Even after the march and the rally on Sunday in defense of the National Electoral Institute (INE) ended, Ana Lilia Romero decided to stay a few minutes on the esplanade of the Monument to the Revolution to express both her support for the organization and her rejection of the government of Andrés Manuel López Obrador.
“I want the INE to remain after so many institutions that have been destroyed,” said the woman in her 40s, while holding a phosphorescent yellow cardboard with both hands that had messages of support for the INE.
Like her, thousands of people marched this Sunday in Mexico City and other entities to demonstrate against the electoral reform proposed by López Obrador, which includes points such as disappearing local electoral institutes and transforming the INE into the National Institute of Elections and Consultations (INEC), so that it is the only body responsible for the elections in the country.
The number of attendees is up for debate. While the organizers affirmed that between 100,000 and 200,000 attended, the Secretary of Government of the CDMX, Martí Batres, assured that there were only between 10,000 and 12,000.
From the Monitoring Center we followed up on today’s mobilization against electoral reform. Between 10,000 and 12,000 people attended. White balance is reported. pic.twitter.com/r0ztUA76Fe
— Martí Batres (@martibatres) November 13, 2022
But even if the lower figure is considered, this Sunday’s is the largest opposition march against López Obrador so far in the six-year term, above those carried out by the so-called National Anti-AMLO Front (Frena).
Moved by the objective of defending the INE against a reform that they consider “regressive” or even “authoritarian”, the attendees in the CDMX began to march from the Angel of Independence to the Monument to the Revolution from before 10:30, the time set for the start of the demonstration.
“The INE is not touched, the INE is not touched!” and “That’s what I came to, to defend the INE” were two of the slogans that were most heard from the beginning, although they were joined by others expressly directed against López Obrador and his party, such as “INE yes, López no!” or “Morena out, Morena out!”.
Near the intersection of Paseo de la Reforma and Avenida de la República, the road that marks the entrance to the Monument to the Revolution, a woman even joked “AMLO, here is your gift!”, alluding to the protest coinciding with López Obrador’s 69th birthday.
“I’m here on my own initiative”
Genaro Nieto, another of those attending the march, said he decided to go to express his rejection of the president’s electoral reform.
“The main cause of being here supporting this movement is so that they do not approve the laws that seek to repeal the INE and thus the government controls the elections, when finally 15 or 20 years ago we already achieved it, I do not see why this government insists on taking away that advantage that has led us to democracy, “I do not see why this government insists on taking away that advantage that has led us to democracy, ” Argued.
Other attendees agreed. Abril considered that the INE must defend itself because “it belongs to us all” and “belongs to the citizens”, while Agustín Villaseñor, who marched with his parents and family, estimated that “it is very important to defend the INE so as not to return to the past, that we have freedom of expression and that it is a democracy that takes us to a more peaceful country”.
Among those present were banners with messages in defense of the INE, as well as white and pink garments, the colors of the institute’s emblem. There were young people and seniors — some with canes or even in wheelchairs — people in designer clothes and high-end phones, as well as others who insisted again and again that no one had been “dragged” to the protest.
“I am here on my own initiative, we are not carried, (I am) concerned and occupied by the democracy of this country. The reason is that, if we don’t demonstrate, we won’t get anywhere. We are a democracy and it has cost us a lot to build it so that a guy comes to destroy everything we Mexicans have done with a lot of effort,” said Javier, another protester.
The battle for the march
This Sunday’s mobilization was called by businessmen, activists such as Claudio X. González and opposition politicians, whom President López Obrador disqualified in recent days by pointing out that, although they have the right to demonstrate, they are “hypocrites”, “racists” and “classists”.
Read: AMLO calls march organizers in defense of the INE and opponents “hypocrites, classists and racists”
Morena militants spoke in the same direction this Sunday.
Mario Delgado, national leader of the party, accused in a statement that those who are against the reform andThey do not want to “live in an authentic democracy.” Along these lines, Sebastián Ramírez, party leader in the CDMX – and former spokesman for the government of Claudia Sheinbaum – said: “No matter how much they march, there will be electoral reform and we will reduce the cost of elections and the people will triumph again in 2024.”
From the opposition, some politicians who marched were Vicente Fox, former president of the Republic; Marko Cortés, leader of the PAN; Santiago Creel, president of the Chamber of Deputies; José Narro Robles, former rector of UNAM and former Secretary of Health; Claudia Ruiz Massieu and Miguel Angel Osorio Chong, PRI senators, as well as former PRD deputy Fernando Belaunzarán, who served as master of ceremonies at the rally at the Monument to the Revolution.
In interviews and social networks, all of them have said that they are in favor of the INE and democracy in the country, although citizens question their democratic commitment and even affirm that they only defend their personal and party interests.
The rounds to come
After noon, under the sun’s ray, the academic José Woldenberg, former president of the Federal Electoral Institute (IFE), predecessor of the INE, went up to the temple and issued his speech as the only speaker at the rally.
In his message, he defended the current electoral rules, said that a new electoral reform should not be based on “a single will” and urged to stop López Obrador’s proposal.
“No to the destruction of local institutes, no to the destruction of local courts, no to the pretension of aligning electoral bodies to the will of the government, no to authoritarianism, yes to democracy, yes to a democratic Mexico,” he concluded his speech.
“No to the pretense of aligning the electoral bodies to the will of the government, no to authoritarianism. Yes to democracy, yes to a democratic Mexico,” concluded José Woldenberg in his speech in defense of the @INEMexico.
📹 Video: @mau_torres. pic.twitter.com/OTYU2SWlNZ
— Political Animal (@Pajaropolitico) November 13, 2022
Moments later, while flyers of the Yes for Mexico initiative were distributed asking people to locate their federal legislators and demand that they vote against the electoral reform, Belaunzarán asked attendees to be attentive for when it is necessary to march again and young activists went up to the temple to call to defeat Morena in the 2024 elections.
Thus, at the end of a march called this Sunday to defend the INE and in which the opposition to López Obrador stood out, two of the stellar rounds that Mexico will live in the coming years were marked: the fight for electoral reform and then the presidential succession.
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