FILE PHOTO: Demonstrators attend a protest in support of the National Electoral Institute (INE) and against President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador's plan to reform the electoral authority, in Mexico City, Mexico, February 26, 2023. REUTERS/Gustavo Graf
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Tuesday criticized comments by U.S. State Department officials about recent protests in Mexico, accusing the department of meddling in his country's affairs.
Tens of thousands of Mexicans took to the streets on Sunday to protest against measures pushed through this month by Lopez Obrador to shrink the country's independent electoral authority, after the opposition attacked his move as a threat to democracy.
State Department officials hailed what they described as the political debate around the electoral overhaul, prompting a terse response from Lopez Obrador, who said the department "always meddles in things that are not its business."
On Monday, State Department spokesperson Ned Price issued a statement saying that a "great debate on electoral reforms" reflected Mexico's "vibrant democracy."
"We believe that a well-resourced, independent electoral system and respect for judicial independence support healthy democracy," Price said.
Lopez Obrador told a news conference the comments from Washington reflected a "bad habit" and were "quite contrary" to messaging from U.S. President Joe Biden.
Price's remarks echoed similar comments made on Sunday about the protests by the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, Brian Nichols, on Twitter.
(Reporting by Dave Graham and Brendan O'Boyle; Editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise)
