Mexico Opposition Barricades Congress

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Leftist lawmakers erected makeshift barricades in Mexico’s lower house of Congress Monday to block attempts to dislodge them from the podium, where they have been camped out for nearly a week to protest an oil reform bill.

They piled heavy chairs around the speaker’s platform, while their colleagues in the Senate began fasting to demand that Congress schedule a national debate on the energy bill backed by President Felipe Calderon. They have not said what such a debate would entail.


Oil production in Mexico, one of the top suppliers to the United States, is declining, and reform advocates say state oil company Petroleos Mexicanos, or Pemex, needs outside resources to explore for reserves. The bill would allow Pemex to partner with private companies for exploration and refining.

Opponents claim the bill would lead toward selling off parts of Pemex and threaten national sovereignty.

AP