The big favorite of the June 2 elections in Mexico, the candidate of the centre-left coalition for the presidency Claudia Sheinbaum, she formally started her pre-election campaign yesterday Friday, just like her main rival Socil Galvezagainst which the former has a huge lead, according to opinion polls.

In front of a crowd of tens of thousands of people in Zocalo Square, in the center of the Mexican capital, the former mayor of the megacity assured that her aim is to continue the “transformation” of the country, reducing inequalities, increasing the minimum wage, promoting more pro-people reforms.

“On June 2, the people of Mexico will decide. There are only two ways: either the transformation will continue, or corruption will return,” he summarized.

Ms Sheinbaum, 61, a candidate for the centre-left ruling Movement for National Renaissance (MORENA) party, has been riding the wave of popularity of outgoing President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and vowing to “take care of his legacy”.

She says she also wants to “fight for the women of Mexico.”

“I think this is a big step for all women” in the country, said excited Alejandra Sadiestepan, a 26-year-old teacher who went to hear her talk.

The candidate also said that she means to maintain an unyielding attitude towards the USA. “We will never lower our heads,” she said, referring to Mexico’s big neighbor and main trading partner. “Yes to cooperation, no to submission.”

Often attacked by her Liberal rival over the outgoing government’s record on public safety, the election front-runner promises to attack the “causes” of the violence, as well as to “strengthen the National Guard” and coordinate action. with state and local police forces.

More than 30,000 homicides are recorded in Mexico each year, the majority of which the authorities attribute to drug-trafficking gangs. The country also counts tens of thousands of disappeared.

Just yesterday Thursday, four soldiers were killed and nine wounded in an explosives attack in the central part of the country.

Big difference

Officially launching her own campaign in Guanajuato, the Mexican state most affected by the wave of gang violence, Sochil Galvez insisted on the need to “strengthen security”, to restore “peace”. “Let’s finish dealing with criminals,” she emphasized in a speech in Irapuato, promising that “we will look for the disappeared, we are not going to forget them.”

The candidate caused a sensation by signing with her blood in front of a notary public a document stating that she is committed not to abolish social programs promoted by the current government. The candidate of three opposition parties, including the PAN (liberal right), has even talked about retiring at 60.

THE Claudia Sheinbaum it is credited with 63% of voting intentions, double that of its main rival (31%).

“Although nothing is impossible in politics, with just over three months until the election, it is highly unlikely that Galvez will be able” to close the gap, said analyst Michael Shifter of the Inter-American Dialogue think tank. ) in Washington.

The president Lopez Obrador “He is very popular and the government and party apparatus are particularly tight,” he explained to AFP.

Third candidate, Mr Jorge Alvarez, a rather unknown parliamentarian, under the banner of the center-left Movement of Citizens (MC), follows at a huge distance, with 5% of voting intentions. He started his own election campaign in Lagos de Moreno, near Guadalajara (northwest), a city deeply traumatized by the kidnapping and disappearance in August of five young people, believed to have been abducted and murdered.

XXL size elections

Mexico is preparing to organize the largest elections in its history: deputies, senators, nine of the 32 state governors (including the federal department, i.e. Mexico City), and local elected officials will be elected at the same time.

In total, 99 million voters will be called to the polls.

In the country of nearly 130 million people, 33 local politicians were assassinated between June 4 and February 7, according to the Laboratorio Electoral think tank, among sixteen who were running for office.

The campaign and election are seen as a test for Mexican democracy, open to changes in power for the past 24 years, after 70 years of absolute monarchy by the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI).

In power since December 2018, MORENA and its allies have not stopped consolidating their power (presidency, absolute majority in the House and Senate, governorships in 23 of the 32 states).

Mrs. Sheinbaum reiterated yesterday that she wants justice officials “to be elected by the people of Mexico.”

The idea already made its appearance in a package of reforms and revision of articles of the Constitution presented by President López Obrador at the beginning of February.

Tens of thousands of opposition supporters demonstrated on February 12 in the Mexican capital, accusing the ruling MORENA party of seeking to take control of the judiciary with this reform.

The law in Mexico stipulates that the presidency lasts for six years and the office is held for only one term, meaning that Mr. López Obrador, 70, was not eligible to run again.

It is now certain that—for the first time in the history of the country—he will be succeeded by a woman in the top position of Latin America’s second economy, which is basically oriented towards its northern neighbor, especially due to the so-called nearshoring in geographically closer countries).