On Sept. 1 Mexico’s outgoing President Felipe Calderon of the National Action Party (PAN) proposed a massive reform to Mexico’s federal labor law. The proposal would modify over 100 articles of Mexico’s labor law.

San Pablo, MN – El Movimiento Regeneración Nacional (MORENA) de Minnesota organizó una protesta afuera del consulado mexicano aquí el 7 de julio, protestando reportes de fraude generalizado en la elección presidencial en México el 1 de julio. Hay reportes generalizados de compra de votos, irregularidades con papeletas, y otra clase de fraude. La protesta del 7 de julio en San Pablo coincidió con megamarchas a través de México y en el resto del mundo el mismo día.

Saint Paul, MN – The Minnesota chapter of the National Regeneration Movement (MORENA) organized a protest at the Mexican consulate here on July 7, protesting reportedly widespread fraud in the Mexican presidential election that took place on July 1. There are widespread reports of buying of votes, ballot irregularities, and other types of fraud. The July 7 protest in St. Paul coincided with massive protests in Mexico and elsewhere on the same day.

Oaxaca, Mexico – El 22 de mayo, 70,000 maestros fueron a huelga en Oaxaca, México, ocupando el centro de la ciudad y una amplia zona a su alrededor. Oaxaca es uno de los estados más pobres de México y tiene más indígenas que los demás estados mexicanos. Los huelguistas tomaron el centro de la capital de Oaxaca, creando barricadas en toda la ciudad. Ellos exigieron aumento de salario para maestros, mejoramiento de facilidades escolares, y más fondos para cubrir las necesidades de los estudiantes. También exigieron un aumento del salario mínimo en Oaxaca.

President Bush embarked on a Latin American tour March 8-14 that included stops in Brazil, Uruguay, Colombia, Guatemala and Mexico. The tour was billed in the mainstream media as an opportunity to ‘bolster relations with our neighbors to the south’ and to ‘remind Latin Americans that Bush hasn’t forgotten about them,’ but people who know better recognized Bush’s true motives: to strengthen free trade agreements that maximize corporate profits through the exploitation of resources and workers and to minimize the influence of Hugo Chavez, the widely popular president of Venezuela.

On May 22, 70,000 teachers went on strike in Oaxaca, Mexico, occupying the center of the city and a large area around it. Oaxaca is one of the poorest states in Mexico and has more indigenous people than any other Mexican state. The strikers took over the center of Oaxaca’s capital city, setting up hundreds of barricades. They demanded a raise for teachers, improved school facilities and meeting students’ needs. They also demanded an increase of the overall minimum wage in Oaxaca.