I really recommend that you read Lydia's column where she details this and preceding events, which appears a quite disturbing case of domestic violence and spousal abuse.
The apple, and the tree...
Monday, November 1, 2010
It's all in the family: The Fernández de Cevallos family, that is.
For a glimpse into what must surely be one of Mexico's most dysfunctional families - and not only because its head, "El Jefe" Diego Fernández de Cevallos, one of Mexican politics' most sinister character, is still kidnapped - the outstanding journalist Lydia Cacho expands on some disturbing news over the weekend, where one of Fernández de Cevallos' sons, David, broke into the house of his wife, armed and accompanied by thugs who may or may not have been federal police, to violently snatch away his two children, despite the fact that his wife had been granted temporary custody over them.
I really recommend that you read Lydia's column where she details this and preceding events, which appears a quite disturbing case of domestic violence and spousal abuse.
I really recommend that you read Lydia's column where she details this and preceding events, which appears a quite disturbing case of domestic violence and spousal abuse.
PAN deviates from its usual script: Infighting over party presidency goes public
The Partido Acción Nacional (PAN), in stark contrast to, say, the PRD, has always been known for its orderly transitions from one party president to another. One of the major reasons for this, in this blogger's opinion, is the fact that PAN uses a majority vote by its 381-member national council, while PRD, despite attempts at reform, insists on open election by mass vote, which with no exception has turned into disasters.
However, even with such an institutional mechanism, the leadership fight within the PAN is looking increasingly bitter. The party has now five official candidates: Roberto Gil, Gustavo Madero, Francisco Ramírez Acuña, Cecilia Romero, and Blanca Judith Díaz. Last week, Senator Judith Díaz impugned the candidacy of Roberto Gil on the grounds that he has been a member of PAN for less than three years, and is such does not fulfill the requisite to be a leader of the party. According to party statutes, a minimum of three years is required to be a member of the national council, though no mention is made of the president - though given PAN's history as a highly institutionalized and follow-the-rules party, it is so obvious that the party president should also fulfill this requirement that it is not even put in writing. Why, after all, should this apply only to councilors, but not to the party's president?
(Note, however, Federico Berrueto's groveling column where he bends over backward [or forward, if one prefers] in a pretty pathetic attempt to downplay and dismiss this criterion).
Following the last-minute declaration by Roberto Gil to be a candidate, all the other candidates have now teamed up against him, arguing that the membership criterion must be "analyzed." In response, outgoing party president César Nava said that the national executive committee will send the case to the Federal Electoral Tribunal (TEPJF), the country's highest electoral court, which also has rules on internal affairs of Mexico's political parties.
As a side note, though an important one, the PRD and PRI are up in arms, and understandably so, after Gil's wife Carla Astrid Humphrey Jordan - yes, that is her real name - accompanied her hubby for the PAN registration event. Ms. Humphrey is also an electoral councilor of the state electoral institute in the Federal District (IEDF), who moreover is seeking to become president(!) of the institute - despite this quite blatant evidencing of her lack of distance to the PAN - which is quite literal, as she is sleeping with the man who might be PAN's national president!
As for the PAN's presidential struggle, by appealing to this external institution, it is quite notable that the party is deviating from its usual cool script in that it is no longer able to solve its own internal differences. Should his opponents succeed in blocking Gil, who is the candidate of Calderón, it will surely mean that calderonismo, already on the wane within the PAN, has lost its dominance over the party definitely.
However, even with such an institutional mechanism, the leadership fight within the PAN is looking increasingly bitter. The party has now five official candidates: Roberto Gil, Gustavo Madero, Francisco Ramírez Acuña, Cecilia Romero, and Blanca Judith Díaz. Last week, Senator Judith Díaz impugned the candidacy of Roberto Gil on the grounds that he has been a member of PAN for less than three years, and is such does not fulfill the requisite to be a leader of the party. According to party statutes, a minimum of three years is required to be a member of the national council, though no mention is made of the president - though given PAN's history as a highly institutionalized and follow-the-rules party, it is so obvious that the party president should also fulfill this requirement that it is not even put in writing. Why, after all, should this apply only to councilors, but not to the party's president?
(Note, however, Federico Berrueto's groveling column where he bends over backward [or forward, if one prefers] in a pretty pathetic attempt to downplay and dismiss this criterion).
Following the last-minute declaration by Roberto Gil to be a candidate, all the other candidates have now teamed up against him, arguing that the membership criterion must be "analyzed." In response, outgoing party president César Nava said that the national executive committee will send the case to the Federal Electoral Tribunal (TEPJF), the country's highest electoral court, which also has rules on internal affairs of Mexico's political parties.
As a side note, though an important one, the PRD and PRI are up in arms, and understandably so, after Gil's wife Carla Astrid Humphrey Jordan - yes, that is her real name - accompanied her hubby for the PAN registration event. Ms. Humphrey is also an electoral councilor of the state electoral institute in the Federal District (IEDF), who moreover is seeking to become president(!) of the institute - despite this quite blatant evidencing of her lack of distance to the PAN - which is quite literal, as she is sleeping with the man who might be PAN's national president!
As for the PAN's presidential struggle, by appealing to this external institution, it is quite notable that the party is deviating from its usual cool script in that it is no longer able to solve its own internal differences. Should his opponents succeed in blocking Gil, who is the candidate of Calderón, it will surely mean that calderonismo, already on the wane within the PAN, has lost its dominance over the party definitely.
Daughter of pro-tobacco pro-AMLO Senator Yeidckol Polevnsky works for big tobacco
Yeidckol Polevnsky, from Mexico State, is among the most pro-AMLO of PRD's senators, which is hardly surprising since Polevnsky owes her current job to him: In 2005, he pushed this businesswoman with a very questionable past to be the PRD's candidate for Mexico State governor, yet even though she ended up third - even behind PAN - AMLO still forced through her candidacy to be a federal senator, despite this woman having absolutely no political experience. Amazingly, AMLO has repeatedly dropped her name as a possible candidate he will support to be governor of Mexico in 2011.
Yet a new scandal is brewing, which should surprise no one who has followed Polevnsky: She, with a handful of other legislators, recently voted against a 7-peso hike in tobacco taxes, though giving no justification. Notably, all the PT, Convergencia and PRD legislators voting against the tax were pro-AMLO.
Now, El Universal reveals that Polevnsky's daughter Shirley Almaguer Camacho holds a high position in the Mexico branch of British American Tobacco, which sells leading branches in Mexico. Would that affect her vote? Surely not, says the senator.
According to the newspaper,
1) On its face, her response is idiotic. The senator should have excused herself from any vote on this legislation due to these family ties, which she certainly did not reveal to anyone until El Universal discovered them. It is highly worrisome that senators will vote on legislation and even chair committees on issues where they are clearly partial.
2) Her answer sounds like it was mouthed by a neoliberal rightwinger rather than a senator from a party that defines itself as socialist. She votes against a tobacco tax in the name of giving business sectors more certainty? As a senator, it is her damn role to change legislation!
3) Senator Polevnsky's behavior seriously questions AMLO's judgment, as he continues promoting this legislator, who clearly has a conflict of interest and sounds more like a neoliberal rather than a progressive, as a likely candidate for governor in Mexico State in 2011. Her credibility as a leftwing, progressive senator is shattered. In the process, that of AMLO is also taking a serious hit.
Yet a new scandal is brewing, which should surprise no one who has followed Polevnsky: She, with a handful of other legislators, recently voted against a 7-peso hike in tobacco taxes, though giving no justification. Notably, all the PT, Convergencia and PRD legislators voting against the tax were pro-AMLO.
Now, El Universal reveals that Polevnsky's daughter Shirley Almaguer Camacho holds a high position in the Mexico branch of British American Tobacco, which sells leading branches in Mexico. Would that affect her vote? Surely not, says the senator.
According to the newspaper,
Senator Polevnsky denies that her rejection [of the law] is based on her daughter's position, but rather that she as former vice president of Canacintra understands the business sector: "Legal certainty - you cannot change legislation all the time. How serious would legislators be if we changed the story all the time?"
Q: "Does your daughter's position affect your positions?
A: "Absolutely not. There is no conflict of interest; their work does not influence my work. I deny this accusation"Three comments
1) On its face, her response is idiotic. The senator should have excused herself from any vote on this legislation due to these family ties, which she certainly did not reveal to anyone until El Universal discovered them. It is highly worrisome that senators will vote on legislation and even chair committees on issues where they are clearly partial.
2) Her answer sounds like it was mouthed by a neoliberal rightwinger rather than a senator from a party that defines itself as socialist. She votes against a tobacco tax in the name of giving business sectors more certainty? As a senator, it is her damn role to change legislation!
3) Senator Polevnsky's behavior seriously questions AMLO's judgment, as he continues promoting this legislator, who clearly has a conflict of interest and sounds more like a neoliberal rather than a progressive, as a likely candidate for governor in Mexico State in 2011. Her credibility as a leftwing, progressive senator is shattered. In the process, that of AMLO is also taking a serious hit.
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