Mexico protests: Huge crowds rally against electoral reform

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 26 February 2023Image source, AFP via Getty Images

Image caption,

In Mexico City, protesters filled the cardinal Zocalo Square and adjoining streets

Huge rallies person been held successful respective Mexican cities against what protesters accidental are authorities attempts to undermine the electoral authorities.

The biggest was successful Mexico City, wherever organisers accidental 500,000 radical marched connected the city's main plaza. The section authorities enactment the fig astatine 90,000.

Lawmakers past week voted to slash the fund of the National Electoral Institute (INE) and chopped its staffing.

President Andrés Manuel López Obrador accuses the INE of being partisan.

But opponents picture the caller ballot arsenic an onslaught connected ideology itself, pressing the Supreme Court to overturn them arsenic unconstitutional.

On Sunday, monolithic crowds gathered successful Mexico City's historical Zocalo Square. The demonstrators spilled retired into adjoining streets successful the metropolis centre.

"We're warring to support our democracy," protester Veronica Echevarria was quoted arsenic saying by Reuters. She was wearing a headdress emblazoned with the words "Hands disconnected the INE". Many demonstrators carried cards with a akin slogan.

Smaller peaceful demonstrations were staged successful respective different cities.

Image source, EPA

Image caption,

Many protesters - similar connected this photograph from Guadalajara - carried slogans that work successful Spanish: "Do not interaction the INE"

Mexico's Senate approved the reforms connected Wednesday, pursuing a akin ballot successful the little enclosure of parliament. The reforms volition travel into unit erstwhile they are signed by President López Obrador.

The BBC's Mexico correspondent, Will Grant, says it is possibly the astir polemic governmental contented successful Mexico astatine present.

Mr López Obrador, who was elected successful July 2018 aft 2 erstwhile failed attempts, has agelong been captious of the INE, whose unit oversee elections.

Last month, helium accusing the autarkic assemblage of cheating, and said its unit turned a unsighted oculus to "the stuffing of ballot boxes, falsification of [election] records and ballot buying".

In his archetypal effort astatine becoming president, successful 2006, helium mislaid to his blimpish rival Felipe Calderón by little than 1 percent point. For months, Mr López Obrador refused to recognise the result, which helium denounced arsenic fraudulent.

He besides challenged the effect of the 2012 election, erstwhile helium mislaid to Enrique Peña Nieto.

Since his triumph successful 2018, Mr López Obrador has been pushing for a betterment of the INE, which helium says volition prevention taxpayers $150m (£125m) a twelvemonth by drastically reducing the agency's staff.

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