Support for democracy sharply down in Mexico: The Economist/Latinobarómetro

Very worrisome figures from Mexico: In an Economist article, based on data from the Chilean Latinobarómetro, absolute support for democracy - "preferable to any other type of government" - is down to 40 percent, a whopping 9 percent drop from 2011. In fact, Only Honduras and Guatemala, with 43 and 36 percent respectively, score lower.

Here's the graphic, courtesy of The Economist:

From The Economist

Lula, in Mexico, scolds the PRD

Brazil's former president, the wildly popular Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, is in Mexico for a range of meetings and conferences, and also to receive the newly instituted honor Amalia Solórzano de Cárdenas, named after the much-beloved wife of Lázaro Cárdenas. There, he used the occasion to scold the PRD, and deservedly so, for its almost complete lack of party unity, and specifically its inability to do its dirty laundry at home and not in public.

Wise words.

Michoacán governor election: PRI literally buying votes

From the "New PRI," which is looking every bit like the old PRI of Mexico's authoritarian past:

In Michoacán, PRI candidate for governor Fausto Vallejo Figueroa is literally handing out money at campaign events. It is no joke: From 500 to 1500 pesos, or around 40-120 dollars, to a range of people at campaign rallies. Both the PRD and PAN have launched complaints with the state electoral council.

And the best - worst, that is - part? Vallejo has absolutely no shame in admitting it: 

"Don't confuse a humanitarian act with handouts. Politics is for serving the human being, with principles and values, but when you look at this as something perverse, it is degenerated."

So Vallejo is not himself engaging in anything "perverse" by buying votes, but merely engaging in a humanitarian act. I am glad he cleared that up.

Guns for laptops in Chiapas

Citizens of Chiapas had the opportunity the past days to hand in their weapons in return for laptops, and military and state authorities received a total of 871 firearms the past couple of days.

Part of a drive to reduce the number of weapons in the state, the guns were destroyed in a public ceremony attended by Governor Juan Sabines and a military commander.

What a wonderful idea.