Is a 'Hugo Chavez wannabe' the early frontrunner in Mexico's 2018 presidential race?

Former presidential candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador speaks to supporters during an act to protest against the governments proposed energy reforms that would allow private companies to explore the country's oil and gas reserves, in Mexico City, Sunday Sept. 8, 2013. The proposed reform requires constitutional changes that strike at the heart of one of Mexico's proudest moments: President Lazaro Cardenas' nationalization of the oil company in 1938. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte)

Mexico's general election is more than a year away, but populist candidates are showing their appeal as US-Mexico relationships continue to fray.

Mexico will elect a new president in 2018, and the campaigns are already ramping up.

One early frontrunner in the race has been called a "Hugo Chavez wannabe" by a former State Department official, and his candidacy could spell trouble for the US.

The candidate's name is Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. He's run for office twice already, losing each time. But now, things are different. Political rhetoric north of the border has some Mexicans feeling that current president, Enrique Peña Nieto, isn't strong enough to go head-to-head with President Trump.

Trump's candidacy and subsequent presidency have further polarized politics in Mexico, giving rise to populist rhetoric like that of Lopez Obrador. Many hope to end the country's "subordinate" relationship with the US.

Nacha Cattan wrote about it for Bloomberg and joined Take Two to talk about it.

Mexico's general election is more than a year away, but populist candidates are showing their appeal as US-Mexico relationships continue to fray.

Press the blue play button above to hear the full interview.