Leftist sectarianism a la mexicana

Gerardo Fernández Noroña is at it again. The rambunctious former spokesman for the PRD, who bailed his old party when his favored candidate Alejandro Encinas failed to win the party presidency in 2008, is a living manifestation of the sectarianism of the Mexican left. Now a diputado for PT, Noroña appearently threatened to "expose" what he claims to be shady property deals by PRD Vice Coordinator Guadalupe Acosta Naranjo, if the PRD supports a proposal for a general value-added tax.


(Acosta Naranjo, to recall, is a noted member of Nueva Izquierda, the faction that currently controls the PRD's national secretariat). 


Beyond the accusations itself, which I find highly dubious given Noroña's credetials, what happened to the calls for unity on the Mexican left?


La Jornada puts its usual pro-AMLO, pro-Encinas, anti-Nueva Izquierda spin on the issue.
Yes, value-added tax on its own is regressive taxation that hurts the poor more than the rich, but the point is exactly what the added revenue generated by the IVA is used for. If it is used for extensive social programs, the whole picture changes regarding whether IVA is truly a "tax on the poor." Don't expect Noroña to capture this anytime soon.