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 News Around the Republic of Mexico | July 2006 
Citigroup Urges Mexico City to Curb Lopez Obrador Protesters
 Bloomberg
| | Supporters of presidential candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador protest outside of the corporate offices of Mexicana Airlines in Mexico City, Mexico on Thursday July 20, 2006. Dozens protested to demand a vote by vote recount of the last July 2 presidential elections and accused business leaders of helping swing the elections in favor of the conservative possible winner Felipe Calderon. (AP Photo/Dario Lopez-Mills) |
Citigroup Inc.'s Mexican unit urged Mexico City authorities to keep supporters of Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador from hampering business after some 150 protesters blocked access to the bank's branch and offices downtown today.
Protesters obstructed an entire block in the city's colonial center, where the Mexican unit of Citigroup, known as Banamex, has two buildings, according to bank spokesman Jose Ortiz- Izquierdo. The blockade, which lasted from 7:45 a.m. local time (8:45 a.m. New York time) to 12:30 p.m., prevented customers and 700 of 800 employees from entering, he said.
"We called the police, they sent two buses with 30 officials in each, and they didn't do anything," Ortiz-Izquierdo said in a telephone interview from Mexico City.
Lopez Obrador, who lost a presidential vote count to governing party candidate Felipe Calderon, called for "peaceful civil resistance" to protest results and demand a recount of all ballots. Lopez Obrador, a former Mexico City mayor, alleges in court that the July 2 election was marred by fraud and government interference. The court has until Aug. 31 to rule.
"Banamex joins the multiple calls by the media and civil society that political parties should resolve their differences over the electoral process through the institutional channels and peacefully," Banamex said in an e-mailed statement.
Paulo Fuentes, a spokesman for Mexico City police, wasn't immediately available for comment, his office said. Lopez Obrador's Party of the Democratic Revolution runs Mexico City's government.
Manuel Camacho Solis, Lopez Obrador's top adviser, said in an interview today in Mexico City that his coalition leaders are working on outlining a strategy for civil disobedience that would not affect third parties.
Aarai1@bloomberg.net |
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