Electoral law change sparks protests in Mexico

Name: WORLD
Price range: $

Demonstrators protested across Mexico. Associated Press/Photo by Fernando Llano

Electoral law change sparks protests in Mexico

Tens of thousands of demonstrators gathered in cities across Mexico on Sunday to protest a new law that would cut funding for the country’s electoral agency. Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador proposed the changes and claimed the agency was corrupt and too expensive. His proposal would cut salaries for local election office workers and reduce sanctions for political candidates that fail to report campaign spending. The Mexican Senate passed the legislation on Wednesday and López Obrador plans to sign it into law.

What has sparked the opposition? Critics of the changes say cutting support for the agency could make it difficult to ensure future elections are fair and reliable. Opponents claim the proposal is unconstitutional and many are calling for the Supreme Court to overturn the changes.

Dig deeper: From the WORLD archives, read Kent Covington and Lynde Langdon’s report on Obrador’s 2018 election.

Lauren Canterberry

Lauren Canterberry is a reporter for WORLD. She graduated from the World Journalism Institute and the University of Georgia with a degree in journalism, both in 2017. She worked as a local reporter in Texas and now lives in Georgia with her husband.