Mexico’s finance minister grim-faced during job acceptance

0 1 minute read

A viral video went on the internet in which Mexican president Andres Manuel Lopez appointed Oburo Arturo Herrera as new finance minister after his predecessor suddenly stepped up when the second largest economy in Latin America began to falter.

While Herrera is standing diagonally in front of him, President Lopez Obrador first speaks for about six minutes while addressing the resignation letter from Minister Carlos Urzua, who publicly accused the government of economic policy-making without a solid foundation.

Herrera looks like a beaten dog while Lopez Obrador tries to disprove the accusations one by one. In addition, the brand new minister evokes associations with a naughty boy who gets a scolding, so that all attention goes to him rather than to the heated speech of the president. Various suggestions are already being made on social media about what was going through the man’s mind at the time: “what if I resigned now?” “I should have studied childcare!” and the ironic “best day ever!” are just a few of the suggestions that come up.

Nervous

According to behavioral and body language expert Enrique Rosas of the Knesix Institute, Herrera’s avoidance of eye contact and the blinking of his eyes – about 60 times per minute instead of about 15 times per minute, which is normal – indicates an increased state of nervousness.

Acepté la renuncia de Carlos Urzúa, secretario de Hacienda y para sustituirlo he nombrado al subsecretario Arturo Herrera Gutiérrez, quien es un profesional en Economía, con virtudes de humanismo y honestidad. Es de toda mi confianza. pic.twitter.com/Qmhj4DF20v
— Andrés Manuel (@lopezobrador_) July 9, 2019

The discomfort of Herrera seems to increase as the president talks longer: he swallows and shuffles a bit – all signs of discomfort, says Rosas. Critics of Lopez Obrador now describe Herrera’s uncomfortable facial expression as “the face of Mexico.”

Lopez Obrador is still doing well in the polls. The president, who took office in December after a major victory, is still supported by a majority of the population.

Excessive laughter

Afterward, Herrera explained his convulsive attitude to the press by saying that he was “accused of laughing too much” in earlier positions. “That is why I am now trying to be more cautious at such solemn moments,” said the new Finance Minister.