Candiacies are crystallizing: Manlio Fabio Beltrones to decline from seeking candidacy

The usually very well-informed Carlos Loret de Mola writes that Manlio Fabio Beltrones is to step down from the contest to get the PRI's candidacy for president in 2012.

Significant news - and, it seems to me, a direct result of, when all is said and done, the left defying all expectations by being the first party to choose its de facto presidential nominee - Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) - without any fissures or scandals. I think that shocked quite a few of the political establishment, especially since AMLO seem to be gaining a surprising amount of momentum.

The rather hurried decision of Beltrones to step down to leave the path for Enrique Peña Nieto could be a measure of just that.

AMLO: I want to be the Mexican Lula

AMLO dixit:

I want to be the Mexican,Lula but with my own characteristics. If they had not done the fraud against us, the example to follow would not be Lula, it would be Mexico. The country would not be like it is, I assure you that. until there is a change we will not find the exit. They have shut down, they have maintained an outdated regime, they don't want any changes done to those who are already going great, the monopoly of power.

Marcelo Ebrard on his future plans

From Milenio:

I have not retired from anything, I continue as head of the government of the city, I continue my political career and I'm thinking ahead, I always think about the future, not just tomorrow but what will happen in 10 or 20 years.

Whatzatspell? I'd love to have listened in on the AMLO-Ebrard conversations, but something is telling me the year 2018 came up.

Two very recommended reads on AMLO as the left´s 2012 candidate

Two very recommended comments on Marcelo Ebrard's full acceptance of the results of the polls won by AMLO to be the left's candidate - and the way forward for the Mexican left.

* Jesús Ortega's  commentary
* Agustín Basave's commentary

PRI will run in coalition with the two most discredited parties in Mexico

Admittedly there are a few to choose from - Mexico has an unusally wide array of highly opportunistic minor parties - yet in terms of two lacking near any semblance of a programmatic identity and real purpose beyond serving as franchises, as tools for their leaders, few beat the Partido Nueva Alianza (PANAL) of teacher union boss Elba Esther Gordillo, and, unchallenged at the top, the  Partido Verde Ecologista de México (PVEM), the only rightwing Green Party in the world, which is not green, and not a real party.

Regardless: PRI's Political Commission just announced it will go in coalition with these two miscreants for the 2012 election in at least 126 districts, and for 10 senatorships. The PVEM's "Niño Verde," Jorge Emilio González Martínez, son of party founder Jorge González Torres, wants to be senator, and will likely get the candidacy.

Joaquín López-Dóriga has a very interesting column on the price PANAL wanted to extract from PRI - 30 federal deputies and 5 senators, reportedly. That is a very high price to pay for Gordillo's support.

Nuevo León ex governor who claimed PRI pacted with narcos questioned

Sócrates Rizzo García was governor of Nuevo León 1991-1996, for the Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI). It therefore sent quite a few shock waves through the political spectrum when he last February made some comments that strongly suggested that the even national had been making pacts with the drug gangs in the 1990s. The PRI-controlled presidency,

“tenía resuelto el problema del tránsito” de (droga), pues de algún manera se les decía (a traficantes) ‘tu pasas por aquí… pero no me toques estos lugares’”.

Rizzo was now - 8 months later, mind you - questioned by the PGR or the federal attorney general's office regarding these claims. Yet what did he state now? "I was not aware of any" narco pacts.

I know nothing! (couldn't help this one)

AMLO reconciles with Televisa, concocts scheme to get media exposure

A picture worth the front page of today's Milenio: AMLO greeting and being interviewed by Televisa's Joaquín López-Dóriga:

From Milenio

AMLO, as is well known, has long had a feud with Televisa, accusing them of a media black out of his movement. Apparantly this has now come to an end. There are a million things to criticize this network for, and very rightly so, though I find the claim of a black of AMLO in the media quite laughable - he has been appearing pretty much constantly in print but also electronic media the past years.

Note as well that since the left has now decided on a common candidate, AMLO won't have access to state-provided TV and Radio time to promote his nomination. So guess what AMLO then will try to do? To "debate" other fake "candidates" to pretend the nomination has been not decided yet, in order to get the added media exposure.

If anyone think AMLO has become any more respectful of institutions and the rules of the game over the years... I am afraid they will have to think again.