Eruviel Ávila, PRI´s gubernatorial candidate in Mexico State, by classic dedazo

Surprise, surprise. The chosen one - and emphasis on chosen one - to succeed Enrique Peña Nieto as governor of Mexico State was not Alfredo del Mazo, but rather Eruviel Ávila, mayor of Ecatepec.

It's noteworthy for several reasons: Alfredo del Mazo, the scion of the Atlacomulco dynasty in Mexico State, is far closer to Peña Nieto than Ávila - indeed, as noted earlier, he is almost his double - telegenic, well groomed by the media, from a wealthy background, etc - but the choice of Eruviel Ávila signals very much that Peña Nieto and the PRI realized they needed to move away from this image, instead picking a man who is indeed close to a true rags-to-riches story - his father was a bus driver, and young Eruviel worked as ticket taker on board, then as a class cutter, until achieving a doctorate in law at UNAM, and becoming mayor twice of Ecatepec, the position he just recently stepped down from.

Del Mazo was long tipped the favorite - he is the son of a former governor, grandson of another, and, to add, a cousin of Peña Nieto - but the PRI clearly decided that picking another of the Atlacomulco group would not be worth it - and it certainly takes away from the opposition one strong argument against the PRI nominee.

In any event, it is notable how the dedazo is very much alive in the PRI. One by one the PRI's pre-candidates simply declined - there were no votes, open polls, no primary, nothing - until a "candidate of unity" was simply pronounced. That candidate is Eruviel Ávila, who given his modest background may prove an even tougher candidate to beat than del Mazo.

Alfredo del Mazo officially wants to be governor in Mexico State

I've long regarded Alfredo del Mazo as the most likely anointed candidate to succeed Enrique Peña Nieto as governor of Mexico State, not the least because he is virtually Peña Nieto's Doppelgänger.

Now, from del Mazo's mouth:

"Today I am telling all residents of Mexico State that I do want to be governor. I have a conviction of vocation of service; I have lived it at my own home: both my father and my grandfather worked for the state and helped it grow."

I would be expecting the proclamation of del Mazo's "unity candidacy" any time now.

Alfredo del Mazo Maza, Peña Nieto's Doppelgänger

Milenio published an interview with Alfredo del Mazo Maza , mayor of Huixquilucan de Degollado in Mexico State since 2009, and before that secretary of tourism in Enrique Peña Nieto's government of Mexico State.


Alfredo del Mazo Maza has long been mentioned as Peña Nieto's anointed heir to succeed him as governor of Mexico State, and is many ways a carbon copy of the governor: He is young (35), relatively telegenic, and, most importantly, a third-generation del Mazo, the scion of a political dynasty: both his father and grandfather were governors of Mexico State. 


Regardless, the Milenio story doesn't exactly reveal any new information, and del Mazo engages in the usual platitudes of PRIspeak, though a few comments are telling:

"In the interview, Alfredo del Mazo Mazo practically has the same tone of voice as Peña Nieto, and even his hand movements are similar to those of the head of Mexico State:"

The team that trained Gelboy has trained him equally well: My money is on del Mazo Maza.

PAN-PRD alliance in Mexico State speeds ahead: PRI admits it fears it

Recently, Carlos Hank Rhon, son of the notoriously corrupt Carlos "a politician who is poor is a poor politician" Hank González, in an unusual display of honesty bluntly admitted that PRI fears a PRD-PAN alliance in Mexico state.  Hank also reiterated that the PRI has not yet settled on a candidate to replace Enrique Peña Nieta as governor of the state, but active candidates remain the federal deputies Luis Videgaray and Humberto Benítez Treviño, PRI group leader in the local congress Ernesto Nemer, former governor  César Camacho, and finally, Alfredo del Mazo Maza, who is mayor of the municipality of Huixquilucan, adjacent to the Federal District. The latter is usually regarded as Peña Nieto's anointed one, and as such the most likely PRI candidate.


Key PAN and PRD senators such as Santiago Creel Miranda (likely PAN presidential candidate), Héctor Miguel Bautista López (leader of the important ADN faction of the PRD), Ulises Ramírez Núñez (PAN) and Adriana González Carrillo (PAN) reiterated their willingness to strike yet another alliance against the PRI. 


Within the PRD, Alejandro Encinas, unconditional ally of AMLO yet opposed to the alliances, has also expressed a desire to contend, as has former failed gubernatorial candidate Yeidckol Polevnsky. Yet Senator Héctor Bautista, were he to lead a PRD-PAN coalition, looks a particularly strong candidate with a wider appeal than Encinas and Polevnsky. Bautista is very popular with PRD cadres - like Encinas, but unlike Polevnsky - and his ADN ally Luis Sánchez Jiménez is currently the head of the PRD in Mexico State. 
Expect things to heat up very soon: Elections will be held less than a year from now, on July 3 2011.