Friday, August 31, 2012

Why athletes should perhaps not be made senators

I admit I know little about Ana Gabriela Guevara Espinoza, a retired Mexican athlete who was made a candidate for senator for the PT. She may have had some political experience, but a recent faux pax certainly suggests that she knows little of the functioning of politics - and that maybe making famous athlete into national politicians overnight may not always be such a bright idea in general:

When the senator-elect was to appear in the Senate for her swearing in, she was nowhere to be found: Instead, Guevara wandered around confused in San Lázaro, seat of the Chamber of Deputies. When someone alerted her to her mistaken location, she made a run for the exit and in the end apparently made it to the Senate.

Is an athlete who doesn't seem to know which of Mexico's two legislative chambers she belongs to really suited to be one of Mexico's 128 Senators? Could not even one of her staffers, advisers, friends, party comrades, anyone, find out about the procedure beforehand?

Truly embarrassing.

Source:
Focos rojos con Washington. El Universal, Aug. 31, 2012

Where in the world is Tomás Yarrington?

He is wanted not just in Mexico, but in 190 countries across the globe: The Mexican government has asked Interpol to arrest former PRI governor of Tamaulipas (1999-2005), Tomás Yarrington Ruvalcaba, for his alleged involvement with the Gulf Cartel in the state.

No one has seen the fugitive governor since a Mexican judge yesterday issued the arrest warrant. Don't expect him to appear in person voluntarily to answer the charges. What I find even more interesting is if - or when - another likely next arrest warrant for another ex-PRI governor will be issued: Yarrington's successor, Eugenio Hernández Flores.

Source:
“Firme, indagatoria contra Yarrington”. El Universal, Aug. 30, 2012
Mexico judge orders arrest of ex-Governor Yarrington. BBC News, Aug. 29, 2012