Tuesday, November 2, 2010
The impeachment papers of Jalisco Governor Emilio González Márquez
The impeachment papers filed with Chamber of Deputies by PRI federal deputies from Jalisco, can be accessed here. Thanks to cyberpueblo.com, a social-political networking site that contains a wealth of information and prime material, including eye witness reports and videos, regarding the now-infamous case of Tenacatita beach, which lead to the impeachment petition being launched against Jalisco Governor Emilio González Márquez days ago.
Guerrero 2005-2010: 46 members of the PRD murdered under Zeferino Torreblanca
As the government of Zeferino Torreblanca nears its end in Acapulco, La Jornada's correspondent in Guerrero state sums up the total death toll of perredistas, or members of the leftwing Partido de la Revolución Democrática (PRD), murdered during his government: 46. The most prominent fatality is clearly Armando Chavarría Barrera, assassinated in August 2009, who was a very likely gubernatorial candidate to succeed Zeferino (For more on Chavarría's murder, see this post). Yet the range of murdered activists include everything from former mayors to prominent peasant and social leaders, to groups of voters - for the 2009 federal elections, in the municipality of Coahuayutla, close to Michoacán and in the Costa Grande, 12 indigenous purépecha identified with the PRD were gunned down on their way to vote.
The tragic irony is of course that Guerrero's governor Torreblanca was until recently identified as a PRD governor. While he recently loudly denounced the party for the simple reason that the PRD, moreover well aware of Torreblanca's unpopularity within the party and with voters as a whole, refused to allow him to impose his own candidate to succeed him.
It would not be prudent to signal Torreblanca as the architect behind the PRD murders - I personally do not believe he had anything to do with any of them, and for sure no evidence has surfaced to indicate this. Yet the ineptitude of Torreblanca's police and prosecutorial appointments have been appalling, as the murders continued unabated and unresolved (including Chavarría's), while the governor seemed more busy with sending police forces to repress street demonstrations by social forces protesting his government's ineptitude and general indifference to the plight of social activists, constantly harassed and frequently murdered, in the state of Guerrero.
The tragic irony is of course that Guerrero's governor Torreblanca was until recently identified as a PRD governor. While he recently loudly denounced the party for the simple reason that the PRD, moreover well aware of Torreblanca's unpopularity within the party and with voters as a whole, refused to allow him to impose his own candidate to succeed him.
It would not be prudent to signal Torreblanca as the architect behind the PRD murders - I personally do not believe he had anything to do with any of them, and for sure no evidence has surfaced to indicate this. Yet the ineptitude of Torreblanca's police and prosecutorial appointments have been appalling, as the murders continued unabated and unresolved (including Chavarría's), while the governor seemed more busy with sending police forces to repress street demonstrations by social forces protesting his government's ineptitude and general indifference to the plight of social activists, constantly harassed and frequently murdered, in the state of Guerrero.
Monday, November 1, 2010
It's all in the family: The Fernández de Cevallos family, that is.
For a glimpse into what must surely be one of Mexico's most dysfunctional families - and not only because its head, "El Jefe" Diego Fernández de Cevallos, one of Mexican politics' most sinister character, is still kidnapped - the outstanding journalist Lydia Cacho expands on some disturbing news over the weekend, where one of Fernández de Cevallos' sons, David, broke into the house of his wife, armed and accompanied by thugs who may or may not have been federal police, to violently snatch away his two children, despite the fact that his wife had been granted temporary custody over them.
I really recommend that you read Lydia's column where she details this and preceding events, which appears a quite disturbing case of domestic violence and spousal abuse.
I really recommend that you read Lydia's column where she details this and preceding events, which appears a quite disturbing case of domestic violence and spousal abuse.
The apple, and the tree...
PAN deviates from its usual script: Infighting over party presidency goes public
The Partido Acción Nacional (PAN), in stark contrast to, say, the PRD, has always been known for its orderly transitions from one party president to another. One of the major reasons for this, in this blogger's opinion, is the fact that PAN uses a majority vote by its 381-member national council, while PRD, despite attempts at reform, insists on open election by mass vote, which with no exception has turned into disasters.
However, even with such an institutional mechanism, the leadership fight within the PAN is looking increasingly bitter. The party has now five official candidates: Roberto Gil, Gustavo Madero, Francisco Ramírez Acuña, Cecilia Romero, and Blanca Judith Díaz. Last week, Senator Judith Díaz impugned the candidacy of Roberto Gil on the grounds that he has been a member of PAN for less than three years, and is such does not fulfill the requisite to be a leader of the party. According to party statutes, a minimum of three years is required to be a member of the national council, though no mention is made of the president - though given PAN's history as a highly institutionalized and follow-the-rules party, it is so obvious that the party president should also fulfill this requirement that it is not even put in writing. Why, after all, should this apply only to councilors, but not to the party's president?
(Note, however, Federico Berrueto's groveling column where he bends over backward [or forward, if one prefers] in a pretty pathetic attempt to downplay and dismiss this criterion).
Following the last-minute declaration by Roberto Gil to be a candidate, all the other candidates have now teamed up against him, arguing that the membership criterion must be "analyzed." In response, outgoing party president César Nava said that the national executive committee will send the case to the Federal Electoral Tribunal (TEPJF), the country's highest electoral court, which also has rules on internal affairs of Mexico's political parties.
As a side note, though an important one, the PRD and PRI are up in arms, and understandably so, after Gil's wife Carla Astrid Humphrey Jordan - yes, that is her real name - accompanied her hubby for the PAN registration event. Ms. Humphrey is also an electoral councilor of the state electoral institute in the Federal District (IEDF), who moreover is seeking to become president(!) of the institute - despite this quite blatant evidencing of her lack of distance to the PAN - which is quite literal, as she is sleeping with the man who might be PAN's national president!
As for the PAN's presidential struggle, by appealing to this external institution, it is quite notable that the party is deviating from its usual cool script in that it is no longer able to solve its own internal differences. Should his opponents succeed in blocking Gil, who is the candidate of Calderón, it will surely mean that calderonismo, already on the wane within the PAN, has lost its dominance over the party definitely.
However, even with such an institutional mechanism, the leadership fight within the PAN is looking increasingly bitter. The party has now five official candidates: Roberto Gil, Gustavo Madero, Francisco Ramírez Acuña, Cecilia Romero, and Blanca Judith Díaz. Last week, Senator Judith Díaz impugned the candidacy of Roberto Gil on the grounds that he has been a member of PAN for less than three years, and is such does not fulfill the requisite to be a leader of the party. According to party statutes, a minimum of three years is required to be a member of the national council, though no mention is made of the president - though given PAN's history as a highly institutionalized and follow-the-rules party, it is so obvious that the party president should also fulfill this requirement that it is not even put in writing. Why, after all, should this apply only to councilors, but not to the party's president?
(Note, however, Federico Berrueto's groveling column where he bends over backward [or forward, if one prefers] in a pretty pathetic attempt to downplay and dismiss this criterion).
Following the last-minute declaration by Roberto Gil to be a candidate, all the other candidates have now teamed up against him, arguing that the membership criterion must be "analyzed." In response, outgoing party president César Nava said that the national executive committee will send the case to the Federal Electoral Tribunal (TEPJF), the country's highest electoral court, which also has rules on internal affairs of Mexico's political parties.
As a side note, though an important one, the PRD and PRI are up in arms, and understandably so, after Gil's wife Carla Astrid Humphrey Jordan - yes, that is her real name - accompanied her hubby for the PAN registration event. Ms. Humphrey is also an electoral councilor of the state electoral institute in the Federal District (IEDF), who moreover is seeking to become president(!) of the institute - despite this quite blatant evidencing of her lack of distance to the PAN - which is quite literal, as she is sleeping with the man who might be PAN's national president!
As for the PAN's presidential struggle, by appealing to this external institution, it is quite notable that the party is deviating from its usual cool script in that it is no longer able to solve its own internal differences. Should his opponents succeed in blocking Gil, who is the candidate of Calderón, it will surely mean that calderonismo, already on the wane within the PAN, has lost its dominance over the party definitely.
Daughter of pro-tobacco pro-AMLO Senator Yeidckol Polevnsky works for big tobacco
Yeidckol Polevnsky, from Mexico State, is among the most pro-AMLO of PRD's senators, which is hardly surprising since Polevnsky owes her current job to him: In 2005, he pushed this businesswoman with a very questionable past to be the PRD's candidate for Mexico State governor, yet even though she ended up third - even behind PAN - AMLO still forced through her candidacy to be a federal senator, despite this woman having absolutely no political experience. Amazingly, AMLO has repeatedly dropped her name as a possible candidate he will support to be governor of Mexico in 2011.
Yet a new scandal is brewing, which should surprise no one who has followed Polevnsky: She, with a handful of other legislators, recently voted against a 7-peso hike in tobacco taxes, though giving no justification. Notably, all the PT, Convergencia and PRD legislators voting against the tax were pro-AMLO.
Now, El Universal reveals that Polevnsky's daughter Shirley Almaguer Camacho holds a high position in the Mexico branch of British American Tobacco, which sells leading branches in Mexico. Would that affect her vote? Surely not, says the senator.
According to the newspaper,
1) On its face, her response is idiotic. The senator should have excused herself from any vote on this legislation due to these family ties, which she certainly did not reveal to anyone until El Universal discovered them. It is highly worrisome that senators will vote on legislation and even chair committees on issues where they are clearly partial.
2) Her answer sounds like it was mouthed by a neoliberal rightwinger rather than a senator from a party that defines itself as socialist. She votes against a tobacco tax in the name of giving business sectors more certainty? As a senator, it is her damn role to change legislation!
3) Senator Polevnsky's behavior seriously questions AMLO's judgment, as he continues promoting this legislator, who clearly has a conflict of interest and sounds more like a neoliberal rather than a progressive, as a likely candidate for governor in Mexico State in 2011. Her credibility as a leftwing, progressive senator is shattered. In the process, that of AMLO is also taking a serious hit.
Yet a new scandal is brewing, which should surprise no one who has followed Polevnsky: She, with a handful of other legislators, recently voted against a 7-peso hike in tobacco taxes, though giving no justification. Notably, all the PT, Convergencia and PRD legislators voting against the tax were pro-AMLO.
Now, El Universal reveals that Polevnsky's daughter Shirley Almaguer Camacho holds a high position in the Mexico branch of British American Tobacco, which sells leading branches in Mexico. Would that affect her vote? Surely not, says the senator.
According to the newspaper,
Senator Polevnsky denies that her rejection [of the law] is based on her daughter's position, but rather that she as former vice president of Canacintra understands the business sector: "Legal certainty - you cannot change legislation all the time. How serious would legislators be if we changed the story all the time?"
Q: "Does your daughter's position affect your positions?
A: "Absolutely not. There is no conflict of interest; their work does not influence my work. I deny this accusation"Three comments
1) On its face, her response is idiotic. The senator should have excused herself from any vote on this legislation due to these family ties, which she certainly did not reveal to anyone until El Universal discovered them. It is highly worrisome that senators will vote on legislation and even chair committees on issues where they are clearly partial.
2) Her answer sounds like it was mouthed by a neoliberal rightwinger rather than a senator from a party that defines itself as socialist. She votes against a tobacco tax in the name of giving business sectors more certainty? As a senator, it is her damn role to change legislation!
3) Senator Polevnsky's behavior seriously questions AMLO's judgment, as he continues promoting this legislator, who clearly has a conflict of interest and sounds more like a neoliberal rather than a progressive, as a likely candidate for governor in Mexico State in 2011. Her credibility as a leftwing, progressive senator is shattered. In the process, that of AMLO is also taking a serious hit.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Impeachment! PRI delivers on its threat against Jalisco Governor Emilio González Márquez
PRI finally delivered on its threat to seek impeachment against Emilio González Márquez, and filed a petition in the federal chamber of deputies to have the Jalisco governor removed from power for a range of impeachable offenses, including violating the Constitution as well as various federal and criminal laws.
The issue at hand: A social conflict regarding the Tenacatita beach in Jalisco in the municipality of La Huerta. A group of villagers were kicked off property adjacent to the beach, as the surrounding property has allegedly been sold to a company that wants to turn it into a a beach resort. The case appears to be as nasty as it sounds: The locals have been harrassed, beaten, received death threats, by both private security guards as well as local Jalisco state police backing them, in order to force them off the land they say is theirs and noone's to sell.
Federal deputies from PRI, such as David Hernández Pérez and Salvador Caro Cabrera, wants to have the governor impeached. In a seeming "nailing-Al-Capone-for-tax-fraud" maneuver, they argue the governor has blocked a federal highway that gives access to the disputed property, violating free transit, to the beach, which the Mexican Constitution establishes as a public good. While future investigations of the alcoholic governor will likely show up much worse malfeasance than this (particularly showering taxpayers' money on Catholic church ,which in Jalisco is remarkably reactionary), this one may actually well come to a fruition: Reportedly, Francisco Rojas, who is head of PRI's huge parliamentary group, is backing the petition of the Jalisco legislators.
Notably, less than two months ago, the lower house of Congress voted unamimously to demand that the Jalisco government follow recommendations by the state's Human Rights Commission) to remove police forces, unblock the road, and end its siege and allow free access to La Huerta. The governor's response? Completely ignoring it.
Should this really come to be - should governor González Márquez' arrogance finally take him down - there will be some serious celebration by your truly fueled by the finest product of Jalisco - a state that so much deserves a better government than its current foul-mouthed drunkard.
The issue at hand: A social conflict regarding the Tenacatita beach in Jalisco in the municipality of La Huerta. A group of villagers were kicked off property adjacent to the beach, as the surrounding property has allegedly been sold to a company that wants to turn it into a a beach resort. The case appears to be as nasty as it sounds: The locals have been harrassed, beaten, received death threats, by both private security guards as well as local Jalisco state police backing them, in order to force them off the land they say is theirs and noone's to sell.
Federal deputies from PRI, such as David Hernández Pérez and Salvador Caro Cabrera, wants to have the governor impeached. In a seeming "nailing-Al-Capone-for-tax-fraud" maneuver, they argue the governor has blocked a federal highway that gives access to the disputed property, violating free transit, to the beach, which the Mexican Constitution establishes as a public good. While future investigations of the alcoholic governor will likely show up much worse malfeasance than this (particularly showering taxpayers' money on Catholic church ,which in Jalisco is remarkably reactionary), this one may actually well come to a fruition: Reportedly, Francisco Rojas, who is head of PRI's huge parliamentary group, is backing the petition of the Jalisco legislators.
Notably, less than two months ago, the lower house of Congress voted unamimously to demand that the Jalisco government follow recommendations by the state's Human Rights Commission) to remove police forces, unblock the road, and end its siege and allow free access to La Huerta. The governor's response? Completely ignoring it.
Should this really come to be - should governor González Márquez' arrogance finally take him down - there will be some serious celebration by your truly fueled by the finest product of Jalisco - a state that so much deserves a better government than its current foul-mouthed drunkard.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
TEPJF rejects Veracruz election complaints, despite dirty phone talk
The Federal Electoral Tribunal (TEPJF) on Tuesday finally rejected the official complaints lodged by PAN against the July 4 gubernatorial elections in Veracruz, as well as a separate complaint by PRD-Convergencia, and thus finally validated the victory of PRI's Javier Duarte de Ochoa. The opposition parties had protested against alleged infractions such as the theft of electoral ballots, illegal diffusion of a poll, promotion of electoral propaganda outside of the allotted time period, and failure to transmit a debate between the main candidates. Yet perhaps gravest were the charges that outgoing governor had used public resources to promote Duarte and other PRI candidates. Ahead of the elections, tapes were released by PAN where Governor Fidel Herrera seemingly ordered the state apparatus to work for PRI's victory. Herrera notably responded by rejecting the tapes' authenticity, yet at the same time accusing PAN and the PGR, the attorney general's office, of illegal wiretapping.
Yet TEPJF rejected all the arguments, including those based on the tapes, as the electoral court found this apparent strong evidence to be "inadmissible" as it had been obtained illegally.
Moreover, in an echo of 2006, the court did accept the argument from PAN's Miguel Angel Yunes that the Veracruz electoral authorities had refused to accept various complaints from the candidate, such as dirty campaigns that linked Yunes to corruption and pederasty- yes, no joke! - yet the TEPJF concluded there was no evidence that this filthy "swift-boating" was linked to the ruling PRI.
It is the law, and Miguel Angel Yunes is not exactly a saint when it comes to electoral transgressions himself, yet it pains me to see that Herrera got off completely scot free with his one, handing this important state to PRI ahead of the 2012 presidential election.
Yet TEPJF rejected all the arguments, including those based on the tapes, as the electoral court found this apparent strong evidence to be "inadmissible" as it had been obtained illegally.
Moreover, in an echo of 2006, the court did accept the argument from PAN's Miguel Angel Yunes that the Veracruz electoral authorities had refused to accept various complaints from the candidate, such as dirty campaigns that linked Yunes to corruption and pederasty- yes, no joke! - yet the TEPJF concluded there was no evidence that this filthy "swift-boating" was linked to the ruling PRI.
It is the law, and Miguel Angel Yunes is not exactly a saint when it comes to electoral transgressions himself, yet it pains me to see that Herrera got off completely scot free with his one, handing this important state to PRI ahead of the 2012 presidential election.
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