International
Thousands of Mexicans protest against electoral reform promoted by Lopez Obrador
February 27 |
The Mexican opposition took to the streets this Sunday in several cities of the country to protest against a controversial electoral reform promoted by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador which, they allege, puts the 2024 general elections at risk.
On Wednesday, the Senate, dominated by the ruling Morena party and its allies, culminated the approval of a reform to the National Electoral Institute (INE) that, among other things, cuts its budget and competencies by closing offices and dismissing officials for millionaire savings.
In Mexico City, thousands of demonstrators filled the capital’s emblematic Zócalo square, the center of Mexican power, and surrounding streets, many of them dressed in pink, the color of the electoral institution that the protests have taken as a symbol.
Among the participants was Alejandro Moreno, president and deputy of one of the main opposition groups, the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI).
“We Mexicans are on the side of democracy, together we make ourselves heard so that the country’s democratic institutions are not destroyed!” said Moreno in a tweet accompanied by a photo of himself in the middle of the protests.
Veronica Echevarria, a 58-year-old psychologist from Mexico City who was participating in the protest, said she was concerned that the INE reform is an attempt by Lopez Obrador to take control of the electoral authority so he can stay in power.
“We are fighting to defend our democracy,” she said, decked out in a cap that read “INE is not touched.”
Late last year, thousands of people also came out to protest against the reform. Once it enters into force, the opposition will appeal the modifications before the Supreme Court of Justice.
The changes have been seen by analysts as an attempt by the president to weaken INE and generate a democratic step backwards. But the president has defended his initiative by assuring that it will strengthen democracy and reduce the influence of economic interests in politics.
“Normally, presidents seek to have governability and stability for their succession. But the president (Lopez Obrador) is generating uncertainty,” said Fernando Belaunzaran, an opposition politician who helped organize the protest.
This Sunday Belaunzarán announced on his social networks that there would be marches in more than 100 cities.
In June next year Mexicans will elect the successor to Lopez Obrador, a 69-year-old leftist who claims he was robbed of the presidency twice before he finally won a landslide victory in the 2018 election.
While the changes approved this week are less ambitious than the original constitutional reform sought by the president, they significantly modify the composition of INE and eliminate 85% of its professional service positions, a mechanism that guarantees equal opportunity in access to public administration based on merit.
According to INE’s own analysis, the reform puts at risk the preparation of the electoral roll, the installation of polling stations, the vote computations and the auditing of political parties and electoral campaigns.
López Obrador said this week that the institution is one of the most expensive electoral bodies, besides having an “anti-democratic” role, and described this Sunday’s protests as “a demonstration to defend the old corrupt regime”.
For many political analysts, INE and its predecessor, IFE, played a key role in helping to create a pluralist democracy that in 2000 ended decades of rule by the once all-powerful Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI).
Polls show that Morena is the heavy favorite to win the 2024 elections. However, critics argue that López Obrador is not so confident that his party can retain power without interfering in the electoral process.
“(The reform) significantly affects INE’s operational capacity, as well as the organization of Election Day, which would be subject to multiple risks, given the weakening of the highest electoral body,” said Senator Gina Cruz, of the opposition National Action Party (PAN). “The ultimate and real purpose of the president is to steal the 2024 elections”.
International
China calls for dialogue amid rising Iran-Israel conflict
The Chinese government emphasized on Monday the importance of “creating the conditions to return to the proper path of dialogue” between Iran and Israel, which have exchanged attacks in recent days resulting in more than 20 Israeli and over 220 Iranian deaths.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun expressed deep concern at a press conference over the Israeli attacks on Iran and the “sudden escalation” of the military conflict.
Guo called on all parties to “take immediate measures to ease tensions and prevent the region from descending into further turmoil,” stating that “force cannot bring lasting peace.”
“If the conflict between Israel and Iran continues to intensify or even expand, the countries of the Middle East will be the first to suffer the consequences,” he added, while noting that China “will continue to maintain communication with the relevant parties, promoting peace and dialogue.”
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi spoke last Saturday with his Iranian and Israeli counterparts to condemn the Israeli airstrike on Iranian territory, which he described as a “violation of international law” with the potential to trigger “disastrous” consequences.
In both calls, Wang reiterated China’s rejection of the use of force, defended diplomacy as the only solution to the Iranian nuclear dispute, and offered China’s mediation to prevent further destabilization in the Middle East.
International
Suspect arrested in killing of Minnesota legislator and husband, governor Says
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz announced on Sunday the arrest of Vance Luther Boelter, 57, the main suspect in the killing of Democratic legislator Melissa Hortman and her husband in a Brooklyn Park suburb on Friday night.
Boelter, who also reportedly shot State Senator John Hoffman and his wife early Saturday morning, was apprehended in Sibley County following an intensive manhunt involving hundreds of law enforcement officers.
In a public statement, Governor Walz condemned Boelter’s “unthinkable actions,” which resulted in the death of a woman who “shaped the core of who we are as a state.”
“We cannot become numb to this. We are a deeply divided nation,” Walz said in a statement posted on his X account.
“We move forward not with hatred or violence, but with humility, grace, and civility,” he added.
Expressing solidarity with the victims’ families, Walz said the entire state of Minnesota is in mourning. He also thanked law enforcement for their bravery and professionalism: “They have saved lives,” he emphasized.
“As we heal, we will not let fear win,” Walz concluded. “We must honor Melissa by moving forward with understanding, service, and above all, humanity.”
Throughout Sunday, police and sheriff units searched a rural area in Minnesota for Vance Luther Boelter, a security company director and preacher who, according to Governor Walz, acted out of politically motivated violence.
International
40,000 tourists stranded in Israel amid airspace shutdown over Iran conflict
Approximately 40,000 tourists are stranded in Israel following the closure of the country’s airspace amid escalating hostilities with Iran, the Israeli Ministry of Tourism reported on Monday.
The ministry has set up a virtual office to provide information via email (virtual@goisrael.gov.il) and phone (+972-53-583-5808), as well as a Facebook page called Israel Virtual Tourist Office.
Israeli Tourism Minister Haim Katz is in contact with hotels and accommodations across the country to offer support to tourists in need, the ministry added.
Many stranded travelers are considering crossing overland into Jordan or Egypt to seek flights from those countries. The Israel Airports Authority reminded the public that land border crossings remain open.
Three German tourists stranded in Jerusalem told EFE today that they have not received any assistance from their country’s embassy in Israel, and their primary option currently is to cross into Jordan to catch a flight from there.
Since early Friday morning, Israel launched operations against Iran, targeting military personnel and infrastructure, including energy and nuclear facilities, as well as numerous residential areas in Tehran.
In response, Iran has fired hundreds of ballistic missiles at Israel, some of which have struck various locations across the country, leaving at least 24 dead so far, according to Israeli authorities.
Iranian health officials report at least 224 deaths, mostly civilians, including at least 17 senior military officials—nine from the Revolutionary Guard—and more than a dozen nuclear scientists.
The Israeli military has warned that many more “targets” remain, while Iran’s Revolutionary Guard declared on Monday that it will continue missile attacks against Israel until its “destruction.”
China calls for dialogue amid rising Iran-Israel conflict
Suspect arrested in killing of Minnesota legislator and husband, governor Says
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