Mexicans Demand President Peña Nieto Resign With Trending Twitter Hashtag

Emrique Peña Nieto, presidente de México. Imagen en Flickr de la Presidencia de la República Mexicana (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Enrique Peña Nieto, president of México. Image on Flickr by Presidencia de la República Mexicana (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Before his annual state of the union address on September 2, Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto and his administration were already sliding in popularity, with 47 percent in a Pew Research Center survey giving a negative rating of the president's influence (up from 38 percent a year earlier). Energy, education, telecommunications reforms and permanent insecurity were all targets of criticism from the public.

Three recent cases of high-profile violence have only intensified the anger and frustration that Mexicans are feeling towards their government, especially towards the head of state: the Tlatlaya execution, which occurred on June 30 and resulted in 22 gangsters were killed at the hands of the army. Then came the deadly ambush and forced disappearances of dozens of student teachers from Ayotzinapa on September 26, as reported by Global Voices. Finally, the discovery of the illegal mass graves in Iguala some days later on October 6.

It's still not known if the mass graves in Iguala are related to the student teachers. The authorities claim the first mass graves discovered were not related to the students, but at least 19 have been found to date. Investigators are still working on them.

The hashtag #DemandoTuRenunciaEPN (I demand your resignation Enrique Peña Nieto – EPN) became a worldwide trending topic and is still topping lists in Mexico after several days. Under this hashtag, Mexicans have expressed their reasons why they want their president to leave office. Here we share some of them:

[The poster in the photo reads: “Today we aren't all here. We're missing 43, but they aren't just statistics. They are young people like us.”]

I demand your resignation EPN. They took them alive, we want them alive!

“They took them alive, we want them alive!” is a popular chant in protests asking for the safe return of the Ayotzinapa students.

Because the people didn't elect you for the poverty, unemployment and disappearances that you have allowed.

I demand your resignation EPN because you are incapable of stopping the violence and you don't even care.

[The poster in the photo reads: “I demand your resignation EPN because there's another person missing in Mexico who's dead and will only revive if the PEOPLE want it (said in reference to the figure of justice)]

For the sake of Mexico, to dignify politics and vindicate the human community. I demand your resignation EPN.

“People from Guerrero will decide Aguirre's ousting: Peña” And all of Mexico will decide yours EPN. I demand your resignation EPN

Angel Aguirre Rivero is the current governor of Guerrero, the southern state, where the convoy of students were attacked.

[The image reads: Traitor to the nation for buying five million votes with money stolen from state budgets; for handing over national resources to private parties; for serving multinational companies; for harm done to the environment and national heritage; for condemning millions of Mexicans to misery and slavery.]

I demand your resignation EPN for TREASON TO THE NATION!!!

Some remembered the controversial Time cover from February 24, 2014 where Peña Nieto appeared under the headline “Saving Mexico”.

There were some who spoke about the rotten political class in general.

Mexico is a great country, nonetheless citizens’ apathy/submission is outrageous. The political class has stripped us from everything. I demand your resignation EPN.

I demand your resignation EPN. But, who would be the president? Every politician is equally corrupt and incompetent. We need well-prepared politicians.

Also, there were reminders of the national strike and protests planned for October 22.

We said on the 8th with #AyotzinapaSomosTodos (We are all Ayotzinapa), today we stand by it with “I demand your resignation EPN”. See you on the 22nd on the streets.

And it was discussed how to turn virtual protests into concrete legal actions against the president, making references to the country's constitution.

I demand your resignation EPN under article 39 of the Mexican political constitution.

I also demand your resignation EPN. Remember that you are not my boss, you are our representative and the constitution allows me to demand this.

OK… I demand your resignation EPN is already the no. 1 TT. Now, what are the REAL LEGAL ACTIONS to demand his RESIGNATION? DO THEY EVEN EXIST?

Follow our in-depth coverage: Bring Back Mexico's Missing #Ayotzinapa Students

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