Mexico’s presidential candidate for a left-right opposition coalition, Xochitl Galvez, formally ended her campaign on Wednesday, vowing to fight insecurity in the country.
Galvez, closed her campaign in Monterrey, a city in Mexico’s northern industrial heartland, days after she led a massive rally in the capital.
The 61-year-old former senator and businesswoman has promised to improve and expand social programs as well as fight corruption and the widespread violence unleashed by organised crime, in a country where homicides have reached a record 185,000 in Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador’s term.
“Tell everyone that the social programs stay. Morena (governing party) is leaving, and the social programs are staying,” said Galvez.
“Is security today better than ever? Of course not. 186,000 people were murdered, and 50,000 people disappeared. You are going through (the violence) here in Nuevo Leon. 12,000 children murdered, 40,000 young people murdered, that is the result of a security strategy where the hugs have been for the criminals and the bullets for the citizens. It is over. You will have the bravest president, the president who will confront crime,” she added.
Galvez trails ruling party candidate Claudia Sheinbaum by 17 points in the Oraculus poll-of-polls, an average compiled by local polling firm Buendia & Marquez.
Whoever wins will face challenges on multiple fronts, including rampant impunity amid high murder rates and kidnappings, meager economic growth and questions over future energy policy.
“We are going to win to share, not to take. We are going to win to serve, never to serve us. We will win to listen and never insult. We will win to respect, not to humiliate. Above all, we will win to unite this country and unite families. We will win to end hatred. We will bring freedom in place of today where an authoritarian government wants to impose its decisions. We will defend democracy together, all of us united. Be sure that what is at stake is the future of Mexico and the future of your families,” shared Galvez.
