Former telenovela star looks to ignite Mexico's right in presidential bid

Mexican film producer and actor of the movie "Sound of Freedom" Eduardo Verastegui speaks during a press conference after a meeting with El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele, in San Salvador, El Salvador July 28, 2023. REUTERS/Jose Cabezas/ File photo

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Eduardo Verastegui, an outspoken Mexican actor and right-wing activist who calls Donald Trump "my friend," is hoping to unite his country's conservatives with a long-shot presidential bid ahead of next year's elections.

In an interview in a Mexico City hotel on Wednesday, Verastegui, 49, said he wanted to stop abortion - which is increasingly accessible in Mexico - and end child sex trafficking, the subject of a film he produced that became a breakout hit in the United States this summer.