Thursday, June 30, 2011

Elba Esther Gordillo confirms 2006 horsetrading

Elba Esther Gordillo, "leader for life" of the SNTE teachers union and de facto head of the PANAL party, was unusually frank about her political dealings in a press conference yesterday, where she confirmed that she made a pact with then-candidate Felipe Calderón for the PANAL party to vote for the PAN candidate, in exchange for getting to pick the head of the ISSSTE social security institute for state workers, the National lottery, and the executive of the National system of public security (SNSP).

Her son-in-law Fernando González Sánchez was also made subsecretary of education, though she didn't mention him.

And why Calderón? Here as well Gordillo was honest: He was the only one responding to her. To recall, she had been kicked out of the PRI, so no negotiation was possible there, and AMLO refused to even sit down with her to make a deal.

Now, the question is: Who is she negotiating with now? Has she settled for Enrique Peña Nieto, as earlier events strongly indicated, or is she still open for bids?

Infamous Presunto Culpable judge Héctor Palomares confirmed for six more years

This is absolutely terrible: Héctor Palomares Medina, the infamous judge of the documentary Presunto Culpable/Presumed Guilty, has not only escaped any sanction at all for his behavior, but was reaffirmed for six more year by the Judicial Council of the Federal District - by unanimity!
One hardly needs a legal background to be able to opine on these matters - for many it was a shock to see how judges in Mexico behave, as demonstrated so well n Presunto Culpable. Yet to see Palomares being ratified for another full period, when he will sit until June 2017, is truly a slap in the face.

Judge Héctor Palomares is also facing another criminal complaint unrelated to the Presunto Culpable case of José Antonio Zúñiga,

Say whatever you want of the Federal district judges - they certainly look after each other.

This is a truly repugnant decision that deserves wide condemnation.