Mexico's Obrador ready for long struggle

Leftist candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Aug. 6 he was digging in for a long battle to ensure his ruling-party rival is not declared the winner of presidential elections, calling on supporters to demonstrate in front of the court that ruled against his demand for a full recount. Obrador told tens of thousands of followers in Mexico City's main Zocalo plaza that they should indefinitely man the sprawling, week-old protest camps that have brought much of the capital's normally thriving center to a halt. The blockades have snarled traffic, costing the city an estimated $23 million a day. The former Mexico City mayor said that he would continue to demand a full recount in the presidential race, despite the Federal Electoral Tribunal's decision on Aug. 5 in favor of a partial recount. The tribunal decided that granting Obrador's request for a full recount would violate electoral laws that prohibit recounts unless there is evidence of irregularities or fraud. Instead, the court's seven judges voted in favor of a recount of 11,839 polling places–about nine percent of the more than 130,000 nationwide–where they determined that problems were evident. The recount began on Aug. 9 and will last up to five days. Electoral judges will oversee the process, and the tribunal has until Sept. 6 to declare a president-elect or annul the vote. "What is certain is that a lot more problems are going to emerge from the partial recount," said Pedro Ramos, 42, a civil engineer from Culiacán, Sinaloa, one of about 100 from his state camping on cots. Others said the ruling was no surprise, since they consider the panel to be part of a corrupt power structure bent on protecting the interests of President Vicente Fox's party and its allies among business leaders. The tribunal's decision angered Obrador's millions of supporters. In a speech late on Aug. 5, he urged them to remain calm and fortify protest camps that have blocked Mexico City's main Reforma Avenue and Zocalo square for a week. Before Obrador's speech, protesters chanted in favor of seizing Mexico City's airport. Some suggested taking over Congress, a move that would almost certainly trigger confrontations. Security has been increased at both facilities. While Obrador did not say whether he would eventually approve such actions, he did promise "new actions, new measure of civil resistance." He asked his followers "to prepare ourselves for a struggle that may last longer." Late Aug. 6, the leftist's supporters brought a new element to their nonviolent protests, with thousands standing hand in hand to form a human chain along miles of roads in the heart of the capital. Protesters seized toll booths surrounding the capital on Aug. 8. In an act of defiance against federal authorities, motorists were allowed free passage into Mexico City, raising fears that demonstrators could attempt to blockade the capital. The Mexico City government, controlled by Obrador's Democratic Revolution Party, has protected the protest camps that have blocked the elegant Reforma Avenue and the Zocalo. But on Aug. 6, police chief Joel Ortega indicated his patience was wearing thin.