Mexico's Lopez Obrador leaves coalition to form new movement

Tens of thousands of Lopez Obrador's supporters attended a rally at Mexico City's Zocalo square

The defeated candidate in Mexico's presidential election, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, has announced he is leaving his left-wing coalition to form a new political youth movement.

Speaking to tens of thousands of his supporters in Mexico City, Mr Lopez Obrador said he would focus on changing Mexico through the new group, Morena.

He said he left on good terms, after losing two presidential elections.

He refused to accept the results of July's poll, saying it was fraudulent.

Analysts say his departure from the main coalition could weaken the left in Mexico.

"This isn't a rupture," Mr Lopez Obrador said at the rally in Zocalo Square.

"I have separated from the parties that form the Progressive Movement, but I must express my deep gratitude to all party leaders and supporters."

Morena, also known as the National Regeneration Movement, has yet to be formally registered as a party.

Civil resistance

Mr Lopez Obrador, who ran in the election for Democratic Revolution Party (PRD), also repeated his insistence that he would not recognise Enrique Pena Nieto as the legitimate president of Mexico.

He called for a campaign of "peaceful civil resistance", but stressed that protests should not turn violent, as this would only "perpetuate the regime".

After a recount of half of the vote, Mr Pena Nieto was declared the winner of July's election, with 38.2% of the vote to 31.6% of his main opponent.

Mr Lopez Obrador rejected the result, accusing Mr Pena Nieto's Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI, of buying votes and favourable media coverage.

But on 31 August, Mexico's Electoral Court rejected his appeal, saying there was no evidence of irregularities in the campaign or the vote.

Addressing his supporters in the capital's main square, Mr Lopez Obrador accused the court's judges of "turning a blind eye" to the irregularities in the election, describing them as "characters without conviction".

Mr Pena Nieto is due to be sworn in on 1 December for a six-year term.

The BBC's Will Grant in Mexico says that the apparently mutual decision to split with the traditional left suggests Mr Lopez Obrador does not have wide support for continuing a long-term fight against the inevitable succession of Mr Pena Nieto to the presidency.

Six years ago, after losing the presidential election by a narrow margin, he led weeks of protests that caused disruption in central areas of the capital.

This time, he says he does not want to disrupt the lives of ordinary citizens.

"We are fighting for ideals," he said. "It is a matter of honour."

Source: BBC

Mexico police fire on US embassy staff

24 August 2012 Last updated at 23:46

Two people employed at the US embassy in Mexico have been wounded after their car was mistakenly fired on by police south of Mexico City, officials say.

The Mexican Navy said the US personnel were on a main road to the city of Cuernavaca when the shooting happened.

Details are still unclear, but the navy said the US vehicle had been fleeing from gunmen in another car.

The US state department said it was working with Mexican authorities to investigate the incident.

Spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said the two men were receiving "appropriate medical care and are in stable condition".

"We have no further information to share at this time," she added.

One of the men was said to have been hit in the leg and the other in the stomach and hand. Both were admitted to hospital.

A Mexican marine travelling with the two US employees was slightly injured in the incident, the navy said.

The Mexican public security ministry and marines said in a joint statement: "Today at 08:00 a diplomatic vehicle belonging to the US embassy was hit by multiple bullets from personnel of the federal police in the Tres Marias-Huitzilac highway."

It said the embassy personnel had been heading to a military installation in the town of El Capulin when a carload of gunmen opened fire on them and chased them, along with the Mexican naval officer accompanying them.

Mexico judge orders arrest of ex-Governor Yarrington

30 August 2012 Last updated at 00:22

Mexico called on Interpol to help with the arrest of ex-Governor Tomas Yarrington

A Mexican judge has issued an arrest warrant for a former state governor for allegedly fomenting drug trafficking.

Tomas Yarrington, who was the governor of the northern state of Tamaulipas from 1999 until 2005, is suspected of accepting millions of dollars in bribes from Mexican drug cartels.

Attorney-General Marisela Morales asked Interpol for help with his arrest.

Mr Yarrington's lawyer said his client was innocent and the charges were politically motivated.

The Mexican arrest warrant comes three months after two civil suits were filed against Mr Yarrington in the United States alleging that he had laundered money for Mexican drug cartels by investing in US property.

Mr Yarrington is a member of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), whose candidate Enrique Pena Nieto came first in the 1 July presidential election.

In May, Mr Yarrington was suspended by the PRI pending the outcome of the suits filed against him.

Ms Morales said the whereabouts of Mr Yarrington, who was last seen in public in May, were not currently known.

Source: BBC

Mexicans in new protest at Pena Nieto election victory

Pena Nieto's party controlled Mexican politics for most of the 20th century

Thousands of protesters have been marching through the streets of Mexico City to protest against the official result of this month's presidential election.

The march was called by a new student movement, "Yo soy 132" (I am 132) which accuses the winner, Enrique Pena Nieto, of buying votes.

They also say he arranged favourable coverage from main television network, Televisa.

Mr Pena Nieto has rejected all charges.

"No to fraud," and "Out with Pena", shouted the protesters in this latest march against the result of the 1 July vote.

"Mexico wants a country that is honest and democratic," protester Marlem Munoz told the AP news agency.

Mexico's Lopez Obrador alleges election money laundering

Mr Lopez Obrador detailed new allegations on Wednesday

The runner-up in Mexico's presidential election, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, has alleged that winner Enrique Pena Nieto's campaign used laundered money. 

He said he had evidence that Mr Pena Nieto's Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) had used illicit money. 

The PRI rejected the accusations as "flagrant defamation" by Mr Lopez Obrador, who is legally challenging the result of the 1 July poll.

The electoral tribunal has until September to rule on the election.

Mr Lopez Obrador, from the Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD), had previously accused Mr Pena Nieto of vote-buying and exceeding limits on campaign spending - charges the PRI rejected as baseless.

On Wednesday, Mr Lopez Obrador detailed specific money laundering allegations, telling a news conference that he had evidence that his opponent's campaign had used illicit funds.

He alleged that money was channelled via front companies to buy pre-paid debit cards that were given to people to encourage them to vote for Mr Pena Nieto.

"This is money laundering," he said.

HSBC used by 'drug kingpins', says US Senate

HSBC provided a conduit for "drug kingpins and rogue nations", according to a US Senate committee investigating money laundering claims at the bank

Its report said suspicious funds from countries including Mexico, Iran and Syria had passed through the bank.

The president and chief executive of HSBC Bank USA, Irene Dorner, apologised to the committee for the behaviour which she said deeply regretted.

Earlier, HSBC's head of compliance, David Bagley, resigned at the hearing.

Ms Dorner apologised "for the fact that HSBC did not live up to the expectations of our regulators, our customers, our employees, and the general public".

The US Department of Justice said it is conducting a criminal investigation into HSBC's operations. 

Mexico election: Lopez Obrador challenges result

13 July 2012 Last updated at 07:33

 

  Mr Lopez Obrador wants the results of the vote to be thrown out

The runner-up in Mexico's presidential election, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, has filed a legal challenge to the result of the 1 July vote.

He said he would prove that illicit money was used to buy votes and secure the victory of centrist candidate Enrique Pena Nieto, who denies this.

Mr Lopez Obrador wants the result of the vote to be deemed invalid.

Mr Pena Nieto was confirmed the winner on Friday after a final recount, with 38.21% to Mr Lopez Obrador's 31.59%.

BBC News: Mexicans challenge Pena Nieto's victory in huge march

8 July 2012 Last updated at 02:48 GMT 

Tens of thousands of people in Mexico City are demonstrating against the result of the presidential election, which was won by Enrique Pena Nieto.

The demonstrators, who are not necessarily linked to any particular party, say the vote was not fair.

They accuse Mr Pena Nieto's party, the PRI, of buying votes; some carried banners saying "Not another fraud".

Mr Pena Nieto, who was declared the winner after a recount of nearly half the votes, denies the allegation.

Will Grant reports.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-18758442 (includes video)

BBC News: Mexicans challenge Pena Nieto's victory in huge march

BBC News: Mexicans challenge Pena Nieto's victory in huge march

Tens of thousands of people in Mexico City are demonstrating against the result of the presidential election, which was won by Enrique Pena Nieto.

The demonstrators, who are not necessarily linked to any particular party, say the vote was not fair.

They accuse Mr Pena Nieto's party, the PRI, of buying votes; some carried banners saying "Not another fraud".

Mr Pena Nieto, who was declared the winner after a recount of nearly half the votes, denies the allegation.

The second-placed candidate in Mexico's presidential election, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, has said he will mount a legal challenge to the result.

He said he would prove that illicit money was used to buy votes in the 1 July poll and secure the victory of centrist candidate Enrique Pena Nieto, who denies this.

Supermarket votes

Six years ago, after losing the presidential election by a narrow margin, the left-wing Mr Lopez Obrador led weeks of protests that caused disruption in central areas of Mexico City.

Mr Pena Nieto was confirmed the winner on Friday after a final recount, with 38.21% to Mr Lopez Obrador's 31.59%.

Third-placed Josefina Vazquez Mota, from the right-wing National Action Party, has admitted defeat.

But the BBC's Will Grant in Mexico City says there is a broad spread of people, not necessarily from the left, who feel that votes in their parts of Mexico were tampered with.

But Mr Lopez Obrador, of the Party of the Democratic Revolution, said the election had been fraudulent and that he would file an appeal next week.

He accuses the party of Mr Pena Nieto, the Institutional Revolutionary Party, of paying for votes using gift cards for a supermarket chain.

Numerous videos have emerged of people claiming they received credit in exchange for voting for the PRI.

The party governed Mexico for 71 years until it was defeated in the 2000 presidential poll.

Are you in Mexico City and taking part in the demonstration? If you are happy to speak to the BBC, please leave your comment using the form below.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-18758321