MEXICO CITY — The new social democratic government of Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador is providing a breathing space for the capitalist class in Mexico where there is widespread social unrest and disenchantment with the status quo, said Pavel Blanco, leader of the Mexican Communist Party (PCM).

The Obrador government, posing as left wing to attract votes and support, differs little from previous right-wing governments and is committed to the neoliberal capitalist model that has led to mass poverty and unemployment, said Pavel, 46, in an interview in the party’s downtown Mexico city office.

“Obrador has launched an austerity programme, laying off thousands of public-sector workers and cutting programmes,” he says.