Thousands of protesters march in Mexico City over corrupt elections

By Aaron Solis · July 23, 2012 · No comments

Amid growing controversy over alleged dirty tricks in the July 1 election, demonstrators in the capital marched from the presidential palace, Los Pinos, to the central square in Zócalo as they accused the president-elect of buying his way to victory in the vote. The contest saw Mr Peña Nieto of the centrist Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) beat his nearest rival, leftist Andrés Manuel López Obrador, by a 7 per cent margin.

Mr López Obrador, of the Democratic Revolution Party (PRD), has vowed to fight on and has filed a motion with the country’s electoral tribunal to annul the result before December when Mr Peña Nieto is sworn in. He claims to have proof that his rival engaged in vote-buying on a massive scale, exceeded campaign spending limits and used illicit funds.

Last week, the pressure on the PRI intensified as the ruling National Action Party said it would join Mr López Obrador in calling for a criminal investigation.

On Friday, Mr López Obrador outlined a “National Plan for the Defence of Democracy”, calling for a series of mass rallies against the victory of Mr Peña Nieto. The call raised fears of a repeat of the chaos following the 2006 election, when the former Mexico City mayor cried fraud after losing the presidency by less than 1 per cent and mounted weeks of street blockades and protest camps that paralysed much of the capital.

Mr López Obrador tried to ease such concerns, insisting all actions would remain peaceful. He urged supporters not to “fall into the trap of provocation and violence”.

Yesterday’s march was not led by the leftist candidate but aligned movements that have sprung up against Mr Peña Nieto and the PRI in what has been dubbed the “Mexican Spring”.

Source: Mass News Media

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