Mexico City Mayor Lopez Obrador To Run For President!

[Itsthetruth]

By MARK STEVENSON Associated Press Writer
The Associated Press
MEXICO CITY Apr 7, 2005

Mexico City's popular left-leaning mayor declared his candidacy for president Thursday to a crowd of 100,000 supporters who jammed the capital's central plaza, hours before Congress was to decide whether to strip him of immunity from prosecution a decision that could knock him out of the race.

Mayor Manuel Lopez Obrador is part of a rising tide of charismatic leftist leaders in Latin America. While some compare him to Hugo Chavez the Venezuelan president the U.S. considers a dictator others say efforts to keep him out of the 2006 presidential race pose an even greater risk to Mexico's nascent democracy.

"Wherever I am, I am going to compete for the internal vote of my party for the presidency of the republic," Lopez Obrador said to an explosion of cheers from the huge crowd of supporters in the plaza. He urged his backers to peacefully protest efforts to prosecute him.

Lopez Obrador's decision to run was widely expected he is the most popular of all potential candidates in public opinion polls but under most interpretations of Mexican law, anyone facing criminal prosecution may not seek public office.


http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=650503

Mexico City Mayor Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador waves to supporters as he arrives at the capital city's main "Zocalo" plaza on Thursday April 7, 2005. Obrador formally declared his intention to run for president next year even as Congress was to decide whether he should face criminal charges for allegedly disobeying a court order in a land-use case.

[TheWraith]

1. I know nothing about this guy.

Anyone have the short story?

[Wright Patman]

2. As to Chavez, how can

someone who has been elected something like nine times be called a dictator, whereas *, who has, at best, only been elected once by anyone outside of Texas be called a democratic leader?

A "dictator" is anyone elected to any political office who will not do the bidding of the top one percent.

[K-W]

12. The US doesnt consider any leftist election win legit.

Thats basically what it comes down to. Because he is a socialist, it is impossible for the election to be legitimate.

We have a habit of overthrowing democraticaly elected leftists and then after a war on peasants and workers, having another election, after the leftist organizations and leaders are dead, run off, or terrorized and calling that election the first democratic election in that countries history.

[Itsthetruth]

3. Demonstrators Turn Out In Force To Support Lopez Obrador

Demonstrators turn out in force in support of Mexico City mayor
By Susana Hayward

April 7, 2005
Knight Ridder Newspapers

MEXICO CITY - Hundreds of thousands of demonstrators thronged Mexico City's main plaza and streets surrounding it Thursday as Mexico's Congress began debating whether to lift the immunity from prosecution of Mexico City Mayor Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, considered by many to be Mexico's most popular politician.

Lopez Obrador addressed the crowd from a stage flanked by giant TV screens. He promised to run for president next year no matter what action Congress might take. Then he headed to the congressional building, where he was scheduled to testify in his own defense.

Addressing the crowd, Lopez Obrador called for calm. "History shows that transformation is not achieved from the presidency. It's been won by the struggle and suffering of men and women who didn't want fame or fortune," he said. "Obrador! Obrador!" the crowd shouted, then chanted, "We feel it, we know it, Andres is president!"

"They want me on the sidelines so my name doesn't appear in the 2006 ballots," he said. "They want to continue with the rotund failure of economic policies that don't produce growth, jobs or the well-being of the majority." He added, to thundering applause, that his enemies have pounced on him because he's against privatizing the energy and oil monopoly Pemex.

http://www.realcities.com/mld/krwashington/11337149.htm

[Lisa0825]

5. I believe it!!!

I met him once, and everyone around him was totally starstuck by him! Very charismatic!

[aneerkoinos]

7. Nymbers

ABC: 100 000
RealCities: hundreds of thousands
Narconews: million

[Itsthetruth]

8. Lopez Obrador Says Fox Leading A Plot Against Democracy

Sword Hangs Over Mexico Presidential Favorite
By Catherine Bremer and Adriana Barrera

April 07, 2005
REUTERS

Tens of thousands of followers of Mexico City's left wing Mayor Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador fill the capital's Zocalo, or main square, during a rally to protest against his impeachment, April 7, 2005. Lopez Obrador will today face a motion to impeach him in Congress which could derail his Presidential ambitions. About 150,000 angry Mexicans poured into the streets on Thursday to support Mexico City's popular leftist mayor, hours before a Congress vote that could knock him out of the 2006 presidential race.

"We are about to see an attack against the democratic advances that have been won with so much sacrifice by the people of Mexico," said Lopez Obrador, who accused the conservative Fox of leading a plot against him.

Lopez Obrador's critics liken him to populist Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. Buoyed by the popularity of public works and welfare programs in Mexico City, the mayor holds a double-digit lead in opinion polls for the 2006 vote.

Pollsters say the mayor's popularity would soar if he is jailed because he would look like a martyr for democracy. "They say that if they throw him in prison he is going to be the national hero of the 21st century. I totally agree with that," said Vicente Licona of the Indemerc Harris Interactive poll group.

http://www.metronews.ca/reuters_international.asp?id=66395

[peace_prevails]

13. Just which FOX was he talking about....

[nadinbrzezinski]

17. Vicente Fox, president of Mexico

[ronnykmarshall]

4. Is he running for the PRI nomination?

This could be REALLLLLY exciting if he wins.

[Lisa0825]

6. (edited) Obrador is PRD. Fox is PAN. PRI is the conservative

party that had power for like 70 straight years before Fox won.

[Itsthetruth]

10. For The Latest News On This Battle For Democracy Go To .....

For up to the minutes news on what is happening please visit the Narco News Bulletin at:

http://www.narconews.com/

When you arrive at the website look on the right hand side for the caption "Top Comments" and click on the news items below it.

[Freddie Stubbs]

15. PAN is more conservative that the PRI

The PAN is the main conservative party.

[reality based]

14. He is seeking the PRD nomination

PRD is center left. PAN the party of the current President Vicente Fox is center right. PRI is the old governing party. PAN and PRI have a majority in the Chamber of Deputies if they combine on an issue, and they are expected to combine on the current attempt to disqualify Lopez Obrador. He currently has a big lead in the election polls that has increased with the attacks against him. He seems to live a simple life, living in a modest apartment, driving an old car and expressing great sympathy for the poor. He cultivates the press with an informal open style. The current attempt to disqualify him involves his alleged defiance of an order to stop construction of an access road to a hospital. Born in the state of Chiapas, he originally entered politics in Tabasco state where he was narrowly defeated in a controversial race for governor by Roberto Medrazo, currently the head of PRI and likely the PRI nominee for President next year. Fox cannot succeed himself.

[aneerkoinos]

9. Narconews coveradge:

http://narcosphere.narconews.com/story/2005/4/7/93753/46058#4

with constant real-time updates as something happens.

[Itsthetruth]

11. Oooppppsss!

You beat me to it! But, thanks for posting the link.

[Itsthetruth]

16. Lopez Obrador Would Easily Be Elected President In National Poll

Despite proceedings, mayor popularity up
Congress is set to vote today on whether to charge López Obrador for contempt of court.

April 07, 2005
ElUniversal Online

The Marketing and Opinion Institute (IMO) survey showed that if the lower house does not remove the mayor's legal immunity, which would allow him to run next year, then he would win 44 percent of the vote well over any of the other possible candidates. Furthermore, this figure would stay the same no matter who his opponents were in the election.

In one of the scenarios put to people who took part in the poll, López Obrador would get 46.4 percent of votes, compared with 16.7 percent for Interior Secretary Santiago Creel of the conservative National Action Party (PAN), and 15.1 percent for the centrist Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) leader, Roberto Madrazo.

In a second scenario, the mayor would gain 44.4 percent against 16.6 percent for PRI Senator Enrique Jackson, and 14.1 percent for Creel.

The nationwide poll was carried out by telephone on March 29 and March 30, and surveyed 1,526 adults. The margin of error was 3 percent.

http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/pls/impreso/noticia.html?id_nota=10061&tabla=miami

[Itsthetruth]

18. López Obrador's Powerful Speech Before Congress

Must read for all progressives.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1377689

[aneerkoinos]

19. Whoah!!!

What can I say? Sometimes, when greatness is thrusted upon a man, occasionally he bears the load with dignity and wisdom... and this speach, my friends, was without doubt such an occasion.

VIVA ZAPATA! VIVA MEXICO!

[Disturbed]

20. I won't be surprised if...

he is assasinated. ;0)

[Itsthetruth]

21. kick

eom