PAN yesterday distanced itself from its fellow party member and mayor of Monterrey, Fernando Larrazabal, going so far as to ask him to step down, as well as Governor Rodrigo Medina de la Cruz, of PRI, if only temporarily, so as not to politicize the investigation of the Monterrey casino fire in particular, and the very dirty gambling industry in general, where Fernando's brother Jonas is intimately involved.
Associated Press also picked up the story.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
New head of PAN's legislative bench: Francisco Ramírez Acuña
With Josefina Vázquez Mota leaving the Chamber of Deputies (on a "license," mind you - she can always return), PAN was in need of a new coordinator of its legislative group. Francisco Ramírez Acuña will be the one.
He is former governor of Jalisco (2001-2006), and was briefly minister of the interior in Calderón's cabinet.
He is former governor of Jalisco (2001-2006), and was briefly minister of the interior in Calderón's cabinet.
Polls 2012: Marcelo Ebrard for first time polls higher than AMLO among left
Good news for Marcelo Ebrard: In a poll printed in Milenio today, the Mexico City mayor ranks above AMLO in the preferences of the left vote, meaning those of PRD-PT-Convergencia party preferences. And the difference is quite high - 53 to Ebrard, 34 percent for AMLO.
I expect AMLO to cry foul and dismiss it.
See graphic below from Milenio based on the GEA-ISA poll, which also shows the preferences of PRI and PAN backers.
I expect AMLO to cry foul and dismiss it.
See graphic below from Milenio based on the GEA-ISA poll, which also shows the preferences of PRI and PAN backers.
More on resignation of Martí Batres
Batres had long used his portfolio as secretary of social development to build up support for his candidacy to be chief of government of Mexico city. Last week, he again criticized his boss Marcelo Ebrard for having shaken hands with Calderón, given that he in Batres' view is illegitimate - still sticking to the wholly unsubstantiated notion of a fraud in the 2006 presidential elections.
Be that as it may: This time Ebrard summoned Batres to his office, and asked him to renounce, which he refused to to. Then, in a quite public manner, Ebrard fired him, noting "everything has a limit, which is about congruence: one cannot be a secretary of the government and criticize the chief of government, as did Martí."
At 11 last night: "if he is not happy, and I told him, then he has nothing do to in the government." He literally signed the order to have Batres fired. I wonder if they escorted him out of the building, U.S. corporate firing-style.
Ebrard denied that this implied a break with Andrés Manuel López Obrador, given that Batres is close to Ebrard's predecessor.
New secretary of social development in Mexico City: Jesús Valdés Peña, until now undersecretary of citizen participation in GDF.
Another press conference will be held by Ebrard today at 11 a.m. Mexico city time.
Be that as it may: This time Ebrard summoned Batres to his office, and asked him to renounce, which he refused to to. Then, in a quite public manner, Ebrard fired him, noting "everything has a limit, which is about congruence: one cannot be a secretary of the government and criticize the chief of government, as did Martí."
At 11 last night: "if he is not happy, and I told him, then he has nothing do to in the government." He literally signed the order to have Batres fired. I wonder if they escorted him out of the building, U.S. corporate firing-style.
Ebrard denied that this implied a break with Andrés Manuel López Obrador, given that Batres is close to Ebrard's predecessor.
New secretary of social development in Mexico City: Jesús Valdés Peña, until now undersecretary of citizen participation in GDF.
Another press conference will be held by Ebrard today at 11 a.m. Mexico city time.
Chapulines in the Mexican Senate
A full fifth all of senators elected in 2006 have been chapulines (a type of grasshopper that I once got really sick from eating in Oaxaca), meaning that they have left their senate seats to pursue even higher office, usually a governorship - 10 of them have been elected governors since 2006. From El Universal.
I wonder what the equivalent figures are from e.g. the United States and Argentina.
I wonder what the equivalent figures are from e.g. the United States and Argentina.
Martí Batres Guadarrama, AMLO loyalist, is out of Mexico City Government
I missed with 10 months - I first thought Ebrard would fire Martí Batres last October, when Ebrard relieved him of several important powers. Yet now finally Ebrard fired the man who has held what is in practice the second-most important position in the Mexico City government since 2006, and used it for all it is worth - the secretariat of social development.
More to come here, but note there is no "I renounce for personal reasons" schpiel - Ebrard told him to step down straight out.
Batres in my opinion represents the most "radical," anti-democratic, clientelist elements of the PRD, and he was widely considered an imposition by AMLO in Ebrard´s government. It is most natural that he should now leave the position - I am only surprised it did not happen sooner.
More to come here, but note there is no "I renounce for personal reasons" schpiel - Ebrard told him to step down straight out.
Batres in my opinion represents the most "radical," anti-democratic, clientelist elements of the PRD, and he was widely considered an imposition by AMLO in Ebrard´s government. It is most natural that he should now leave the position - I am only surprised it did not happen sooner.
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