Mexico City, May 19 (EFE).– Leftist politician Valentin Gonzalez Bautista, who is running for mayor of the central Mexican city of Nezahualcoyotl in the June 7 elections, is using an automobile like Batman’s Batmobile to get his message out to voters.

“Exhibiting the Batmobile, the photographs that interested people take and the requests they make are a good way to get them involved in electoral activities that it would otherwise be difficult to interest them in, if we take into account the

” Gonzalez Bautista, a member of the Citizens Movement, told Efe.

Gonzalez Bautista’s voter turnout team, made up of university students, came up with the idea of using a replica of the vehicle from the 1960s “Batman” television show that starred Adam West.

Batman, played by West, and Robin, who was brought to life on the iconic series by Burt Ward, used the Batmobile to fight crime, a problem that Nezahualcoyotl residents must deal with every day along with corruption.

The Batmobile “has powerfully drawn (the public’s) attention since the city has had high crime rates in recent years, with muggings, burglaries, kidnappings and murders all up … practically holding the city hostage,” Gonzalez Bautista said.

The automobile, which was built by a young man from Nezahualcoyotl, is transported on a flatbed tow truck to campaign rallies.

“It doesn’t travel in the streets because it’s a work that we have to care for. It has a flamethrower, parachutes, a turret. It’s a beautiful vehicle,” the candidate said.

If elected mayor, Gonzalez Bautista has promised to bring “honest government, which correctly manages the revenues from taxes,” to Nezahualcoyotl, a city of 1.1 million located northeast of Mexico City.

Mexico is holding its midterm elections on June 7, with 500 seats in Congress; nine governorships, including that of Guerrero; and 1,532 local offices up for grabs. EFE