Raúl Villegas, spokesperson for the Arcdiocese of León, said the municipality would be responsible for the rearrangement of beggars, prostitutes and street vendors.Yes, by all means - remove the beggars and prostitutes from the dear Pope's sight so as not to inconvenience him - just what Jesus would have done.
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Just what Jesus would have ordered
Ahead of Pope Benedict's visit to Guanajuato, Mexico:
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
IFE's Lorenzo Córdova calls for calm on opinion polls
Lorenzo Córdova Vianello, one of the nine councilors of Mexico's federal electoral institute, called for political actors - candidates, public servants - to be "responsible" in their use of public opinion polls ahead of Mexico's 2012 election, and not "contaminate" the electoral enviroment.
I think that can safely be taken as a finger pointing at Felipe Calderón, who happened to display, proud as a rooster, a poll that showed PAN's candidate trailing by only a few percentage points. No other poll - none - has showed anything remotely close to these figures.
Córdova also drew attention to the "irresponsibility" of politicians pointing to dubious and made-to-fit polls, an increasing problem in Mexico. All parties should feel this criticism sting a bit.
(On another note: Lorenzo Córdova is a man to keep in mind for future higher offices. I have been reading much of his work recently, and most of it is very brilliant stuff. I don't think being an IFE councilor - as important and prestigious as that job is - will be the zenith of his career.)
I think that can safely be taken as a finger pointing at Felipe Calderón, who happened to display, proud as a rooster, a poll that showed PAN's candidate trailing by only a few percentage points. No other poll - none - has showed anything remotely close to these figures.
Córdova also drew attention to the "irresponsibility" of politicians pointing to dubious and made-to-fit polls, an increasing problem in Mexico. All parties should feel this criticism sting a bit.
(On another note: Lorenzo Córdova is a man to keep in mind for future higher offices. I have been reading much of his work recently, and most of it is very brilliant stuff. I don't think being an IFE councilor - as important and prestigious as that job is - will be the zenith of his career.)
Monday, February 27, 2012
Mexico "drug war" affecting 52 % of municipalities
While the violence, as is often pointed out, is concentrated in a far fewer number, Mexico's attorney general office PGR stated that the 1269 municipalities, or 52 percent, have nonetheless been directly affected by the government's fight against organized crime (and their own infighting), according to today's El Universal.
For instance, in 97 percent (!) of the municipalities in Morelos, there have been deaths directly attributed to the drug "war" debacle. Michoacán, "my" state for a range of reasons, have as well as stunning 95 percent of its municipalities as having experienced drug war murders.
For instance, in 97 percent (!) of the municipalities in Morelos, there have been deaths directly attributed to the drug "war" debacle. Michoacán, "my" state for a range of reasons, have as well as stunning 95 percent of its municipalities as having experienced drug war murders.
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Calderón truly has no shame
In Mexico these days there is a veda electoral, or a ban on campaigning, ahead of the official campaign start.
Calderón and his party PAN should know better than to completely disrespect this, as well as other constitutional prohibitions of the president campaigning. Six years ago, Vicente Fox broke essentially every law in teh book and was strongly reprimanded by the courts for his interventions in the campaign. Calderón was then carried onward by an extremely dirty and dishonest campaign against AMLO.
Yet what does Calderón do? At a "private meeting" with 700 bankers, he presents the results of his own poll demonstrating that Josefina Vázquez Mota, the PAN's 2012 candidate, is allegedly only a few percentage points behind PRI's Enrique Peña Nieto and, with relish he relates, ahead of AMLO, his 2006 nemesis.
This politicking, aggravated by an extremely poor choice of timing, is really tasteless, and presents Calderón, already long criticized for his utter lack of any ability to listen to advice from others and his incessant stubborrness, as truly a little man, of no shame, and disrespectful of the presidential office as well as Mexico's democracy. It is nto worthy of a head of state.
Calderón and his party PAN should know better than to completely disrespect this, as well as other constitutional prohibitions of the president campaigning. Six years ago, Vicente Fox broke essentially every law in teh book and was strongly reprimanded by the courts for his interventions in the campaign. Calderón was then carried onward by an extremely dirty and dishonest campaign against AMLO.
Yet what does Calderón do? At a "private meeting" with 700 bankers, he presents the results of his own poll demonstrating that Josefina Vázquez Mota, the PAN's 2012 candidate, is allegedly only a few percentage points behind PRI's Enrique Peña Nieto and, with relish he relates, ahead of AMLO, his 2006 nemesis.
This politicking, aggravated by an extremely poor choice of timing, is really tasteless, and presents Calderón, already long criticized for his utter lack of any ability to listen to advice from others and his incessant stubborrness, as truly a little man, of no shame, and disrespectful of the presidential office as well as Mexico's democracy. It is nto worthy of a head of state.
Friday, February 24, 2012
The left loses Cuauhtémoc Sandoval Ramírez, 1950-2012
Former deputy, senator, and most recently secretary of migrants in the Guerrero state government, Cuauhtémoc Sandoval Ramírez, passed away recently.
The Mexican left has lost a great man. He played a very constructive role in the building of his party, the PRD, as well as in shaping legislation in both chambers of congress. I also had the pleasure of interviewing him a few years back - an extremely bright man, passionate for his causes, but also with a great sense of humor - what a great combination!
The Mexican left has lost a great man. He played a very constructive role in the building of his party, the PRD, as well as in shaping legislation in both chambers of congress. I also had the pleasure of interviewing him a few years back - an extremely bright man, passionate for his causes, but also with a great sense of humor - what a great combination!
The attacks on Mexico's electoral reform
I had the great pleasure of conducting an interview yesterday with Jorge Alcocer, who played a key role as an architect of Mexico's 2007-8 electoral reform. It was highly interesting and enlightening for many reasons, but perhaps in particular to a very current issue: The many attacks we have seen in the media recently on the electoral reform, coming particularly from commentators like Joaquín López-Dóriga, and many others.
Alcocer admitted the reform was far from perfect - and as one of its designers, he surely has his own reason to applaud it - but what I found interesting is how he argued so much of the attacks - not all, but many - are principally a product of the continued opposition of Mexico's media giants, represented by the national council for radio and television, CIRT, for the big economic losses they have faced after the reform was enacted.
To recall, no party is allowed to buy and air ads in electronic media; these are now all alloted by IFE, the federal electoral institute. Parties can't buy ads; CIRT members lose money.
He also noted that much of the criticism have been directed at the reform due to the behavior of IFE, which has indeed been very restrictive when it comes to regulating and at one point even seemingly banning candidate debates, and CIRT's people have used this to attack directly the reform - which did in no way ban this.
As if to prove Alcocer's point, the very same day President Vicente Fox again came out against attacking one product of the reform, the veda electoral or ban on campaigning until the election season officially begins. One would think that someone whose behavior and interference in Mexico's electoral processes was rebuked by Mexico's electoral tribunal in 2006 - it even jeopardized the elections, the tribunal declared in its ruling - would keep his mouth shut on such issues.
I made several interviews with IFE councilors a while ago and with these and Alcocer's insights I will hopefully put a paper out for an upcoming conference, though right noow, I am buried in work for my book. Posting will for the foreseable future therefore be rather light as a consequence.
Volveremos.
Alcocer admitted the reform was far from perfect - and as one of its designers, he surely has his own reason to applaud it - but what I found interesting is how he argued so much of the attacks - not all, but many - are principally a product of the continued opposition of Mexico's media giants, represented by the national council for radio and television, CIRT, for the big economic losses they have faced after the reform was enacted.
To recall, no party is allowed to buy and air ads in electronic media; these are now all alloted by IFE, the federal electoral institute. Parties can't buy ads; CIRT members lose money.
He also noted that much of the criticism have been directed at the reform due to the behavior of IFE, which has indeed been very restrictive when it comes to regulating and at one point even seemingly banning candidate debates, and CIRT's people have used this to attack directly the reform - which did in no way ban this.
As if to prove Alcocer's point, the very same day President Vicente Fox again came out against attacking one product of the reform, the veda electoral or ban on campaigning until the election season officially begins. One would think that someone whose behavior and interference in Mexico's electoral processes was rebuked by Mexico's electoral tribunal in 2006 - it even jeopardized the elections, the tribunal declared in its ruling - would keep his mouth shut on such issues.
I made several interviews with IFE councilors a while ago and with these and Alcocer's insights I will hopefully put a paper out for an upcoming conference, though right noow, I am buried in work for my book. Posting will for the foreseable future therefore be rather light as a consequence.
Volveremos.
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Biodiesel in Mexico, coming your way?
In Chiapas recently, Governor Juan Sabines of the PRD-run state opened the first biodieselera, or biodiesel "gas station" for cars. The fuel will be based on jatropha and palm tree oil, it appears, but also used cooking oil from restaurants as well as from rastros porcinos - pig pens! Will it smell?
In Veracruz, moreover, the state institute for bioenergy also is promoting the production of sugar cane, sweet sorghum, catrofa, palm oil and cassava to produce ethanol and biodiesel. For a great in-depth story of what may be the beginning of a wonderful adventure, see article in El Universal.
In Veracruz, moreover, the state institute for bioenergy also is promoting the production of sugar cane, sweet sorghum, catrofa, palm oil and cassava to produce ethanol and biodiesel. For a great in-depth story of what may be the beginning of a wonderful adventure, see article in El Universal.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)