PAN federal deputy Octavio Germán, head of the party's Mexico State branch, reiterated today that the party, with the PRD, may boycott the Mexico State elections, arguing that the election is being organized by people servile and partial to Governor Enrique Peña Nieto.
In particular, the election councilor Juan Carlos Villareal, head of the all-important electoral Comisión de Organización y Capacitación, or commission for organization and professional training, is singled out as running Peña Nieto's errand, rather than serving as an impartial actor.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Juan Silva Meza new Supreme Court President: Wonderful news for progressive forces in Mexico
Yesterday, Juan Silva Meza was finally sworn in as new president of Mexico's Supreme Court, Suprema Corte de Justicia de la Nación (SCJN), following a 9-1 vote by his fellow judges (or "ministers").
This is a very important and highly positive development; as La Jornada details, this is a man with a long track record of defending social causes and activists, including those of the brave journalist Lydia Cacho, as well as issuing votes against powerful figures such as Enrique Peña Nieto, Ulises Ruiz, Eduardo Bours and Mario Marín.
Though usually overruled by the majority of the court in these cases, having Juan Silva Meza lead the Supreme Court is clearly a hugely important boost for Mexico's progressive forces, even when narrowly defined as simply those opposing the crimes and ending the impunity of the powers that be, and defending the rights of Mexico's champions of civil and democratic rights.
This is a very important and highly positive development; as La Jornada details, this is a man with a long track record of defending social causes and activists, including those of the brave journalist Lydia Cacho, as well as issuing votes against powerful figures such as Enrique Peña Nieto, Ulises Ruiz, Eduardo Bours and Mario Marín.
Though usually overruled by the majority of the court in these cases, having Juan Silva Meza lead the Supreme Court is clearly a hugely important boost for Mexico's progressive forces, even when narrowly defined as simply those opposing the crimes and ending the impunity of the powers that be, and defending the rights of Mexico's champions of civil and democratic rights.
Ulises Ruiz under investigation in Oaxaca
It has been long said that Ulises Ruiz greatest fear is to wind up in jail. Long in running but ever more realistic, given the determination of the new Oaxaca state administration, led by Governor Gabino Cué, to investigate the administration (2004-2010) of the former governor.
This, given "inconsistencies demonstrated in the state of accounts presented, as well as operations and items that must be clarified," according to Perla Woorlich Fernández, new head of Oaxaca's office of the Comptroller and government Transparency (Secretaría de la Contraloría y Transparencia Gubernamental).
As La Jornada reports, Ruiz leaves a state in shambles, where patients are dying in Oaxaca's hospitals due to lack of personnel and equipment.
Woorlich Fernández, now heading what appears a quite exhaustive investigation of said accounds, told El Universal that the previous government handed out no information on its spending, payrolls, contracts for long-term services for infrastructure and equipment, and so forth. In this regard, Ruiz at least remained consistent with the way he governed.
My favorite quotes regarding the information the former government did claim to provide, according to the former PAN legislator-turned-auditor: "it does not explain clearly the situation of the entity at the beginning of its government, nor relevant details of the actions undertaken during the period 2004-2001 government administration..." and "the different sources of information differ substantially from each other, where it is impossible to know exactly of any public works for the period 2004-2010, both those carried out as well as those currently underway, and their actual cost."
In short, Ruiz left information about... absolutely nothing!
Gabino Cué certainly has a daunting task ahead of him. For the sake of seeking to address one of Mexico's absolute worst ills - impunity - I hope we can take his comptroller's words at face value: "We will apply the law in case of detecting irregularities"
This, given "inconsistencies demonstrated in the state of accounts presented, as well as operations and items that must be clarified," according to Perla Woorlich Fernández, new head of Oaxaca's office of the Comptroller and government Transparency (Secretaría de la Contraloría y Transparencia Gubernamental).
As La Jornada reports, Ruiz leaves a state in shambles, where patients are dying in Oaxaca's hospitals due to lack of personnel and equipment.
Woorlich Fernández, now heading what appears a quite exhaustive investigation of said accounds, told El Universal that the previous government handed out no information on its spending, payrolls, contracts for long-term services for infrastructure and equipment, and so forth. In this regard, Ruiz at least remained consistent with the way he governed.
My favorite quotes regarding the information the former government did claim to provide, according to the former PAN legislator-turned-auditor: "it does not explain clearly the situation of the entity at the beginning of its government, nor relevant details of the actions undertaken during the period 2004-2001 government administration..." and "the different sources of information differ substantially from each other, where it is impossible to know exactly of any public works for the period 2004-2010, both those carried out as well as those currently underway, and their actual cost."
In short, Ruiz left information about... absolutely nothing!
Gabino Cué certainly has a daunting task ahead of him. For the sake of seeking to address one of Mexico's absolute worst ills - impunity - I hope we can take his comptroller's words at face value: "We will apply the law in case of detecting irregularities"
Deforestation in Mexico tied to the drug lords and excessive bureaucracy
A very interesting article in today's Milenio: While a majority of Mexico's forest - 70 percent is an oft-cited estimate - are nominally in the hands of communities, given the excessive red tapes and restrictions on their use, many comuneros simply give up trying to exploit them legally.
According to activist Leticia Merino, founder of the Consejo Civil Mexicano para la Silvicultura Sostenible, this in turns, open up for 1) illegal logging and on the one hand, and 2) drug lords stepping in, clearing the forests and using them for drug production.
The comuneros, or members of communities, mostly indigenous, who live in and around the forests, express frustration at the red tape: While the forests are nominally under their control, they in some cases may have t wait five years for permits to exploit the forests sustainably.
In short, excess regulation = increased deforestation and drug production.
Reforms are clearly needed in the federal and/or state bureucracies to avoid this sorry scenario.
More on deforestation in Mexico here.
According to activist Leticia Merino, founder of the Consejo Civil Mexicano para la Silvicultura Sostenible, this in turns, open up for 1) illegal logging and on the one hand, and 2) drug lords stepping in, clearing the forests and using them for drug production.
The comuneros, or members of communities, mostly indigenous, who live in and around the forests, express frustration at the red tape: While the forests are nominally under their control, they in some cases may have t wait five years for permits to exploit the forests sustainably.
In short, excess regulation = increased deforestation and drug production.
Reforms are clearly needed in the federal and/or state bureucracies to avoid this sorry scenario.
More on deforestation in Mexico here.
Humberto Moreira leaves Coahuila - with huge debt
Yesterday Humberto Moreira took a long-anticipated licensia, best regarded a "leave of absence," to "campaign" for the PRI presidency. The quotation marks represent just that: Given that no competitor exists for the position, this is most definitely a shoe-in, or a "candidate of unity" as the priístas have called it.
Yesterday Milenio revealed the enormous debt that most outgoing PRI governors leave behind; today, Ciro Gómez Leyva in his column repeated the theme, looking specifically at Moreira, who endowed the state with a minimum of 8 billion pesos debt, plus 5 billion more for a credit line approved by the PRI-dominant state congress, and likely billions more for local suppliers to the government.
(Gómez Leyva in turn refers to a column by Fernando Royo well worth reading).
(In addition, Moreira arguably deliberately underfunded Torreón, in the hands of the opposition PAN until mayor José Ángel Pérez Hernández stepped down this year, replaced by Eduardo Olmos Castro of the PRI.)
In Moreira's carefully constructed façade, cracks seem to appear.
Yesterday Milenio revealed the enormous debt that most outgoing PRI governors leave behind; today, Ciro Gómez Leyva in his column repeated the theme, looking specifically at Moreira, who endowed the state with a minimum of 8 billion pesos debt, plus 5 billion more for a credit line approved by the PRI-dominant state congress, and likely billions more for local suppliers to the government.
(Gómez Leyva in turn refers to a column by Fernando Royo well worth reading).
(In addition, Moreira arguably deliberately underfunded Torreón, in the hands of the opposition PAN until mayor José Ángel Pérez Hernández stepped down this year, replaced by Eduardo Olmos Castro of the PRI.)
In Moreira's carefully constructed façade, cracks seem to appear.
Clever response from PRD's secretary genera to church: Listen to your boss
The PRD's second in command, Secretary General Hortensia Aragón, in response to the Mexican Church's recent outrageous statements, pointed out to Norberto Rivera that his nominal boss, Pope Benedict XVI, on numerous and recent occasions has called for "social peace." This, in contrast to the Mexican branch of the franchise, which loudly declared it would break its "truce" with Mexico City Mayor Marcelo Ebrard and the Mexico City legislature. Why don't you listen to your superior, Norberto?
Yet the point is exactly that: Ratzinger, for all his flaws - and there are many - is somewhat of a "centrist," a traditionalist, while the like of Norberto Rivera, like many in the Mexican hierarchy, belongs to the most ultra conservative and virulently demagogic layers of the catholic church. Rivera brings shame upon the many clergymen and women in Mexico whose commitment to social justice and doing good is unquestionably genuine. They deserve a better cardinal than Norberto Rivera.
Yet the point is exactly that: Ratzinger, for all his flaws - and there are many - is somewhat of a "centrist," a traditionalist, while the like of Norberto Rivera, like many in the Mexican hierarchy, belongs to the most ultra conservative and virulently demagogic layers of the catholic church. Rivera brings shame upon the many clergymen and women in Mexico whose commitment to social justice and doing good is unquestionably genuine. They deserve a better cardinal than Norberto Rivera.
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