Mexico City – Tens of thousands of demonstrators covered in pink flooded the streets of Mexico City and other cities in Mexico and abroad on Sunday for what they called a “march for democracy” aimed at the ruling party ahead of the June 2 elections. The opposition-led demonstrations sought to advocate for free and fair elections and to denounce corruption within the government. This protest coincided with the registration of presidential front-runner Claudia Sheinbaum as a candidate for the ruling party Morena. According to government figures, approximately 90,000 people participated in the demonstrations against the leader.
Sheinbaum is often seen as a successor to Mexico’s populist leader Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who won over many voters by promising to oust the elite parties from power in 2018 and represent the working class. However, the 70-year-old president has faced criticism for actions that are perceived to threaten Mexico’s democracy. Last year, he significantly reduced funding for the country’s electoral agency and weakened oversight of campaign spending, leading to concerns about the integrity of the democratic process.
Moreover, López Obrador has been accused of attacking journalists in lengthy press briefings and of targeting Mexico’s judiciary, claiming that judges are part of a conservative conspiracy against his administration. In response, thousands of people clad in pink gathered in Mexico City’s main plaza to chant “get López out” and protest attacks on candidates by drug cartels, particularly in local elections.
Opposition organizations such as the National Civic Front, Yes for Mexico, Citizen Power, Civil Society Mexico, UNE Mexico, and United for Mexico participated in the protests, highlighting the growing concern for the state of democracy in the country. Marches were organized not only in various cities across Mexico but also in the United States and Spain.
While the president remains popular, opinion polls indicate that his ally Sheinbaum is poised to easily secure the presidency. López Obrador has dismissed the protests, accusing his critics of attempting to restore corrupt practices to power and insisting that there will be no electoral fraud in the upcoming election. The aftermath of this massive demonstration has reignited debate about the future of democracy in Mexico and the potential impact of the upcoming elections.