.

“Congratulations to Andres Manuel López Obrador, the newly elected president of Mexico. Now is the time to stand up to Trump’s divisiveness and xenophobia and create a continent which brings countries together to focus on economic, social, racial and environmental justice.”

Along with his post, Sanders shared an article which calls Lopez Obrador “Mexico’s ‘Bernie Sanders‘” and describes him as “anti-Trump.”

The leftist politicians joined a handful of world leaders, artists and politicians around the world congratulating Lopez Obrador and his party over their victory in the presidency and both legislative chambers.

Media outlets usually try to compare AMLO to other world leaders and politicians in an attempt to understand him in an international context where many are not familiar with him.

Some try to link him to Hugo Chavez or Fidel Castro due his leftist-leaning politics, some to Donald Trump over his vague populist rhetoric and others call him anti-Trump even though the U.S. president already congratulated him and predicted both leaders will build “good ties”. At the end, these comparisons are often misleading and politically motivated.

Lopez Obrador won’t be sworn-in until Dec. 1, when incumbent President Enrique Peña Nieto, from the Institutional Revolutionary Party, leaves office.