"Viva Mexico!": Nationalist left-wing president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador inflamed a huge crowd Saturday at a public meeting in Mexico City by attacking, among other things, the right wing in the United States and the "oligarchs " of Mexico, just over a year from the election of his successor.
“Cooperation, yes, submission, no”, he launched in front of tens of thousands of supporters, denouncing “certain lawmakers” Republicans who speak of sending the American army to Mexico against the cartels.
"Mexico is an independent and free country and not a colony or a protectorate of the United States", he hammered in front of the human tide which filled the immense emblematic place of the Zocalo under the windows of the presidency.
Officially, the rally was called by Mr. Lopez Obrador to celebrate the 85th anniversary of the nationalization of the oil industry decreed by President Lazaro Cardenas on March 18, 1938.
In a long historical account, Mr. Lopez Obrador accused the Mexican right-wing PAN party of being born "by criticizing the oil expropriation" which allowed the nationalization of the industry.
"Whatever they do, the oligarchs will not come back to power," he said, defending his policy (rise in the average salary, strength of the peso, etc.) as the end of his single mandate approaches. six years in 2024.
Buoyed by his popularity, his Movement for National Regeneration (Morena) has every chance of remaining in power during the presidential and local elections scheduled for mid-2024.
The two favorites in the race for his succession, the mayor of Mexico City, Claudia Sheinbaum, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Marcelo Ebrard, listened to his speech seated behind him.
The president said he was "convinced" that the "aspirant" who will be nominated as his movement's candidate "will apply the same policy in favor of the people and in favor of the nation".
This rally took place three weeks after an opposition march against an electoral reform approved by Parliament.
The reform threatens the National Electoral Institute (INE) in charge of organizing the elections, according to the opposition and part of civil society who have announced appeals to the Supreme Court.
The reform puts "to the test the independence of electoral and judicial institutions", worried the United States, immediately accused of interference by Mr. Lopez Obrador.
"I think we have to change the INE. They are corrupt and they have already stolen an election from Lopez Obrador," says 22-year-old student Eduardo Ramirez, referring to the controversial 2006 presidential election, when the current president had challenged his defeat.
AMLO had already spoken in front of tens of thousands of people at the end of a march of more than five hours on November 27, fifteen days after a previous mobilization of the opposition.
03/19/2023 06:25:50 - Mexico (AFP) - © 2023 AFP
