Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto is facing mounting pressure from thousands of civilian protesters to resign over his handling of the abduction of 43 students whose bodies were recently found mutilated and charred in a river in southern Mexico.
On Saturday night, protesters stormed the National Palace and set fire to the doors of the building, in addition to setting fire to a police vehicle. The violent protests were, in part, a response to Pena Nieto’s current trip to China that has angered civilians who believe he cares more about business interests than solving the worsening issue of gang violence throughout the country. Enrique responded to the protests while at an Anchorage, AK airport en route to China.
It’s unacceptable that someone should try to use this tragedy to justify violence. You can’t demand justice while acting with violence.”
Fusion.net reports that it took Enrique “11 days to address the incident publicly, and 33 days to meet with parents of the disappeared.” The site also points out that Pena Nieto has “refused to call a single news conference or conduct a single interview on the topic with any independent journalist.”
The outrage over Enrique Pena Nieto’s seemingly slow and inadequate response to the tragedy has now made its way to social media.
Protesters marching in Mexico City over the 43 missing students are now calling for President Enrique Pena Nieto to step down, per reports.
— Patrick deHahn (@patrickdehahn) November 9, 2014
And where is @EPN ? RT @BBCWorld Arrests after Mexico death protests http://t.co/5D2rRcVXbc — Rosemary (@rosemarycolon) November 9, 2014
. @TonyAbbottMHR our government is killing us and your country will receive as head of state our murderer, Enrique Peña Nieto #Ayotzinapa
— doctora (@doctora) November 9, 2014
The 43 students, initially reported missing in September, were taken by police officers who were “acting in cahoots with organized crime,” according to Fox News . The tragedy comes as drug-related crime continues to increase in certain parts of the country, though similar crimes have decreased in other parts since Pena Nieto took office in 2012. Enrique hasn’t yet responded to calls for his resignation.
Enrique Pena Nieto was elected president in 2012 for a six-year term. Pena Nieto was previously the governor of the State of Mexico from 2005 until 2011, when he left office to pursue the presidency. Enrique has been the subject of criticism before, most notably following his presidential election. Pena Nieto’s party, the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), was on a twelve-year hiatus prior to his win, causing protests to break out over the return of the PRI.
[Image via Google]