Morales victim of 'coup,' says Mexican President during first-term celebration

While detailing the ongoing fight against corruption and budget and tax policies, Lopez Obrador touched on Mexico's foreign policy by recalling his government's decision to accept Morales as an asylum seeker while discussing Mexico's foreign policy.

"Evo was the victim of a coup d'etat! And from Mexico, we tell the world, 'Yes to democracy, no to militarism!'" AMLO said during the rally in the central Plaza del Zocalo.

The square was packed with people, and musical groups performed alongside AMLO's speech.

It also marked the first time that Lopez Obrador, who has been in office for a year, spoke directly about the circumstances that led to Morales's departure from Bolivia.

Morales resigned on November 10 amid swelling protests over what political opponents said was his rigging of October 20 elections.

He fled to Mexico the following day after losing the support of the military and police, claiming to be the victim of a coup.

While echoing Morales's claim Sunday, AMLO called the exiled leader "our brother, who represents with dignity the majority of indigenous people of Bolivia."

Morales has yet to meet publicly with Lopez Obrador. He was welcomed on arrival to Mexico by Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard.

Lopez Obrador's one-year anniversary was marred when a shootout broke out Saturday afternoon near the US border between suspected drug traffickers and police, leaving at least 21 dead.

Shooting continued into early Sunday, and authorities said that four of those killed were police, 14 were suspected criminals and another three bodies were unidentified.

The shootout comes after Lopez Obrador warned he would not allow the US to conduct cross-border armed operations against drug cartels in the country.