Peña Nieto's transition team - where's the change?

Here's a graphic of Enrique Peña Nieto's transition team:

Forty-six men, 8 women. A couple of analysts have noted the "surprises" of Rosario Robles and Roberto Campa, but I see absolutely nothing either new or interesting or noteworthy of this team, many of whom are likely to join his government. Campa belongs to Elba Esther Gordillo, and Robles is an utter opportunist, a former "radical" leftwing maoist who even became head of the PRD until kicked out after nearly destroying the party by contracting a huge amount of debt, and then allowing her lover to try to blackmail the party. She was part of the plot to block AMLO from running in 2006 with the videoscandals, and has done nothing of importance since then.

The others are standard-fare priístas, most of them representative of the "old" PRI as much as the "new" to which Peña Nieto claimed to belong.

Where's the promised change, plurality, innovation, bold signals? Nothing of that kind discerned at least in Peña Nieto's transition team; let's see how the eventual government will look like in December.


Peña Nieto nombra equipo de transición. El Universal, Sept. 6, 2012.
Sorprende equipo de Peña: expertos. El Universal,  Sept. 6, 2012.
Robles entra al primer círculo. El Universal,  Sept. 5, 2012.

PRI mayor leaves Acapulco in shambles

Manuel Añorve Baños was PRI mayor of Acapulco from 2009 until March 2012, when he stepped down to compete for a seat in the national Chamber of Deputies. He also competed unsuccessfully for the Guerrero governorship, and judging by his disastrous administration in the city of Acapulco, Guerrero residents can be quite happy that Añorve is not their leader.

The left won Acapulco in the July elections, but already now it has been revealed they will inherit a debt of at least 1.5 billion pesos. Worse still in the short run, already now 5,000 city employees are left without pay, as Añorve spent all the money set aside for them.

It's a strange world where an utterly incompetent mayor manages to be rewarded with a seat at the national congress, when his incompetence should instead have served to remove him from politics and public administration altogether. Yet within the PRI, he was in practice promoted.

Hopefully he will do less damage as a federal deputy for the PRI than as mayor of Acacpulco.

Source:
Acapulco: crisis de deuda mantiene sin salarios a 5 mil empleados municipales. La Jornada, Sept. 1, 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

PRI candidate murders PAN opponent

Given a vast array of shenanigans when they were "elected" in dirty primaries, the federal electoral tribunal has recently ordered PRI to redo much of their candidate selection process in especially southern Mexico.

But nothing comes close to this: In Chiapas, the local electoral board approved the substitution of Ulises Alberto Grajales Niño by Bulmaro Castillejos Calvo as a candidate to be mayor of Villaflores.

What's the reason this time? Ulises Alberto Grajales is accused of having murdered an activist from the PAN party who was apparently tearing down some electoral material on June 11. Gunned down, in cold blood. Grajales has at least been arrested.

Chiapas will elect, on July 1, a new governor, 118 municipal preisdents, and 40 local deputies for the state congress, as well as, of course, votes for national president, senators, and deputies.

May there be no more political murders until then.

Source:

Acusan a aspirante de PRI de matar a panista. El Universal, June 12, 2012.

Designan nuevo candidato en Chiapas. El Universal, June 16, 2012.

10 arguments for legislative reelection

In the Mexican state of Puebla, 10 local legislators, or 25 percent of the entire state legislature, is leaving their current office to seek a seat in the national congress as federal legislators.

There is nothing illegal or even unnatural of politicians seeking to "move up the ladder" politically - indeed, it lies at the very heart of representative politics.

Yes this case shows the very perversions of what is very likely a product of Mexico's no-reelection practice:
The legislators took office just one year ago! They have barely found the time to learn the workings of the legislature, get informed of local matters, deepen ties to constituents, and so forth, and then barely a third into their term, they bail ship. It may partly be a reflection of excessive personal ambition, but certainly the practice is awarded incentives by 1) only having three-year terms, and 2) not having reelection.

An illustrative and rather funny story on the matter from a couple of weeks back:

PRI's Ivonne Álvarez García, mayor of Guadalupe, was elected mayor two years ago in Guadalupe, Nuevo León, had promised and sworn and pledged she would sit out her full term. Yet as Mexico's parties are now choosing candidates for national office, she forgot about her election promise, changed her mind, asked for a leave of absence, and left town

Yet now so fast! One of her constituents complained  that she had broken a promise, and managed to secure a writ of amparo, forcing the senator hopeful to return to the pueblo. Kudos to Dinorah Cantú Pedraza for keeping her to her promise!

The saga continued for a few nervous days, as this might have enormous consequences for candidates elsewhere, who might be refused similar pedidos de licencia or requests for "leaves of absence." Álvarez huffed and puffed and was "very angry" at this pesky citizen, and found an amparo for herself and her candidacy, and finally a federal judge rejected the earlier decision, clearing the way for her candidacy.

Oh, and merely days after, she was again in trouble as she promoted her candidacy on Youtube via a raffle, breaking at least 3-4 electoral laws, where she from her municpal office called on voters to "like" her Facebook account, in return for the chance to win - an Ipad!

Perhaps the citizens of Guadalupe, NL, are better off with their mayor far off in Mexico City.

Moments in poor photo shopping exposed - check out on youtube

This is almost worthy of Stalin's photo shopping himself in (and Trotsky out of) old Russian photos:

Look at this quick video.

Yes, that is Marco Antonio Morales Liévano, a nephew of Elba Esther Gordillo, seemingly photoshopping himself into a picture next to PRI presidential candidate Enrique Peña Nieto, in order to boost his chances of winning the nomination for PRI candidate for mayor of Comitán, Chiapas.

Would you want this guy to be your mayor?

The original picture from El Universal

Political drama: Break PRI-Gordillo

Front page in all main Mexican newspapers: PRI president Pedro Joaquín Coldwell announced the PRI's electoral alliance with PANAL is over.

This is very dramatic political news: It has been known for a while that grassroots discontent in PRI surged given the extremely generous terms in favor of PANAL, the party controlled by teacher union head Elba Esther Gordillo, and the PVEM, the misnamed "Green party." As for the latter, there was much criticism of the blatant nepotism from Gordillo, who wanted both her daughter and son-in-law as candidates for the senate- as well as a disproportionate number of other senate and legislative seats.

Yet crucially, as far as I can see, this means that any alliance for a common candidate for presidential election - that Gordillo would back Peña Nieto - is also over.

Coldwell, who confirmed the alliance with the PVEM (for now?), said of Gordillo and PANAL: "It is not a rupture, it is an amicable separation." That is simply not true: This is a huge political rupture.

Just a few days ago, we also learned that PRI Chiapas Senator María Elena Orantes López renounced from the PRI, after weeks of wavering, wreaking havoc on the local as well as the national party organization.

I can't wait to learn more about the background for this. Did Gordillo get a better offer from PAN? Did she push it simply too far, and PRI realized her support just cost it too much?

But the good news is, from my point of view: The 2012 race just got a lot more competitive. A lot.

PEMEX workers for Peña Nieto

Hardly a surprise given its forever-PRI ties, the union of PEMEX workers (STPRM) declared its "total backing" of PRI presidential candidate  Enrique Peña Nieto. Will they engage, like they did in 2000, in another blatantly illegal funding of the PRI presidency?

Notably, in the audience was union leader Carlos Romero Deschamp and Ricardo Aldana Prieto, two of the main protagonists of "Pemexgate," where it was discovered in 20002 that  the state-owned petroleum company siphoned off half a billion pesos to the PRI's 2000 campaign, and was fined a billion pesos for it.

Romero, for his part, lost his "political rights in a corruption conviction after the scandal that barred him from holding political office until last year.

Yet here he is again in the public limelight, with Peña Nieto, who despite claiming to represent a "New PRI" again and again l(literally) throws himself in the arms of its most retrograde parts.

From Milenio

Peña Nieto's campaign team: Graphic

An overview of Enrique Peña Nieto's campaign team, from Milenio: It has been clinically cleansed of the most polemical of PRI's figures, such as Mario Marin and Ulises Ruiz. Indeed, he just recently stressed that the presence of these criminal thugs in his campaign rallies were really only due to "institutional respect." As if that makes it any better.

PRI sector seek to give Moreira immunity - a telling sign

The PRI's Confederación Nacional de Organizaciones Populares (CNOP), a corporatist leftover from its golden days and headed by party hack Emilio Gamboa Patrón, expressed support for an elected office for disgraced ex party leader Humberto Moreira, who may well be facing legal prosecution soon.

So to reiterate: Rather than letting Moreira face the accusations and prove himself innocent and clear his name, PRI wants to have Moreira elected federal deputy or senator, which offers legal immunity for persecution - admitting, ipso facto, that there is hardly no smoke without fire, and that Moreira truly has much to hide.

The moreirazo: New president of PRI is senator Coldwell

After a weary-looking Humberto Moreira stepped down as PRI leader yesterday, after only nine stormy months on the job,  the PRI's big shots simply "decided" that the new party president will be Pedro Joaquín Coldwell. He is a senator from Quintana Roo, where he was governor before being secretary of tourism 90-93 for Carlos Salinas.

Secretary general Cristina Díaz was sworn in as interim president, but it will be just that - Coldwell will replace her soon.

Ernesto Cordero, on his quixotic quest for the PAN nomination, notably wanted his part of the credit - "I was the first to accuse him!"

PAN and PRD are not content with his mere renunciation, given the Coahuila debt and likely fraud scandal. PAN warned PRI to not give Moreira a senate or deputy seat, which would grant him immunity for persecution.

Humberto Moreira renounces

Humberto Moreira renounced as president of the Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI).

As I noted yesterday, it was time for him to count his days after Peña Nieto spoke out against him.

Specifically, one day.

Manlio Fabio Beltrones officially out of PRI race

Senator Manlio Fabio Beltrones officially bowed out of the campaign to be the PRI's nominee for 2012 presidential candidate. No major criticisms in his resignation speech, but many subtle jabs at the PRI leadership, from what I gathered, and a not-so-subtle criticism of how PRI has altered, in recent days, the rules to select its candidates, deemed advantageous to Peña Nito.

Now only PAN remains to choose its 2012 candidate

A very significant development: PRI fissures surface

The carefully groomed yet highly constructed facade of PRI unity ahead of 2012 is cracking, and most importantly, in a highly public manner: Labastida openly attacks the PRI leadership.

Francisco Labastida Ochoa is no minor person in PRI - senator, presidential candidate in 2000, and very close to Manlio Fabio Beltrones, who also at least appears to be seeking the PRI nomination for 2012. 

* He argues the party presidency of Humberto Moreira is damaging the unity of the party

* He argues the PRI's alliance with the discredited Elba Esther Gordillo is taking away as many votes as it is adding for the party. 

Also, according to the rumor mil, in Mexico City Beatriz Paredes is very unhappy with the decision by Moreira to simply hand over a senate candidacy to Jorge Emilio González of the very un-green Green Party, rather than to reserve it for a PRI legislator.

Many PRI bigshots point out that the PVEM (Green Party) and PANAL (party of Gordillo) are getting far too many safe seats in return for backing the PRI's presidential nominee - which seems a very fair point.

For those of us who see the New PRI as nothing but the same old authoritarian old PRI and fear its return, a split in the PRI is highly desirable.

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)

PRI: When a picture says more than a thousand words

From www.cazadorgrafico.com.mx, via La Jornada: PRI candidate for governor Fausto Vallejo Figueroa, literally giving money to supporters in Zicuirán, Michoacán:

From La Jornada

Humberto Moreira's Coahuila treasurer arrested

Bad news for PRI president and former Coahuila governor Humberto Moreira: Javier Villareal Hernández. who was the treasurer of his government, was arrested yesterday, accused of, among other acts,  falsifying official state documents so as to obtain financial credit for the heavily indebted government led by Moreira.

Moreira has pathetically denounced this and related events as part of a "dirty war" against him, not giving any substantial answer or rebuttal to the charges. His situation as PRI president is becoming ever more untenable.

More details as well from El Universal

Drunk on power... literally

Federal deputies from the PRD, PT, and PAN complained over their legislative colleagues from the PRI, apparently particularly those from Mexico State, for drinking alcohol and being drunk in the Chamber of Deputies. The legislative session was even suspended as a results.

My apologies, but hard to resist the cliche: Given the leading position of their political boss Enrique Peña Nieto in the polls, and their successful blocking of Calderón's Political Reform and the appointment of the the three unfulfilled IFE councilor positions, is the PRI drunk on power as well?

Mario Vargas Llosa reloaded: "detested and detestable PRI"

Mario Vargas Llosa's famous description of the PRI as a "perfect dictatorship" live on Televisa in 1990 - which led to the immediate end of his visit to Mexico and the great embarrassment of the authoritarian regime, has now been followed by a sequel, of sorts:

The Peruvian writer warned recently that Calderón's offensive against the narcos has failed, and that it may lead to the return of the "detested and detestable PRI."

The statement has, of course, not fallen well with the PRI. One measured response came from presidential hopeful (of sorts) Manlio Fabio Beltrones, who said Varga Llhosa doesn't know Mexico, and hadn't been too successful as a politician himself. Ouch. Senator Francisco Arroyo for his part dismissed the writer as an "old man of the Right."

PRI's Political Council (equivalent of party congress) is currently meeting, and doing everything possible to give the impression of unity - including the obligatory Beltrones-Peña Nieto handshake-hug.

The Council also notably decided that PRI´s 2012 presidential candidate will be decided in an open primary.

Price of a federal deputy's head: 300,000 pesos. Murderers caught.

300,000 pesos, or about $22,000: This is apparently the price for murdering a Federal Deputy in Mexico.
It seems Mexican authorities have actually captured the killers of PRI deputy Moisés Villanueva de la Luz, who was recently found murdered in Guerrero. According to the state prosecutor, four men carried out murder of Villanueva and his assistant, yet the mastermind was apparently a town councilor of Tlapa de Comonfort, whose name is still withheld, as he is still on the loose.

Yet who ordered the councilor to arrange for the deputy's murder? .