Energy reform protesters march through Mexico City

(Vatican Radio) The leader of the opposition to Mexico's energy reform has called for a protest campaign: more than 60,000 protesters marched through Mexico City on Saturday to its main Zocalo plaza and rallied there for hours, until long after dark.

In the front row of demonstrators was former presidential candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, together with Cuauhtemoc Cardenas, the founder of the Party of Democratic Revolution. Back in 1938, his Father Lazaro Cardenas, then President of Mexico, expelled all the international petroleum companies and nationalized the industry.

Seventy-five years later, the Institutional Revolutionary Party and the right-of-center National Action Party have voted to let them back in. Mexico's congress passed legislation allowing controlled investment and exploration in return for a share of the profits, but not a stake. Mexico's left, which is vehemently opposed, have announced they will hold a referendum to reflect the opinion of the “ordinary Mexican people”.

Listen to James Blears’ report: