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Massive protest after Mexico vote
AFP via Yahoooo ^ | July 8, 2006 | Patrick Moser

Posted on 07/08/2006 7:21:08 PM PDT by ARealMothersSonForever

MEXICO CITY (AFP) - A massive crowd, estimated at 280,000 by authorities and 400,000 by organizers, has protested the conservative victory in Mexico's presidential election, which the leftist candidate challenged in court.

"We are requesting a ballot-by-ballot recount," said leftist Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, drawing rousing cheers from the crowd that packed Mexico City's huge downtown Zocalo square and neighboring streets.

"We are certain we triumphed on July 2," he said, claiming widespread irregularities marked the electoral process that gave victory by a razor-thin margin to conservative Felipe Calderon, of the governing National Action Party (PAN.)

He called for nationwide marches that will start Wednesday and converge on the capital, and stressed the protests would remain peaceful.

"There is clear evidence that they took away our votes to favor the right," said Lopez Obrador, a former Mexico City mayor who advocates the cause of the millions of impoverished Mexicans.

"It was a massive fraud, those right-wingers sure know how to cheat," Angel Farfan, 60, one of his supporters said before joining the rest of the crowd in chanting "Obrador, president."

Lopez Obrador claimed that President Vicente Fox illegally campaigned in favor of Calderon, that the PAN had far exceeded campaign spending limits and that the governing party bought votes.

The lawyers will present their challenge to the Federal Electoral Tribunal on Sunday, and will also file complaints with the Supreme Court, which can issue recommendations to the tribunal, the final arbiter of electoral disputes.

Lopez Obrador lashed out at Calderon, claiming the Harvard-trained conservative served "a very powerful interest group in Mexico that for quite a while has converted the government into a committee at the service of a minority."

"This group not only has no interest in improving the life of millions of Mexicans, but has profound contempt for the poor," Lopez Obrador said at a news conference before the rally.

Asked about foreign leaders, including US President George W. Bush, who congratulated Calderon on his victory, Lopez Obrador insisted "there is no president-elect in Mexico."

The electoral tribunal has until September 6 to render its final verdict on the outcome of the July 2 election.

Calderon, 43, who won with an advantage of just over 244,000 votes, or 0.6 percentage points, dismissed claims of fraud during the electoral process, which a number of international observers called free and fair.

He said that now was the time for Mexicans to put the campaign disputes behind them and work to create a politically stable country attractive to foreign investors.

Speaking to journalists on Friday, Calderon said that battling poverty, which affects half the 103 million population, would be one of his top priorities.

He urged the United States to invest in economically depressed areas of Mexico to create badly-needed jobs.

This he said would be far more effective in halting illegal migration to the United States than a wall the US administration plans to build along the border. Last year, an estimated 400,000 Mexicans crossed the border illegally, often risking their lives trekking along deserts and arid mountains.

The next president will have to deal with a divided Congress, after the PAN got the most votes for the House and the Senate but fell well short of an outright majority.


TOPICS: Extended News; Foreign Affairs; Mexico
KEYWORDS: calderon; communist; election; mexico; obrador; sorelosers
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To: ntnychik
That's this lefties plan too. Communists and
socialists will use every means to overthrow an
election...Al (chad) Gore is a living example.


 

41 posted on 07/08/2006 9:00:43 PM PDT by Smartass ("In God We Trust" - "An informed and knowledgeably citizen is the best defense against tyranny")
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To: ARealMothersSonForever
He urged the United States to invest in economically depressed areas of Mexico to create badly-needed jobs.

Give or reaffirm American's rights to a return on our investments, property rights, equal access to the courts and justice, and we'd be investing in droves.

42 posted on 07/08/2006 9:02:56 PM PDT by Vince Ferrer
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To: potlatch; ntnychik; PhilDragoo; Czar



43 posted on 07/08/2006 9:08:50 PM PDT by devolve (fx 9125_AMERICANS_KILLED_2003_BY_ILLEGALS MEX_ILLEGAL_GOT_911_TERRORISTS_ID NO_NUEVO_TEJAS)
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To: mainepatsfan

"And I'm sure if they lose another recount they'll abide by the results. /s"


1. Keep recounting until you're ahead
2. Keeping handling the right ballots until the chads fall out.
3. The minute you're ahead, stop and declare yourself the winner.


44 posted on 07/08/2006 9:09:33 PM PDT by cowtowney
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To: devolve

LOL, he's panicked because the ground falls away beneath him!


45 posted on 07/08/2006 9:11:26 PM PDT by potlatch (Does a clean house indicate that there is a broken computer in it?)
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To: MinorityRepublican
Beginning of the Mexican Civil War?

The result of a civil war will be that the northern states will join the US, and the southern states will remain "Mexico."

46 posted on 07/08/2006 9:12:31 PM PDT by Vince Ferrer
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To: jveritas

I agree in the main. The problem is that the leaders of the country, unlike the Chicoms, haven't the smarts to get out of the way and let entrepeneurs do their work. Plus there are to few entrepeneurs: they take too much out of their businesses and send the profits to safe havens. Plus they are still comitted to keeping American money out of the country.


47 posted on 07/08/2006 9:16:04 PM PDT by RobbyS ( CHIRHO)
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To: BunnySlippers

Was that picture taken in the U.S. or Mexico?


48 posted on 07/08/2006 9:19:02 PM PDT by Inyo-Mono (Life is like a cow pasture, it's hard to get through without stepping in some mess. NRA.)
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To: DBrow

Alrighty then, we will pick it up:
Texas, our Texas! All hail the mighty State!
Texas, our Texas! So wonderful so great!
Boldest and grandest, Withstanding ev'ry test;
O Empire wide and glorious, You stand supremely blest.


God bless you Texas! And keep you brave and strong,
That you may grow in power and worth, Thro'out the ages long.

Texas, O Texas! Your freeborn single star,
Sends out its radiance to nations near and far.
Emblem of freedom! It sets our hearts aglow,
With thoughts of San Jacinto and glorious Alamo.

God bless you Texas! And keep you brave and strong,
That you may grow in power and worth, Thro'out the ages long.


Texas, dear Texas! From tyrant grip now free,
Shines forth in splendor your star of destiny!
Mother of heroes! We come your children true,
Proclaiming our allegiance, our faith, our love for you.

God bless you Texas! And keep you brave and strong,
That you may grow in power and worth, Thro'out the ages long.


49 posted on 07/08/2006 9:20:03 PM PDT by ARealMothersSonForever (Political troglodyte with a partisan axe to grind)
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To: RobbyS

Let us see what Calderon can do, hopefully he can Mexico more investment friendly.


50 posted on 07/08/2006 9:22:41 PM PDT by jveritas (Support The Commander in Chief in Times of War)
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To: ARealMothersSonForever
Oh, forgot to mention...400,000 people in Mexico City would be the Gomez Family from the Refugio de los Peredores neighborhood about 10 blocks from the city center.
51 posted on 07/08/2006 9:24:03 PM PDT by MeneMeneTekelUpharsin (Freedom is the freedom to discipline yourself so others don't have to do it for you.)
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To: RobbyS

Let us see what Calderon can do, hopefully he can make Mexico more investment friendly.


52 posted on 07/08/2006 9:24:29 PM PDT by jveritas (Support The Commander in Chief in Times of War)
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To: MeneMeneTekelUpharsin

Out of , what , 20 million souls?


53 posted on 07/08/2006 9:27:28 PM PDT by RobbyS ( CHIRHO)
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To: MeneMeneTekelUpharsin

Looks like more that 400,000 protesting to me. More like 600,000. They are protesting over massive voting fraud by the drug cartel controlled government of Mexico.

The Zapatistas are revolutionary Marxists. They are armed with AK-47 assault rifles. They are engaged in a war against the corrupt Mexican government. Zapatistas are funded and armed by the Chinese. Sad to say, but the Zapatistas are one group in Mexico opposed to the drug caretls. Today. After they take power, however, they will play the same games as Castro. Corruption breeds more corruption. It all comes down to money.

This explains our border problems more than anything. Think about this complex political upheaval a bit more deeply.

54 posted on 07/08/2006 9:35:35 PM PDT by ex-Texan (Matthew 7:1 through 6)
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To: Inyo-Mono
That is the Zocolo in Mexico City. Here's another, same place:

I love Mexico City.

55 posted on 07/08/2006 9:36:39 PM PDT by BunnySlippers (NUTS!)
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To: Inyo-Mono

BTW, both pics were taken today ... not by me. They are both from Yahoo News.


56 posted on 07/08/2006 9:37:41 PM PDT by BunnySlippers (NUTS!)
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To: BunnySlippers

'claimed that President Vicente Fox illegally campaigned in favor of Calderon, that the PAN had far exceeded campaign spending limits and that the governing party bought votes.'

"They PREYED on our FEAR"!


57 posted on 07/08/2006 10:17:57 PM PDT by bitt (NY Times to New York: Drop Dead!)
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To: MinorityRepublican
Beginning of the Mexican Civil War?

You mean the next one, they've had several, even several since the US became a country, during which we only had the one.

58 posted on 07/08/2006 10:27:22 PM PDT by El Gato
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To: DBrow
It is next to impossible to turn an investment into profit in Mexico, and you always run the risk of having it taken from you if you are successful.

Indeed, it's even a problem for the Mexican entrepreneurs. The in laws of our exchange student had their shrimp boats nationalized. They were paid, the same for each boat, regardless of age and condition, and of course it was well below the actual value of the boats. That family managed to get a few to South America before they were nationalized, and bought the others back after the government noticed that few shrimp were being harvested by the new operators of the boats. Of course they had to pay what the boats were really worth, which was more than they had gotten, but less than the boats were worth when nationalized, because the government "managers" neglected their upkeep.

59 posted on 07/08/2006 10:34:54 PM PDT by El Gato
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To: MeneMeneTekelUpharsin
The drive-by media does it again. Mexico City has almost 30 million people. If there were 280,000 and even if 400,000 it's a total joke. A whopping 1.3% (if there were 400,000) of the population of Mexico City turned out to scream and holler. Of the 41,000,000+ who voted...it is only .975% of those who are protesting. Boo hoo!

What fraction turned out for the Bolsheviks when they usurped the Revolution against the Czar?

60 posted on 07/08/2006 10:38:02 PM PDT by El Gato
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