Picket of the Mexican embassy in London

SOLIDARITY campaigners picketed the Mexican embassy in London on Saturday to protest against the decision by the country's electoral tribunal to declare right-wing candidate Felipe Calderon the winner of July's tainted general election.

Despite many documented allegations of fraud, including vote-rigging and ballot-dumping, the tribunal rejected the demands of opposition candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador — known by his initials AMLO — to order a full recount. Calderon "officially" won by just 0.6 per cent of the vote.

Protesters chanted slogans such as "AMLO won" and "down with electoral fraud" outside the embassy, as speakers explained that the US administration will not tolerate a left-wing government on its own border.

The solidarity action coincided with a "national democratic convention" in Mexico City's Zocalo Square by over a million supporters of Mr Lopez Obrador to debate their next move, at which they voted to form a "parallel government of the streets."

A spokesman from Hands Off Venezuela, which organised the London protest, said: "The situation in Mexico is very dangerous and the people there are refusing to accept this blatant robbery of their democratic rights.

"We call on Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez to recognise this new popular parallel government of the streets, led by AMLO."

President Chavez has, so far, refused to recognise Mr Calderon's victory and has publicly accused the Mexican government of stealing the election.