Mexican organizations protest against electoral fraud

Social, student and peasant organisations and trade unions have protested at the results of the Mexican elections held on 1 July, officially won by Enrique Peña Nieto, candidate of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), which governed Mexico from 1929 to 2000.

They have denounced irregularities such as vote buying, the theft of packages of polling records and unfair coverage by the media. Thousands of people have taken to the streets to protest.

The Yo Soy 132 (I am 132) movement, formed by higher education students, has played a key role in organising meetings, city centre rallies and pickets of certain companies, including the Televisa television channel. The movement believes that the election was unfair and undemocratic.

Independent trade unions, which have for many years fought for freedom of association and against the abuses and violations of trade union and labour rights, have also joined the protests against the results of the presidential election and declared their support for the broad social movement that is fighting for genuine democracy.

At a meeting of IndustriALL Global Union, independent trade unions and pro-labour organizations indicated their concern and predicted that the new government will attack the independent trade union movement, with the support of the “yellow” unions, and will seek to counter protest actions taken by international organizations in support of the movement.

IndustriALL Global Union condemns all anti-democratic actions by the authorities, declares its solidarity with the Mexican people and affiliated unions and assures them it will act to protect them against any attack on independent trade unions, labour rights and human rights in Mexico.

The Federal Electoral Court has until 6 September to rule on the validity of Peña’s election and to decide on whether there is enough evidence to annul the election.