Senator Rosario Ibarra sent a formal letter to Mexico's new attorney general, Marisela Morales Ibáñez, demanding that former president Luis Echeverría Álvare be called in to testify in regards to the disappearance of her son Jesús Piedra Ibarra, 36 years ago.
While Echeverría was earlier tried for his role as interior minister during the Tlatelolco massacre, he was acquitted. Yet as Ibarra argues, there are no statutes of limitation on the forced disappearances of people, and that Echeverría, who was president 1970-76 and eventually ran the economy into the ditch, can thus be tried for crimes against humanity.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Napoleón Gómez Urrutia of Los Mineros - now a human rights hero?
Napoleón Gómez Urrutia, nominally the head of the SNTMMSRM miners union, is living in exile in Canada. On Monday, he was awarded the Meany-Kirkland human rights prize, given annually.
Notably, however, Gómez Urrutia is living in exile because he is charged with embezzlement of 55 million dollars, and new and dissident miner unions have been formed.
For ALC-CIO's reasoning, click here. Some highlights:
Notably, however, Gómez Urrutia is living in exile because he is charged with embezzlement of 55 million dollars, and new and dissident miner unions have been formed.
For ALC-CIO's reasoning, click here. Some highlights:
"His activism quickly incurred the wrath of the Mexican government and major mining companies. In February 2006, the government struck back, withdrawing legal recognition of Gómez’s election as the leader of the union, but Gómez continued undeterred. When a February 19, 2006, explosion at Grupo Mexico’s Pasta de Conchos mine killed 65 mineworkers, Gómez publicly accused the government of 'industrial homicide.' In response to this criticism, the government accelerated its attack by filingcriminal charges against Gómez and other union leaders... In the face of this campaign of repression, Gómez took the difficult decision to leave Mexico and go to Vancouver, Canada. From there he has waged a five-year effort to win justice for his union and for all democratic unions in Mexico...For his courageous commitment to defend the aspirations of Mexican workers to higher living standards, to democratize labor unions, to promote rule of law and a better future for their country, the AFL-CIO is pleased to nominate Napoleón Gómez Urrutia...I am confident that a lot of miners, including ex-workers and associates of Gómez Urrutia's own union, will take great issue with this interpretation of events.
PRD claims Calderón's visit to John Paul II's beatification violates constitution
The PRD objects to Calderón's upcoming visit to the Vatican:
According to party president Jesús Zambrano, Calderón "can not attend a religious ceremony of this kind nor should he do it, because the Mexican government is obliged to treat religious associations all equally from the perspective of fairness."
PRD congresswoman Leticia Quezada also noted pointedly that by attending, "Calderón overlooks the ominous scandal that involved one of the leading representatives of the Catholic Church in Mexico, Marcial Maciel, and yet still decided to attend the ceremony."
If the constitutional argument doesn't work on Calderón, perhaps one should indeed remind him that he as in addition attending a ceremony that beatifies the protector of this and other pederasts.
According to party president Jesús Zambrano, Calderón "can not attend a religious ceremony of this kind nor should he do it, because the Mexican government is obliged to treat religious associations all equally from the perspective of fairness."
PRD congresswoman Leticia Quezada also noted pointedly that by attending, "Calderón overlooks the ominous scandal that involved one of the leading representatives of the Catholic Church in Mexico, Marcial Maciel, and yet still decided to attend the ceremony."
If the constitutional argument doesn't work on Calderón, perhaps one should indeed remind him that he as in addition attending a ceremony that beatifies the protector of this and other pederasts.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
One billion pesos' worth of "irregularities" in one year: Ulises Ruiz audit
In just the last year of Ulises Ruiz's disastrous administration in Oaxaca, the state comptroller has found more than a billion pesos of "anomalies" and "irregularities," indicating a strong likelihood of government corruption and embezzlement. The audit continues for the entirety of Ruiz's government, but to repeat: One billion pesos in just 2010 alone.
Quite likely, given the determination of Governor Gabino Cué, some former state officials and administrators will end up behind the bars. Will Cué have the strength to go after Ruiz himself?
Quite likely, given the determination of Governor Gabino Cué, some former state officials and administrators will end up behind the bars. Will Cué have the strength to go after Ruiz himself?
Monday, April 18, 2011
The gloves are off
From Alonso Lujambio, sec. of education, responding to PRI leader Humberto Moreira, and not exactly holding back here:
"I'm tired of listening to the PRI say they know how to govern. They blew up the economy of family households with the 'Error of December' in 1994, they blew up the economy of family households when they allowed a delirious runaway inflation in the 1980s; they cried, Jose Lopez Portillo cried in Congress because he didn't know how to rule... what better proof do we have that they do not know how to govern the country? In 1976 [PRI] again blew up the family economy with the devaluation, and in 1968 they killed students. Who is that knows how to govern?
On legalization of drugs: Quotes of the day from Mario Vargas Llosa
Mario Vargas Llosa, Nobel Prize in literature and a public intellectual within and far beyond his native Peru (and far more sensical than his offspring, Álvaro, more interested in provoking than serious argumentation), comes of strongly in favor of the legalization of drugs
"There is no other way. It is difficult and risky, but I think that repression leads to what we are seeing: an increase in production.
And on the war on drugs:
"I thank that the path we are currently on, it is going to lead to that all of Latin America will be what Mexico is today."
"There is no other way. It is difficult and risky, but I think that repression leads to what we are seeing: an increase in production.
And on the war on drugs:
"I thank that the path we are currently on, it is going to lead to that all of Latin America will be what Mexico is today."
An act of apparent political vengeance: PAN loses party registry in Guerrero
In the state of Guerrero, where PAN in last year's gubernatorial election the end declined for winning PRD candidate Ángel Aguirre Rivero, the state's electoral institute, Instituto Electoral del Estado de Guerrero (IEEG), has canceled PAN's party registry in the state as well as the payment of public funds to the party.
The reason? According to IEEG, is is simply because the PAN, quite likely due to declining for the PRD, only achieved 2.5 percent of the vote in the state.
PAN, however, accuse the IEEG of "political vengeance" given PAN's support of the PRD. It is not hard to see the point: While the 2.5-percent rule is certainly valid, PAN does, however, remain a national party, and the minimum-support stipulation arguably then does not apply.
The reason? According to IEEG, is is simply because the PAN, quite likely due to declining for the PRD, only achieved 2.5 percent of the vote in the state.
PAN, however, accuse the IEEG of "political vengeance" given PAN's support of the PRD. It is not hard to see the point: While the 2.5-percent rule is certainly valid, PAN does, however, remain a national party, and the minimum-support stipulation arguably then does not apply.
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