The World Briefly

February 28, 2023

Tinkering With Votes

Mexico

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Tens of thousands of Mexicans marched in the streets across the country Sunday to protest President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s overhaul of the electoral system, a move many critics believe will threaten democracy and influence next year’s elections, Bloomberg reported.

Demonstrations took place in more than 100 Mexican cities, with more than 100,000 people protesting in the capital Mexico City, according to the New York Times.

The anti-government protests – the second round in nearly four months – began over the president’s plan to undermine the autonomy of Mexico’s election body, the National Electoral Institute (INE).

López Obrador poured scorn on such concerns in a statement Monday, going so far as to link protesters to drug traffickers,  CNN reported.

Last week, the parliament’s upper chamber passed a bill that would cut the agency’s workforce, decrease funding, and limit its capacity to punish politicians who break electoral law. The bill’s approval came after the government failed to achieve a broader overhaul that required changing the constitution.

López Obrador has said the INE is untrustworthy, adding that the overhaul will save millions of dollars and improve the voting system. But election officials and opposition politicians condemned the move as an attempt to tamper with presidential elections in July 2024.

Opposition parties said they will ask the country’s Supreme Court to annul the legislation.

Analysts noted, however, that questions remain about whether Mexico’s battered opposition can secure support from disenchanted voters ahead of the presidential polls.

Polls show that López Obrador remains widely popular, with a 54 percent job approval rating.

This story originally appeared in the February 28, 2023 newsletter, Don't Leave a Message.