Milenio's recent interview with Senator René Arce is well worth a read: It is hard to find a more complete expression of the extreme opportunism and cynicism pervading much of Mexico´s political elite. To recall, Arce was once a guerrilla fighter, then a PRD member, and has now, with his brother, thrown his lot with the PRI in Mexico State, and, as he outlines, possibly in Mexico City and for the presidency as well.
Asked if he want to return to power in his old fiefdom Iztapalapa, where he and his brother have taken turns on power much thanks to their use of clientelistic networks, he replies, in a call for offers, "I don't want a borough; I want an embassy."
Showing posts with label René Arce. Show all posts
Showing posts with label René Arce. Show all posts
Monday, June 13, 2011
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
The best allies money can buy: The Arce-Círigo brothers, now with PRI
After Carlos Loret de Mola first noted the development in his column, it's now official:
The Arce-Círigo brothers - René Arce and Víctor Hugo Círigo - have amazingly enough, after ditching the PRD in 2009, lined up behind PRI. The Mexico City power brokers - their main stronghold remains Iztapalapa - have now allied with the PRI and Peña Nieto, Senator René Arce announced yesterday.
The El Universal article puts its best in its opening line: "René Arce has always played to the highest bidder," as has his brother. The two ditched the PRD in 2009 when they failed to win control of Iztapalapa, which they earlier took turns governing, and have now quite notably lined up behind Eruviel Ávila for Mexico State governor. Former PRD deputy Ruth Zavaleta, who also governed the borough Venustiano Carranza, is also closely allied with the brothers (she is the girlfriend of René), and was the first to publicly join Peña Nieto and the PRI, in the failed PRI campaign in Guerrero (she earlier quixotically tried to be the gubernatorial candidate there).
Outside of Mexico City - the importance of the newfound allies lies, of course, in the proximity of the former to key urban zones of Mexico State, which in places completely overlap - an additional new ex-PRD ally is José Diego León Díaz, a former regidor of Neza, who claimed to bring with him 4,000 PRD supperters over to the side of Eruviel Ávila.
PRD candidate for governor Alejandro Encinas said it best: "unfortunately, there are some compañeros who can be bough." The same, of course, applies eminently well to the Arce-Círigo brothers.
Yet beyond the PRD woes, while hardly new, it is a deeply troubling development, as one can hardly blame citizens for their cynicism toward politicians and political parties, with such a spineless lack of ideological and party loyalty.
For Eruviel Ávila, and of course for Peña Nieto in 2012 and whomever the PRI postulates for Mexico City governor, this is an important tactical victory.
The Arce-Círigo brothers - René Arce and Víctor Hugo Círigo - have amazingly enough, after ditching the PRD in 2009, lined up behind PRI. The Mexico City power brokers - their main stronghold remains Iztapalapa - have now allied with the PRI and Peña Nieto, Senator René Arce announced yesterday.
The El Universal article puts its best in its opening line: "René Arce has always played to the highest bidder," as has his brother. The two ditched the PRD in 2009 when they failed to win control of Iztapalapa, which they earlier took turns governing, and have now quite notably lined up behind Eruviel Ávila for Mexico State governor. Former PRD deputy Ruth Zavaleta, who also governed the borough Venustiano Carranza, is also closely allied with the brothers (she is the girlfriend of René), and was the first to publicly join Peña Nieto and the PRI, in the failed PRI campaign in Guerrero (she earlier quixotically tried to be the gubernatorial candidate there).
Outside of Mexico City - the importance of the newfound allies lies, of course, in the proximity of the former to key urban zones of Mexico State, which in places completely overlap - an additional new ex-PRD ally is José Diego León Díaz, a former regidor of Neza, who claimed to bring with him 4,000 PRD supperters over to the side of Eruviel Ávila.
PRD candidate for governor Alejandro Encinas said it best: "unfortunately, there are some compañeros who can be bough." The same, of course, applies eminently well to the Arce-Círigo brothers.
Yet beyond the PRD woes, while hardly new, it is a deeply troubling development, as one can hardly blame citizens for their cynicism toward politicians and political parties, with such a spineless lack of ideological and party loyalty.
For Eruviel Ávila, and of course for Peña Nieto in 2012 and whomever the PRI postulates for Mexico City governor, this is an important tactical victory.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)