Mexicans Protest Media Bias in Presidential Election (Video)

Tens of thousands of Mexicans took to the streets Sunday in protest against media bias in their Presidential elections.

Britain’s Guardian newspaper has unearthed evidence of corruption in how Mexico’s main TV news sources deal with conservative Mexican Presidential candidate Enrique Peña Nieto. He is the candidate of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), which has ruled Mexico for much of the 20th century.

The election is in three weeks with the final debate between Peña Nieto and other candidates also on Sunday. Polls put Peña Nieto more than 10 points ahead of his nearest rival, the leftwing candidate Andrés Manuel López Obrador, but that lead has halved from a few weeks ago.

Two commercial TV networks control almost all free television programming in Mexico, particularly the biggest, Televisa. The Guardian’s revelation was of documents suggesting that Televisa sold favorable coverage to Peña Nieto when he was governor of the state of Mexico, and developed a dirty tricks campaign against López Obrador ahead of his first bid for the presidency in 2006. Televisa and the PRI have said that the documents are fake.

Peña Nieto has also been accused of government corruption and illegally funding his campaign

Marches took place all over Mexico and apart from opposition groups, involved thousands of students and young people who mobilized using social media, such as using the Twitter hashtag #YoSoy132. The students have been mobilizing for over a month, protesting both media bias and corruption, but the Guardian’s revelations brought even more onto the streets on Sunday.

The blog Sendero de Fecal said:

The movement means to prevent a presidential candidate from being imposed by the country’s oligarchy and the powers-that-be present in the three branches of government, as well as means to mobilize ourselves in advance in order to respond to likely electoral fraud.

This should not be a movement only for election time, but also a movement that looks to change the country, carry out the demands for justice from the population and move to resolve the grave problems that afflict the country in all sectors that concern Mexican society.

Watch video of one of the marches:

Related stories:

Mexican Students Demand Change

Oxnard, California, School District Bans Mexican Epithet

Mexico Drug War’s Latest Toll: 49 Headless Bodies

Marcha Anti Peña: 10 de Junio, 2012. Picture by Eneas

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
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Carolina G.

9:09AM PDT on Jun 17, 2012

I support, I‘m proud and I join this movement #YoSoy132, no more repression, impositions and corruption, freedom and justice for all!!!!

June 17
send a green star

irene f.

9:19AM PDT on Jun 13, 2012

These marches have been taking place for more than a month now and I am very happy that they are happening that more and more mexicans are expressing their point of view.
Still, I am very sad that the candidates we have to pick from are not what this country deserves, I hope mexicans learn to stand their ground and demand a worthy goverment for us all.
All mexicans need to vote and let their voice be heard

June 13
send a green star

Gianna M.

9:31PM PDT on Jun 12, 2012

This election is a sham. I am mexican and I am having a very hard time, as many other mexicans, trying to decide which of the candidates, all of which, local, federal, presidential, are really bad, will HURT LESS my country. All the candidates are imposed by corrupt politicial parties and the IFE, which is supossed to guard the elections, had its top people designated by politicians.

June 12
send a green star

Roger M.

2:12PM PDT on Jun 12, 2012

Good for them. If only every country would follow suit.

Marilyn L.

2:10PM PDT on Jun 12, 2012

Good for them.

Deborah F.

1:05PM PDT on Jun 12, 2012

Thanks.

Brenda T.

12:26PM PDT on Jun 12, 2012

Corruption is rife in Mexico. I have great sympathy with the people.

Vicky P.

11:31AM PDT on Jun 12, 2012

thanks

MarÃa D.

10:07AM PDT on Jun 12, 2012

Well is good youths are expresing; now I hope they will go and vote, now I am struggling with who is the one that will take my vote, as a responsible mexican we most go and vote and make this country a real democracy.