HUNDREDS of thousands marched in Mexico’s capital on Sunday in a show of support for President Manuel Lopez “Amlo” Obrador.

The “people’s march” marked four years in office for the left-wing leader and was a response to a large opposition march two weeks ago to protest against Amlo’s proposal to reform the country’s electoral authority.

The president led Sunday’s march through central Mexico City, which was accompanied by mariachi music, singing and a festive atmosphere. 

Many participants had been bussed in from provinces across Mexico in trips organised by the ruling Morena party, unions and social groups.

“Effective suffrage, effective democracy, and no to re-election,” he said in a speech after the march in which he said his priorities were to stand up for the poor and fight the oligarchy.

The opposition claimed that many taking part were forced to join the march, but Amlo said he had not put a penny of the federal budget into the march and demonstrators questioned said they had come to the rally voluntarily.

Gaby Contreras, a former Morena mayor, who brought a group from Teoloyucan, north of the capital, said: “We are here to support the president.”

Pedro Sanchez, a bricklayer who came with his wife from the Tehuantepec isthmus in southern Mexico, said his municipality organised the visit. 

Hundreds of buses that had brought participants lined nearby streets. Nelly Munoz, an administrator from the National Autonomous University of Mexico, said: “It’s called ‘organisation’ and, believe it or not, it’s what we’ve been doing since 2006.”

That date was a reference to the year Amlo came within 0.56 per cent of the vote of winning the presidency. 

He was eventually elected to the presidency in 2018 and his Morena party won four of six races for governor in last year’s midterm elections, giving the ruling party control of 22 of Mexico’s 32 states.

The government has been accused of increased use of the military and some of its new laws have been challenged in the courts, but the president has maintained a high approval rating.

The next general and presidential elections are set for July 2024.