Gasolinazo
2017 Mexican protests
Series of protests against a hike in the price of gasoline by the Mexican government
The 2017 Mexican protests were a series of protests against a hike in the price of gasoline by the Mexican government which came into effect on 1 January 2017. Thousands of protestors marched, blocked highways and shut down state-owned gas stations. The rise in price—known in Mexico as the gasolinazo—was a result of president Enrique Peña Nieto's privatization of the Mexican oil industry. Other factors that led to the protests include high inflation, a weak peso, widespread violence due to the Mexican Drug War, and Peña Nieto's low approval rating and corruption allegations.