On Sunday, tens of thousands of people protested in Mexico’s streets against President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador’s proposal to restructure the INE, which they believe will consolidate power in the hands of the government.
Lopez Obrador, who proposed the plan in April, has long been critical of the nation’s electoral authorities. He has also accused them of orchestrating his defeats during his presidential campaigns in 2006 and 2012.
According to him, the reform would enable voters to choose their elected representatives and lessen the influence of economic interests in politics. Additionally, it would slash political party funding and restrict advertising time.
Congress debated the proposal last week.
Because it gives the president more control over the electoral processes, it has sparked widespread worries that the changes could herald a power grab.
In the past, Lopez Obrador has pursued controversial policies by proposing referendums, such as one on cancelling a partially completed airport, to secure support for his goals from the general public.
Protesters in Mexico City began near the Angel of Independence monument, many carrying placards and banners or donning t-shirts with the slogan ‘defending the INE.’
As demonstrators advanced along Reforma Avenue in the direction of the Monument of the Revolution, it gained traction during the day.
Tens of thousands of protesters, according to a witness for Reuters, while only 50,000, according to a police officer who saw the march on Reforma.
Organizers estimated the number to be in the hundreds of thousands, but Lopez Obrador’s political allies provided much lower estimates.
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