With the registration of far-right activist Eduardo Verástegui, a total of 20 citizens have expressed their intention to the National Electoral Institute (INE) to run as independent presidential candidates. Also on the list are Ulises Ruiz, former governor of Oaxaca, and Hugo Eric Flores, former leader of the Social Encounter party.
After submitting his documents to the INE (National Institute of Statistics and Census) office, Verástegui, a close associate of former US President Donald Trump, stated that he came to apply for his registration dressed in black because it symbolizes mourning for the Supreme Court's decision decriminalizing abortion. Furthermore, "you have to be willing to die in order to give your life for the love of God and Mexico."
The actor was the main promoter of an event in Mexico City for the Conservative Political Action Conference last November, which brought together dozens of far-right figures from the United States, Latin America, Europe, and Asia. The former pop singer has also shared videos on social media in which he prays the rosary and presents religious images alongside the Mexican flag.
Verástegui, who met yesterday with TV Azteca owner Ricardo Salinas, stated that his goal of "changing the country" is only possible with an independent candidacy: "It won't be the same old way, with the same parties and the same promises."
Another citizen who has expressed his intention to run as an independent presidential candidate is Emilio Cosgaya Rodríguez. A person of that name has been identified as a co-defendant of operating a protection ring to steal Pemex fuel, and has been imprisoned since 2019 in the Altiplano prison. The INE document states that the candidate "did not require accompanying documentation" and a request was made.
Also on the list are Francisco Gerardo Becerra Ávalos, Fortin Rangel Amézquita, Francisco Javier Becerril López, and Rocío Gabriela González Castañeda, among others. Candidates must have the support of at least one percent of the nominal voter list, which is close to one million.
