The nomination of Xóchitl Gálvez as the opposition’s presidential candidate is a fact. The Broad Front for Mexico has announced that next Sunday it will present the PAN senator with the certificate accrediting her as coordinator of the opposition coalition for the 2024 presidential elections. The handover will take place at the Ángel de la Independencia on the Paseo de la México Reform in Mexico City. At the same time, there will be citizen demonstrations in the squares of other countries in support of the flag bearer, a demonstration of political strength.
The decision came a day after Front party leaders announced that Gálvez was outperforming in the polls her only internal opponent, PRI Senator Beatriz Paredes, who was forced to decline. By the way, the technical committee that led the internal process announced that the primaries taking place this weekend between the two candidates have been definitively canceled. The already printed ballot papers that were supposed to be used in these votes are out of date.
The leaders of the parties that make up the coalition were not present at the press conference: Marko Cortés of the PAN; Alejandro Moreno from the PRI and Jesús Zambrano from the PRD. The announcement was left to the organizing committee’s technicians. “After this great democratic effort that we wanted to make available to everyone; after this constant accompaniment to civil society during these 63 days; “After all the agreements reached, we know today that Senator Xóchitl Gálvez will lead the Broad Front for Mexico,” said Arturo Sánchez, former electoral adviser to the INE and now a member of the opposition bloc.
Shortly after the conference, photos were released showing the reason for the front’s heavyweights’ absence: they met privately with Gálvez and Paredes at the PRI’s national headquarters. It was the first face-to-face meeting between the two politicians after the fall of the PRI veteran. The images show hugs between the two and applause from the leaders, all men, stationed around. Scar surgery was initiated. Paredes, who denounced yesterday that he was the subject of a dirty war because of an assault, thanked this Thursday “the cautious statements” made by Gálvez towards him.
The PRI members are determined, united and strong, hand in hand with the citizens, to go along with everything and support a great Mexican and friend. @XochitlGalvez! Not a step back in the defense of Mexico! 👊🏼🇲🇽 pic.twitter.com/IEfQmVYPPV
— Alejandro Moreno (@alitomorenoc) August 31, 2023
Gálvez’s nomination has energized an opposition that had seemed disorganized and defeated for months. This was recognized this Thursday during the conference of the Front’s technical committee by Ángel Ávila, a member of the PRD leadership. “I would like to remember that a few months ago there was no shortage of people saying: ‘And where is the opposition in Mexico? It is not visible, it does not exist.’ It must be said that a few months ago we suffered a very painful defeat in the State of Mexico; A few months ago the narrative was: “No one can stop Morena, the State of Mexico has won and it is inevitable that Morena wins the presidency of the Republic.” Today, these efforts by political parties and citizens have shown that this narrative is false and that Morena will lose next year’s elections,” said Ávila.
Addressing PRD lawmakers this morning, Gálvez demanded that Paredes’ demise should not affect his election campaign and the work he has done traveling across the country to reach this point. President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said in his conference this Thursday that the appointment of Gálvez proves that the internal process of the opposition front is a “farce” and a “comedy” since, as he noted, his candidacy has since been controlled by a group of powerful was decided before the war began.
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