The streets of Mexico City are alive in protest, as thousands of dissatisfied voters continue to denounce Enrique Peña Nieto’s victory in this month’s presidential election.
Officials estimate about 30,000 turned up for Sunday’s protest, many of them young members of Yo Soy 132, a social-network influenced student movement that gained notable attention in this year’s campaigns.
Protestors, and supporters of runner-up Andrés Manuel López Obrador (PRD), accuse Peña Nieto of buying votes, laundering money and arranging favourable coverage via the Televisa network.
Peña Nieto, of the Institutional Revolutionary Party, has denied the accusations.
Protestors marched to Mexico City’s main square, holding banners and chanting “Out with Pena” and “Fraud, Fraud.”
López Obrador has personally challenged the election results, announcing plans to invalidate Peña Nieto’s win at the Federal Electoral Tribunal. The tribunal must decide on the election’s validity by early September. Peña Nieto is due to take office on 1st December.
A final poll recount had Peña Nieto with 38.21% of the vote and López Obrador with 31.59%.
López Obrador made headlines in 2006 when he protested his loss to Felipe Calderón in the presidential election. The 2006 election’s margin of loss was 250,000 votes, versus this month’s margin of 3 million votes.
