MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – Eduardo Verastegui, a Mexican actor and right-wing activist, is aiming to bring together conservative forces in Mexico through an unlikely presidential campaign ahead of next year’s elections. In an interview in a Mexico City hotel on Wednesday, the 49-year-old Verastegui expressed his desire to stop the increasing accessibility of abortion in Mexico and end child sex trafficking, which was the subject of a successful film he produced in the United States this summer.
Verastegui is an outspoken critic of abortion and referred to doctors performing the procedure as assassins who should be sentenced to a minimum of 100 years in prison. He condemned the current Mexican government as anti-Catholic and expressed his concern about the direction of the country.
Despite never having held elected office and lacking affiliation with any political party, Verastegui has garnered support through his production and acting in films centered around themes influenced by his Catholic faith.
However, to be included on the ballot, Verastegui must gather signatures equivalent to 1% of voters, nearly 1 million, across at least 17 of Mexico’s 32 states by early January. Political analyst Carlos Bravo doubts Verastegui’s ability to achieve this goal, citing the need for a political infrastructure beyond financial resources.
Verastegui’s entrance into the political arena has caught the attention of political observers in Mexico, where the right-wing vote appears to be up for grabs in the upcoming 2024 presidential election. Claudia Sheinbaum, the candidate from the ruling party, is seen as the frontrunner, while Xochitl Galvez, the main opposition candidate, represents the historically center-right National Action Party (PAN) but leans more centrist. Verastegui’s support in polls remains in the low single digits.
Verastegui’s ties to former U.S. President Donald Trump have generated speculation about his political ambitions. In 2022, Verastegui organized CPAC Mexico, a local version of the conservative political conference that has supported leaders such as Trump and Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro. Verastegui has expressed admiration for leaders like Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban, highlighting the “country, family, freedom” model that he finds appealing.
Verastegui has also voiced his concerns about the erosion of Mexico’s culture and values, accusing international elites of trying to disconnect the country from its roots. In the interview, he criticized “gender ideology” and repeated an unsupported claim about schools providing litter boxes for children who identify as cats.
Verastegui gained international attention this summer with the success of a film he produced and acted in called Sound of Freedom, which sheds light on child sex trafficking. The film was screened at one of Trump’s golf clubs in New Jersey, with Trump referring to Verastegui as “presidente.” However, critics argue that the film promotes conspiracy theories like QAnon, which claims Democrats and celebrities are involved in a pedophilia ring. Verastegui stated that he had heard of QAnon but did not possess any knowledge about it, and he believes there are good and bad people on all sides of the political spectrum.
While Verastegui did not provide specific details on his plans for improving security in Mexico, he emphasized the importance of fighting corruption and increasing salaries for soldiers and police. He expressed reluctance to share further strategies, stating the need to keep them hidden from the enemy.
It remains to be seen whether Verastegui’s presidential campaign will gain traction, as unconventional candidates have previously achieved surprising success in elections, such as Trump in the U.S. and Bolsonaro in Brazil.
Credit: The Star : News Feed
