Andrés Manuel López Obrador, 2005 News

popular leftist mayor of Mexico City, won a major battle with President Vicente Fox's government in April, when the president bowed to public pressure and agreed to allow López Obrador run for president in 2006 even though he faces contempt charges. The charges stem from a complicated land dispute. After Congress voted to strip López Obrador of immunity and remove him from office, about a million people staged a silent protest in Mexico City's central square. Attorney General Rafael Macedo de la Concha, who actively pursued López Obrador's prosecution, resigned in the controversy. His successor, Daniel Cabeza de Vaca, dropped the charges in May.