No condom for you!

Mayor Alejandro Higuera Osuna (PAN) of Mazatlán has with amazing speed and vigor halted the handing-out of free condoms by gay organizations during upcoming carnival festivities.

The reason? Why of course, because handing out condoms "undermine morality," mind you.
To be precise: We're not talking of any government-funded condoms, but the mayor wants to ban organizations from handing out their own condoms.

Why not ban their sale altogether? I bet mayor Higuera would if he could. Nothing says "morality" like sabotaging efforts at people having safe sex.

Exactly where is "La Chingada"?

It caused a bit of kerfuffle a couple of days ago when AMLO was caught on tape, in what was a private, closed meeting with business sectors, stating that unless he wins in 2006, ahora sí a la chingada, loosely and mildly translated perhaps as "then I will get the hell out of here." Unwisely, he first denied to reporters he had said this, until confronted with it on tape, which only made it seem bigger than it really is.

What's the big deal? To Joaquín López-Dóriga, he was merely referring to a family estate in Palenque, Chiapas, actually called "La Chingada," believe it or not.

As Ciro Gómez Leyva noted, more important is the other line that AMLO said:
"I have more experience now than before. I have less vigor, though, because I'm tired."

In short, it truly is this time, or never. No 2018. I see nothing wrong in stating this, quite the contrary.
Who would not be tired after what AMLO has done, visiting every single municipality in the country twice or so, constantly holding meetings, for six years straight?

Don't trust the polls

It's a topic that has gotten some traction recently, but it warrants even more: Polls in Mexico are unfortunately often very unreliable, and purposely so: Rather than to present a snapshot of public opinion, the figures are "massaged" to present one candidate or party in a good (or bad) light. Pollsters - not all, but many - are unfortunately for sale.

Yes, some candidates take it too far, questioning any and all polls and refuse to rectify a failing strategy (think AMLO 2006). But many have a reason to do so, and perhaps AMLO more than many others these days:

Francisco Abundis, head of Parametría, warned that parties will try to use any data the coming weeks in particular to suggest that that the presidential contest is getting narrower, and that AMLO is not growing in the polls. The step is then very short to specifically ask polling companies for "results" - give us something that backs however we want things to be.

Abundis' advice strikes me as very sound: Take polls with more than a pinch of salt, and look for patterns across various polls and across companies, and over time.

Mexican church again at war with the left - and the law

Mexico's church is not allowed to call for a vote in favor - or against - parties and political candidates, nor to interfere in politics. It may sound oppressive and intolerant for an outsider, but this is a church that after all, as an institution,

1) fought against independence
2) betrayed Mexico by favoring French intervention in the 19th century
3) virulently fought against the revolution
4) sponsored a religious uprising in the 1920s
5) has often failed to respect loyalty to the state and its insitutions

Etc, etc.

Now the church openly calls for Mexicans to vote in favor of parties that oppose gay marriage and women's reproductive rights.

Norberto Rivera Carrera, Mexico's cardinal - a man who should be locked up in prison not only for his failure to act against child raping priests, but specifically for his active sabotage of the investigations of these hideous crimes and his cover-up and protection of those responsible - has the following to declare:

it is not possible to make a political option those who are supporters or promoters of false rights and freedoms which threaten the teachings of the scripture, tradition and doctrine of the Church.

In one way, it is at least an improvement: At least they didn't declare, "God free us from a fascist party like the PRD" as they did last time.

Best comment yet on Paredes' Mexico City mayor bid

From La Jornada:

"As president of PRI, I backed Ulises Ruiz and [Mario Marín], and I made deals with PAN against the rights of women.

Ah! But now if you give me your vote, I will govern as if I were of the left."

This is how a narco church looks like

Pictures from El Universal, from the church in Tezontle, Hidalgo, where Zeta leader Heriberto Lazcano Lazcano is kindly acknowledged as its donor:





More pictures here, and the story on how the locals celebrate Lazcano in Hidalgo

Is PRI trying to kill its cadres?

Recent events may make one wonder.

It is quite common that PAN, PRD, and PRI - and all the other minor parties - offer meals for people who "show up" at their campaign rallies.

What is thankfully not so common is that the food is of so poor quality and dangerous to your health that it threatens to kill scores of your followers:

- In Chilapa, Guerrero, close to 800 (!) people got intoxicated at a PRI rally eating tainted egg tacos
- Then, in Zinacantepec, Mexico State, 150 people got sick (50 needed hospitalization) after eating food provided by the PRI mayor of Valle de Bravo.

Two such incidents in just one week, from the same party?