Mexico City, May 31 (IANS) Hundreds of people took to the streets across Mexico against the policies of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador’s government.
The Frente Nacional Ciudadano (Citizens’ National Front) and the Congreso Nacional Ciudadano (Citizens’ National Congress), groups protested in 70 cities across Mexico in vehicle convoys, reports Efe news.
The convoys, called “Lopez Vete Ya” (Lopez, quit already), were aimed at expressing indignation towards the president, who the protesters accused of jeopardizing the “sovereignty, integrity and independence” of Mexico amid the coronavirus crisis.
The groups confirmed that convoys were organized in the capital and major cities including Puebla, Cuernavaca, Acapulco, Monterrey, Guadalajara, Cancun, Merida and Veracruz as well as different places in the states of Queretaro and Chihuahua.
As the vehicles passed through the main streets of the cities, the cars displayed posters with messages such as “AMLO (president’s initials), Out!” “AMLO, Resign. You Don’t Own Mexico”.
In Mexico City, the protest began just before noon near the National Auditorium and moved across the central Paseo de Reforma Avenue to enter the Plaza de Constitution (Constitution Square), where they protested in front of the National Palace, the residence and office of the president.
According to police officials cited by local media outlets, around 250 vehicles and 300 protesters participated in the protest in the capital.
In Puebla, 120 km southeast of Mexico City, hundreds of vehicles drove in a caravan and honked along the main roads of the city, with many carrying posters displaying the protest’s motto.
The demonstrations come towards the end of social distancing measures imposed since March to contain the coronavirus epidemic, as authorities have announced a gradual resumption of normalcy.
Health authorities have said that restrictions would be lifted slowly from June 1 based on a four-colored “traffic light” system to determine which actions would be allowed for individuals and businesses, with red denominating the most high-risk areas, followed by orange, yellow and green to mark progressively lower risks of infections.
–IANS
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