July 31, 2008 (LPAC)--Almost 2 million Mexicans turned out on July 27 for the first of the popular referendums organized by the Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD) and other opposition forces, on the Calderon government's stated intention of privatizing the Mexican national oil company, Pemex. Over 800,000 people came out to vote in the non-binding plebiscite in Mexico City, along with another 950,000-plus in nine states, of which a reported 82% voted against privatization, and expressed their disagreement with Calderon's restructuring plans--designed under massive pressure of the bankrupt international financial institutions--to hand over Mexico's oil to foreign private predators.

Although protest organizers had hoped for an even larger turnout, the vote nonetheless demonstrated that there is still substantial ferment in the country against the overall disintegration of Mexicos economy--and especially its ability to feed its own population--under the weight of the international crisis. Similar plebiscites will be held in the rest of the states in two parts, on August 10 and 24th.

Well-informed political sources in Mexico report that the Calderon government, however, does not plan to listen to this protest movement, and will instead try to ram the privatization legislation through congress, relying on his own PAN party and corrupt allies within the PRI party, in particular. Behind all of those forces, however, are the snarling orders coming from bankrupt London and Wall Street financial institutions.