on the country's politics became Clouthier's main campaign theme, which also includes calls for greater personal freedom, less interference from the central government in Mexico City and an end to federal monopolies such as the printing of public school textbooks. He had appeal to traditional Catholics in the county. His candidacy was classified as be a new kind of right-wing population or new right for Mexico, distinguishing it from that of the Cristeros and Mexico anticommunists, with a broader message. It was not capitalist, more in line with the socialism of then West Germany. After a successful interview with journalist Ricardo Rocha, the government-controlled media outlets blacked him out. In response, Clouthier organized a boycott of Jacobo Zabludousky's show “24 Horas” to protest the lack of opportunities for opposition candidates. He also protested the media lockout by holding silent rallies, in which he appeared with his mouth taped shut. PRI announced on 7 July that its candidate had won the presidential election. At the Federal Electoral Commission a PAN official got ahold of a computer file with the real returns and when discovered, was evicted. The computer crashed and the final results were withheld for a week. Both Clouthier and PRD candidate Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas declared the election results illegitimate. Clouthier signed a document pledging to not accept the PRI victory, but neither would he acknowledge that Cárdenas probably won. Clouthier and PAN affiliates took to the streets in protest in Mexico City, including a rally to the Angel of Independence that drew about 20,000 people. Clouthier also started a public hunger strike at the same monument, not eating for 177 hours from the 15th to 22 December 1988. After the end of the strike, a pro-government newspaper ran the headline “Maquio Ends Diet.” Salinas was confirmed as president, but after weeks of vote recount, PRI recognized that PAN had won 101 seats in the Chamber of Deputies, a record for the party. Clouthier remained a prominent figure even after his loss (placing third), until his death. In February 1989, Clouthier presented his “shadow cabinet” to monitor government actions in certain important areas. The cabinet proposed its own solutions to national issues. Clouthier was the coordinator of the cabinet. References External links National Action Party: Manuel J. Clouthier Manuel J. Cloutier "Maquío": Historical File 1934 births 1989 deaths Mexican people of French descent Candidates in the 1988 Mexican presidential election National