Thousands rail against Mexico's president and ruling party in 'march for democracy'

Thousands of demonstrators are marching through cities in Mexico and abroad in what they call a “march for democracy.”

MEXICO CITY -- MEXICO CITY (AP) —

Thousands of demonstrators cloaked in pink marched through cities in Mexico and abroad on Sunday in what they called a “march for democracy” targeting the country's ruling party in advance of the country's June 2 elections.

The demonstrations called by Mexico's opposition parties advocated for free and fair elections in the Latin American nation and railed against corruption just days after presidential front-runner Claudia Sheinbaum officially announced her candidacy under the country's ruling party Morena.

Sheinbaum is largely seen as a continuation candidate of Mexico's highly popular populist leader Andrés Manuel López Obrador. He's adored by many voters who say he bucked the country's elite parties from power in 2018 and represents the working class.

But the 70-year-old president has also been accused of making moves that endanger the country's democracy. Last year, the leader slashed funding for the country's electoral agency, National Electoral Institute, and weaken oversight of campaign spending, something INE's head said could “wind up poisoning democracy itself.” The agency's color, pink, has been used as a symbol by demonstrators.