The People's President
Obrador Proclaims His Place as Mexico's True President
By Elizabeth Gonzalez
Art By Angel Luna

Felipe Calderon has finally taken the official title of the President of Mexico, although he wasn't exactly allowed to bask in what should be a glorious moment. His inauguration happened just after midnight, Thursday night when in an unprecedented televised ceremony former President Fox turned over the presidential sash to Calderon. This was followed by the Friday official ceremony where he entered through the back door of the Congress and only stayed minutes to recite the oath while being yelled at, called a traitor to democracy, and then hurried back out surrounded by security.  

In the July 2nd elections Manuel Lopez Obrador, the populist candidate, along with the majority of the country believed Felipe Calderon stole the presidency from Obrador. After demanding recounts and having the highest court in Mexico declare in September that Calderon had won by less than one percent, Obrador declared himself the “legitimate” president of Mexico and set up a parallel government that vows to not recognize Calderon as President of Mexico or allow him to rule Mexico in peace.

Obrador is challenging the Mexican system and fraudulent elections, but if he is standing up against the Mexican political institutions he should not imitate them in a parallel government. Obrador should get off the linear path of the government because if he is standing against it, his own government should be something new that the people have not seen before. Only in this way would they trust that the system is not corrupt or working against them. He has to work with all those people who feel Mexico has left them behind, and believe in the spirit of change to say, “Basta! Enough!” The pride that people feel for Mexico has to mean something more than 'Mexico is a beautiful place where I grew up.' It should be that Mexico cares about its people, treats them as they deserve, gives them all the same opportunities and wants them to help build up the country, not continue to be another giant factory for US cheap labor.

As a Chicana, I'm exited to see the uproar in Mexico. I want to see a drastic change in the power of the world, and Obrador and the people in this new resistance in Mexico give me hope that people still believe in themselves to make change and shape a world that actually cares about people.

Having Manuel Lopez Obrador declare himself the “legitimate” President of Mexico last November 20th, was one of the most courageous things I have known in my lifetime. This man is either a genius or missing a screw, but is clearly taking a stand and doing something that so many have not had the ability to carry through. He is not acceding power to a president that the people didn't elect democratically. We always hear of fraudulent elections, even here in the US most people I know don't believe that our own elections are fair, but we continue to accept the outcomes even when the fraud is undeniable.

Mexico's politics is practically synonymous with corruption, from the lowest level all the way to the top. When people say that Obrador should step down and take the loss -- just wait for his next chance they seem to forget that he will never be allowed that chance. He cannot wait out the corruption for another six years. Sometimes, someone has to take a stand to end the permission people have given the government to have widespread corruption. That is going to make some people's lives difficult, but the ultimate outcome will make their lives or someone else's much better.

Obrador is not alone in his battle, and has thousands of people backing him. He has the confidence that along with the people they can do anything. Obrador says that the ideal aim is to, “convert Mexico into a just country, libertarian, and progressive.” He's not just critiquing the current situation, because with his accomplishments of the past and thoughts for a future Mexico, he has proved that he brings about solutions that include the people and have actually bettered people's lives.

He can't however tout political power of Mexico when under the laws he has no political authority. He should claim his power from the people, that they make him the legitimate president. How could he succeed at this parallel government if already he is imitating the corrupted system that has governed Mexico since the stalled revolution of 1910 where the Dictator Porfirio Diaz was overthrown?

The people of Mexico were hopeful with the election of Fox and the end to the domination by the PRI -the political party that ruled Mexican politics for more than 70 years. Although Fox did help to stabilize a middle class, there are still too many poor people in Mexico who found no relief to their situation. The Mexican people can not continue to exist in a country where you are rich and powerful or poor and worthless with the only way out is to have family sending you money from the U.S. or taking part in illegal activities.

In that way I admire Subcomandante Marcos because he is a recognizable force of the Zapatistas -- the rebel group of indigenous people who on Jan. 1 st 1994 rose up in arms against the Mexican government and have continued to control regions in Southern Mexico -- but you cannot associate his face alone to the Zapatistas because we've never seen anything more than his green eyes. Lopez Obrador is putting himself out there as a target without protection and I would hate to see him be shot as Colosio, the popular candidate, during his campaign for President back in 1994. And honestly, I don't see any other way for the Mexican government to stop opposition other than to kill or imprison him so that he is forgotten.

With Calderon's awkward inauguration this past Thursday night and Friday, it is clear that he is going to have a tumultuous presidency when the congressmen that he has to work with day in and day out don't believe he should be their president, the population believes he didn't win the election, and people in the streets are following another leader.

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