Egidio Torre Cantú, who took over as PRI candidate for governor in Tamaulipas when his brother Rodolfo Torre Cantú was murdered, also assumed as governor today - a whopping six months after the election.
During his election campaign, before his murder, Rodolfo had promised to provide a range of new ambulances to various municipalities in Tamaulipas, and Egidio made this a key event of his assumption, displaying on huge screens a caravan of 42 brand new units.
New ambulances - all well and good, to be sure, but did the actual ambulances really have to be painted in the far from subtle PRI colors?
In Mexico, I was early bemused over how one can quite easily tell the political party in power in each state due to the design of car license plates, who almost invariably are designed in the colors of the respective parties holding power. But really, did Egidio Torre Cantú really need to politicize even ambulances?
Sunday, January 2, 2011
The face of the "New PRI"? Guerrero gubernatorial campaign turns ever uglier
Cars and trucks circulating, many without license plates, filled with youngsters paid to create havoc: In Guerrero, ahead of the gubernatorial election this month, this is sadly the face of the state PRI chapter and/or the campaign of PRI candidate Manuel Añorve Baños, which has seemingly paid thugs to tear down and rob election material - posters, banners, etc - belonging to the candidate of the left coalition, Ángel Aguirre Rivero. The PRD-PT-Convergencia coalition is also accusing the Añorve campaign of exceeding campaign spending limits, including contracting helicopters, and of having a massive media presence.
Quite likely, current governor Zeferino Torreblanca, while elected on a PRD platform, is doing all he can, legally and not, to back Añorve, given Torreblanca's highly public and bitter break with the PRD when the party refused to allow him to appoint the party's candidate to succeed him.
Things are heating up in Guerrero ahead of the Jan. 30 elections - the first ones in 2011. While opinions polls are well guarded, Añorve and Aguirre appear to be quite tied, with Aguirre slightly ahead.
Quite likely, current governor Zeferino Torreblanca, while elected on a PRD platform, is doing all he can, legally and not, to back Añorve, given Torreblanca's highly public and bitter break with the PRD when the party refused to allow him to appoint the party's candidate to succeed him.
Things are heating up in Guerrero ahead of the Jan. 30 elections - the first ones in 2011. While opinions polls are well guarded, Añorve and Aguirre appear to be quite tied, with Aguirre slightly ahead.
A historic day in Sinaloa: Malova assumes as governor on the first day of 2011
It's a historic day in Sinaloa: 82 decades of PRI hegemony ended today with the assumption of Mario López Valdez, better known as "Malova," as governor.
True, and lest we forget Malova is an ex-priìsta who remains close to PRI´s 2000 presidential candidate, Francisco Labastida, a fellow sinaloense, but his assumption of power nonetheless represents a significant break with the old PRI structures that have maintained control of the state since 1929. This was only possible due to a very broad opposition alliance led by PAN and the PRD.
Here´s a useful interview El Universal made with Malova a couple of days back.
True, and lest we forget Malova is an ex-priìsta who remains close to PRI´s 2000 presidential candidate, Francisco Labastida, a fellow sinaloense, but his assumption of power nonetheless represents a significant break with the old PRI structures that have maintained control of the state since 1929. This was only possible due to a very broad opposition alliance led by PAN and the PRD.
Here´s a useful interview El Universal made with Malova a couple of days back.
AMLO´s candidate in Mexico State made up holocaust story
AMLO's choice as his candidate for governor in Mexico State, Yeidckol Polevnsky, has been criticized for a range of reasons, most obviously that she lost badly in her previous attempt (2005) and has minuscule chances of winning in 2011, but also for the reason that as federal senator, she has been very far from a champion of left causes, and has moreover displayed a range of what can only be described as personal failings. It was early revealed that Polevnsky had changed her name and lied about her family lineage, which still remains highly opaque to put it lightly, yet now a further v detail has come to light:
Luis Sánchez Jiménez, the leader of PRD in Mexico State and a former national deputy and mayor of Neza, claims that Polevnsky, in seeking to ingratiate herself with Mexico's Jewish community, made up a story that her grandparents died in the Holocaust.
I find there are few reasons to doubt this story; Sánchez Jiménez is, to use a quaint label, a most honorable man who enjoys great respect both within and outside the PRD, who, unlike Polevnsky and for that matter AMLO himself has an impeccable political trajectory within the political left.
(Let's not forget that AMLO remained a priísta during Mexico's fateful 1988 presidential election, only to later be convinced by Cuahutémoc Cárdenas to join what would become the PRD).
Yet to the leader of Mexico State's PRD chapter, enough is enough: The party is fed up with AMLO's attempt to force upon it Polevnsky as its candidate for governor. The recent revelation, as numerous others, further does not speak well of AMLO's judgment in his choice of Polevnsky as his anointed candidate.
Luis Sánchez Jiménez, the leader of PRD in Mexico State and a former national deputy and mayor of Neza, claims that Polevnsky, in seeking to ingratiate herself with Mexico's Jewish community, made up a story that her grandparents died in the Holocaust.
I find there are few reasons to doubt this story; Sánchez Jiménez is, to use a quaint label, a most honorable man who enjoys great respect both within and outside the PRD, who, unlike Polevnsky and for that matter AMLO himself has an impeccable political trajectory within the political left.
(Let's not forget that AMLO remained a priísta during Mexico's fateful 1988 presidential election, only to later be convinced by Cuahutémoc Cárdenas to join what would become the PRD).
Yet to the leader of Mexico State's PRD chapter, enough is enough: The party is fed up with AMLO's attempt to force upon it Polevnsky as its candidate for governor. The recent revelation, as numerous others, further does not speak well of AMLO's judgment in his choice of Polevnsky as his anointed candidate.
Friday, December 31, 2010
Carlos Salinas new political activism continues: Now in Yucatán
The "return" of Carlos Salinas to active politics in Mexico has long been heralded - following AMLO, Salinas is the mover behind every one of Mexico´s ills - yet the claim appears increasingly justified. Not only did he issue yet-another book seeking to varnish his tattered presidency; according to Milenio, his recent visit to Yucatán, where he met with his admirer, PRI Governor Ivonne Ortega Pacheco, had as its further purpose to entice Ortega Pacheco to be Humberto Moreira´s running mate for the PRI presidency, as secretary general.
It makes perfect sense: Ortega Pacheco is in many ways the female equivalent of the Mexico State governor; like Peña Nieto, she has spent an exorbitant amount on the media promotion of her image; like Peña Nieto, she has also used her majority in the local state congress to steamroll a range of legislative initiative, ignoring input from the opposition. The most recent example of this happened just days ago, when the congress approved, in relation with the state budget, a whopping 217 articles in 48 hours.
It makes perfect sense: Ortega Pacheco is in many ways the female equivalent of the Mexico State governor; like Peña Nieto, she has spent an exorbitant amount on the media promotion of her image; like Peña Nieto, she has also used her majority in the local state congress to steamroll a range of legislative initiative, ignoring input from the opposition. The most recent example of this happened just days ago, when the congress approved, in relation with the state budget, a whopping 217 articles in 48 hours.
Tlaxcala approves Law for the Protection of Migrants
Kudos to the state congress of Tlaxcala, which unanimously approved a law designed to protect migrants, both those leaving Tlaxcala for the United States, as well as those of other nationalities passing through or residing in Tlaxcala. Small it may be yet nonteheless a significant step forward for the protection of migrants human rights. The congress called upon incoming PRI governor Mariano González Zarur not to leave the law a "dead letter" in his sexenio.
For 2011: Prriority for the PRD's deputies to "defend IFE's autonomy"
The PRD, in outlining its legislative priorities for 2011, put "defend IFE's autonomy" high on its list. The party is accusing the PRI of trying to grab control of the Federal Electoral Institute through the nominations to the vacant positions as IFE councilors: PRI is seeking to name two of the three councilors, leaving one for PAN and none for the PRD. This is a highly serious omen: Keep in mind that PAN and the PRI's steamrolling of earlier IFE appointments and leaving out the PRD was a key ingredient in the 2006 "perfect storm," where the party had less than full confidence in the autonomy of the IFE going into that year's presidential election for the simple reason that PAN and PRI had irresponsibly left the PRD out of the negotiations.
Should PRI, through temporary legislative alliances, be left with two more IFE councilors... expect 2006 to be repeated as farce in 2012.
Should PRI, through temporary legislative alliances, be left with two more IFE councilors... expect 2006 to be repeated as farce in 2012.
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