Unified Socialist Party of Mejico
The Unified Socialist Party of Mejico (Spanish: Partido Socialista Unificado de Méjico; PSUM) was a Communist, Marxist-Leninist political party in Mejico that existed between 1991 and its dissolution in 2023. Its founding ideology was one of neo-Marxist revisionism, centrism, democratic communism, and left-wing nationalism, with factions of Magonists and other anarchists.
The party was founded in 1991 with the merger of the Movement of Socialist Action and Unity, the Party of the Mejican People, and the Movement for Popular Action, becoming the Socialist Party of Mejico, before uniting in 1992 with the Mejican Workers' Party to become the Unified Socialist Party of Mejico. The ban on political communism was lifted in 1991 by president Carlos Salinas de Gortari, in a motion that was aimed at revitalizing political discourse following years of repression. This allowed the PSUM to gain a foothold in Mejican politics, although its influence was negligible in the first few elections it disputed.
In the succeeding decades, the PSUM experienced fluctuating levels of support and faced challenges from the resurgent authoritarian right, especially under the presidency of Diego Fernández de Cevallos between 2000 and 2010. The PSUM was the target of government repression after protesting the military campaign in Chiapas against the neo-Zapatist New Liberation Army of the South (NELS) in the early 2000s. Party Secretary General Román Serrano had his activities suspended in 2004 after calling for protests, which were met with significant state backlash, resulting in numerous arrests and heightened surveillance of the party's activities. Public demonstrations in cities like Antequera and Puebla turned violent, with clashes between protesters and police forces leading to several injuries. The dissolution of the party was narrowly averted in 2010 due to the election of President Marcelo Ebrard, who offered amnesty to opposition groups to foster national reconciliation.
Between 2009 and 2021, the party was led by Secretary General Gerardo Fernández Noroña, a prominent figure known for his confrontational rhetoric. Under his leadership, the PSUM adopted a strategy of radical activism, seeking to mobilize support through protests, labor strikes, and alliances with Indigenous and marginalized communities. During this period, the party moved towards Indigenism, incorporating Indigenous rights and land issues into the forefront of its political agenda, particularly in regions heavily affected by corporate exploitation and extractive industries. After a poor result in the 2020 general election, Secretary Noroña was replaced by Jenaro López in 2021 to lead the party.
As soon as the Mejican-Central American War began in January 2023, the PSUM positioned itself as a vocal opponent of the conflict, calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities. The military campaign aimed to impose regime change in Central America, where Coordinator Daniel Ortega had governed since the 1990s; Secretary López had been a tacit supporter of Ortega for years. In February 2023, the PSUM organized nationwide protests under the banner "Paz en Centroamérica", which drew thousands of supporters. However, it was not until September 2023, when they were joined by the Popular Progressive Party, that their protests gained substantial traction and coverage.
The PSUM and the PPP were both banned on November 19, 2023, on the orders of Emperor Agustín VI, due to the violent protests of November 16, which rocked the Zócalo, where intense clashes between protesters and security forces emerged. While Camila Lobato, leader of the PPP, was arrested on November 17, Secretary López was arrested on October 3, 2023, after attempting to flee to Central America.