Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has called on Latinos in Florida not to vote for Gov. Ron DeSantis — who launched his bid for the White House in 2024 — because of his immigration policies.  

Lopez Obrador urged Latinos to “awake” and not give DeSantis any votes, criticizing those who persecute migrants and do not respect their condition. The Mexican president said his previous statements about DeSantis using the immigration issue as a political platform to run for the Republican Party were confirmed by the announcement of his candidacy, according to a report in The Hill.

At a news conference, López Obrador expressed his concern about the United States' border and immigration security policy, referring to the issue of migration as an unfortunate phenomenon, used for political purposes in the country. He mentioned the governors of Texas and Florida, who promote the militarization of the border and the construction of the wall, as examples of politicizing this issue for electoral purposes.

Although Florida does not directly border Mexico, DeSantis has increasingly emphasized the debate over immigration and border security. In September, as a Republican presidential candidate, he drew attention by chartering a flight to take about 50 immigrants from Texas to Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, sparking controversy. In addition, Florida sent police aid to Texas during his tenure.

These statements by Lopez Obrador reflect a direct criticism of DeSantis’ immigration policies and could sway the opinion of Hispanics in Florida in the upcoming election.