Mexico's president is on the attack. It's political 'gold' for his rival

An extraordinary campaign by the Mexican president to undermine a leading opposition contender for the country's 2024 presidential election has drawn an official rebuke from the federal election authority and criticism that he is damaging the democratic process.

It also appears to be having an unintended effect: delivering a much-needed boost to the coalition aiming to unseat his party.

"This is gold for her," political analyst Carlos Bravo Regidor told Americas Quarterly.

In a series of press interviews and viral social media posts, the senator, who represents the conservative PAN party but has staked out a number of progressive policy positions, has fought back with characteristic candor, framing the president as reckless and machista.

Electoral neutrality laws in Mexico date back to the 1990s, when lawmakers passed sweeping reforms in response to decades of single-party rule that allowed outgoing president's virtually unchallenged abilities to select their political heirs.

The reforms established mechanisms to set the time periods during which campaigns could take place, regulated campaign finance, and limited how government officials can use public funds for political communication.

Such brazen actions against a political rival are without precedent in recent Mexican elections, legal experts say, but the tact is familiar for a president who has relished upending norms and targeting his perceived enemies.

"We need the attention of international public opinion and pro-democracy organizations that will begin to take note of what we are beginning to face in Mexico in this election," he said.