Yucatán Gov. Mauricio Vila enters an international stage tonight when Washington Post Live broadcasts its “This is Climate” series.
It’s major exposure for the former mayor of Mérida, who, as a popular governor, has even higher aspirations. Vila, 43, is No. 6 in this week’s Power Ranking index of presidential contenders. If he runs, he could be the youngest candidate in the mix.
The presidential election is more than a year away — July 2024. But it’s not too early for Vila to seek out opportunities to become better known.
In a newspaper interview, Vila hinted that his political future is not cast in stone.
“It is an election that is far from defined, and there is still a lot to see,” he told reporter Milena Mollinedo.
Vila is a member of the conservative National Action Party (PAN), which dominates Yucatán politics and has twice sent a successful candidate into a presidential race.
The broadcast
The Post’s bilingual program — its first in Mexico — will feature in-depth discussions with both Vila and another presidential hopeful, Mexican Foreign Secretary Marcelo Ebrard (who is No. 2 in the same index). Topics center on Mexico’s climate policy ambitions and its plans for a clean energy economy. Vila Dosal will also discuss the impact of climate change in Yucatán, how to protect vulnerable communities and the future role of the “clean energy economy.”
“There is no story more global than climate. Through this series, we’ve tried to bring viewers fresh insight into the challenges and opportunities of addressing climate change, talking with world leaders, top scientists and business executives,” said Katherine O’Hearn, executive producer of Washington Post Live. “Mexico’s geography makes it vulnerable to extreme weather events. It will be important to hear the latest on the country’s new climate pledges and its efforts to move toward a clean energy economy.”
This marks the latest in a lineup of Washington Post Live events hosted outside of the U.S., which has included a program at the World Economic Forum in Davos and an upcoming event, also part of the climate series, in Seoul, South Korea.
The event will be streamed online from Mexico City at 8:15 p.m. Register here to view the event.
