A poll found that 65 percent of Mexicans support extending marriage rights to gay and lesbian couples.

According to the BGC-Excelsior poll, 34 percent of respondents remain opposed.

A slightly larger percentage (66%) of respondents agree in whole or part with a proposal to alter Mexico's constitution to include marriage equality for gay couples.

Earlier this month, President Enrique Pena Nieto proposed the constitutional changes.

Pena Nieto's proposal would alter Article 4 of the Mexican Constitution to reflect a 2015 Supreme Court opinion that struck down state marriage bans as unconstitutional.

The Roman Catholic Church has criticized the move, calling it a “distraction.”

Support for same-sex marriage has increased dramatically in Mexico. In 2000, 57 percent of people surveyed called such unions an attack on the family. That number has dropped to 38 percent in this week's poll.