Mexican president urges Latino voters to reject DeSantis after campaign launch

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Thursday urged Latino voters not to back Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in the next U.S. presidential election, accusing the Republican politician of trying to win votes at the expense of migrants.

DeSantis said Wednesday he would seek the 2024 Republican nomination for president and vowed to build a wall on the Mexico border, the latest in a series of hardline comments on immigration that he says resonate with Latino voters who want strong enforcement.

Lopez Obrador dismissed those comments.

"All of his playing politics with migrants was because he wanted to be the Republican party candidate," Lopez Obrador told a government press conference. "I hope the Hispanics of Florida wake up and don't give him a single vote."