From then on, Clouthier shifted his focus to opposing the agrarian policies of then president Luis Echeverría, who expropriated lands during the last months of his term. Clouthier organized opposition businessmen, connected with others in similar situations in other states. Although he did not lose any of his lands, he suffered other repercussions and other pressures from local and federal governments. Between 1974 and 1978 he headed the Consejo Coordinador Empresarial de Sinaloa. Although unknown at the time, he was instrumental in the founding of the newspaper El Noroeste with Enrique Murillo and Jorge del Rincón. By 1978, he had national recognition as a business and political leader. In 1982, after the nationalization of the banks, he started the México a la libertad movement against authoritarianism, interventionism and increasing control of state of the economy. The bank situation also had the effect of turning him away from the ruling PRI party to an alternative. By 1983, he had joined the PAN party, as its ideology was closest to his own, but did not publicly announce the affiliation until 1984. Clouthier was instrumental in bringing in new blood to PAN in the 1980s, recruiting owners of small and medium-sized businesses. He also brought in support from women, with PAN organizing groups called “Damas de Clouthier” (Clouthier's Ladies). In 1986, he was slated as the PAN candidate as governor of Sinaloa against Francisco Labastida Ochoa. He lost but PAN did not accept the results. He introduced PAN to civil disobedience tactics, emboldened by events in the Philippines against the Marcos regime, bringing in Philippine activists to teach peaceful civil disobedience. This made this party more radical than that of the past. These activities had repercussions in the press, with Clouthier and the PAN being branded as “the barbarians of the north” However, it became a point of pride with supports putting bumper stickers on their cars announcing themselves as northern barbarians. Presidential campaign Clouthier launched his presidential candidacy in 1987 with PAN and was nominated by the party in November 1987, with 70% of the delegate vote. During his campaign, he toured Mexico with mobile home, with his wife and several of his children. Clouthier was an effective campaigner and his rallies drew large and enthusiastic crowds. As a stump speaker, he relied on a stock of earthy stories, puns, jokes, anecdotes and analogies to get his points across. Ending PRI's dominance