Police officers clash with rioters outside of the Congress building before the inauguration ceremony of incoming Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto on December 1, 2012, in Mexico City (AFP Photo / Pedro Pardo)
Protesters clashed with police outside the Mexican Congress in Mexico City on Saturday, as the country's new president, Enrique Pena Nieto, took the oath of office.
Hundreds of demonstrators threw Molotov cocktails, firecrackers and rocks at security forces, who responded by using tear gas to disperse the crowd.
At least two protesters were injured, one seriously and a police officer with a bleeding face was taken for medical treatment, according to law enforcement agencies.
Mexican authorities erected security barriers around the Congress several days ago in anticipation of protests by groups opposed to Nieto and the return of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) to power.
Forty-six year old Nieto, who will have the top job during the next six years, won the presidential election on July 1st by a narrow margin, with his victory has exposed deep divisions within the Mexican society.
The president-elect has took over at midnight in a symbolic ceremony after campaigning as the new face of the PRI, repentant and restructured after the party was voted out of the presidency in 2000. The PRI had ruled for 71 years with a mix of populist handouts, graft and rigged elections.
© AFP Photo / Pedro PardoRioters clash with police officers outside of the Congress building before the inauguration ceremony of incoming Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto on December 1, 2012, in Mexico City.
Comment: The media are blaming the violence largely on the student movement #Yosoy132 which pacifically opposed Peña Nieto during his campaign. However, the group has denied it took part in violence or acts of vandalism and withdrew from the demonstrations of December 1st for this very reason.
Judge for yourselves. Do you think that these faceless guys are upset at their nation going down the drain with the corrupt PRI back in power, or do they want to provide an excuse to reinforce its return? Are these the ubiquitous agent provocateurs we often see in many protests around the world?