Earlier this month, Mexico had an election, but it wasn't business as usual.

The vote was at first of its kind in Mexico, a recall referendum on the country's president.

Recalls happen all the time in politics.

Opposition candidates use them to oust them popular leaders from power.

But what's weird is that in Mexico, the person who pushed to recall the president

was the president himself.

I'm Gustavo Ariano. You're listening to the Times, daily news from the LA Times.

It's Thursday, April 21st, 2022. Today, why Andres Manuel López Obrador

asked voters if he should quit the presidency

and what that move means for the future of Mexican politics?

My colleague Lailla Miller recently covered this unusual election.

She's a foreign correspondent based in Mexico City.

Layla, welcome to the Times.

Thanks for having me.

So critics of President Lopez Obrador say that the recall was just political theater. But what does the president himself say the point of the vote was?

So Lopez Obrador, he says that this vote was to strengthen direct democracy in Mexico.

So he has this phrase that he always uses, which is in Spanish,

El Pueblo Pone and the people give and the people take.

He would mention that phrase many times when discussing this recall.

Basically making the point that the people should always have the power, not the government,

and if they're not satisfied with their leaders, they should be able to kick them out.

It's a democracy.

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