This is CBS by the World.

I'm John L. M. New World Report, Mexico City.

Mexico President Donald Trump is over there.

Criticize comments by US State Department officials about recent protests in Mexico, accusing

the State Department of meddling in his country's affairs.

This relates to an incident of these last days.

Tens of thousands of Mexicans took to the streets to protest against measures pushed through this month by President Amlo

to shrink the country's independent electoral authority.

At this point, I stop and turn to my colleague and friend Evan Ellis, because the electoral authority reminds me that Amlo has been working very carefully to build a faction that will sustain his initiatives

beyond his presidency.

Have I said all that correctly, Professor?

Can you explain what the President of Mexico is thinking about this electoral authority?

Absolutely, John.

First of all, while many rightfully see anti-democratic tendencies in Amlo's desire to basically strip the current independent electoral authority of the personnel and in the offices that it has to oversee elections and also take away some of the

institutional independence that is traditionally had.

We have to go back to the important role that there's a personal dimension in this.

So in 2006, that same electoral authority in an election, which was eerily similar to what we had in the United States between Al Gore and George Bush, you remember the issue that was decided by the Supreme Court on on issues of hanging chads and things like that.

Something very similar happened in Mexico, where again, the electoral court at the end of the day made a technical decision that in a very, very close race about the same time denied Amlo of his presidency.

And so from that date 2006, you could say that Amlo, who then went six weeks to protest and calling himself a legitimate, but denied government, has always kind of had it in for the CNA and you saw the CNA as a tool of elites.

So as Amlo has come back into power this time around with his movement, Morena, and the legislative power, one of I think his personal as well as electoral goals has been to do away with that institution that he saw as a key of the elites.

Now, people who are Amlo's opponents and in many Mexicans in general would see it, not just as a personal matter, but as a matter by Amlo and Morena to perpetuate them in power because if you basically strip the CNA of its independence and its ability to verify elections across Mexico.

And we're talking about it, 85% cut in person now we're talking about closing offices, we're talking about legislative changes in terms of the autonomy of the CNA and its leadership that the issue is this would create a lock in effect.

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