Who is the liar: Josefina Vázquez Mota, or Luis Carlos Ugalde?

An odd spat that I don't quite know what to make of: Josefina Vázquez Mota, PAN front runner and coordinator of Felipe Calderón's 2006 campaign, said that Luis Carlos Ugalde, then head of the Federal Electoral Institute, called her to tell her that Calderón was ahead - this before his 11 pm "too close to call" speech.

Ugalde has responded very publicly, accusing Vázquez Mota of lying: He never called her or anyone.

What's behind this spat? Why did Vázquez Mota bring it up, and why is Ugalde taking such a strong public stance?

Emilio González Márquez finally steps down as PAN 2012 contender

The alcoholic, foul-mouthed, ultra-conservative governor of Jalisco, Emilio González Márquez (he of the "go fuck your mothers") finally threw the towel, leaving "only" three main contenders for PAN's 2012 nomination. 

His candidacy in a very loose sense reminded me of Michele Bachmann in the U.S.: Just like is only a question of time before she stands down, González Márquez's declination was really the chronicle of a declination foretold. 

A quick side note: Ciro Gómez Leyva calls his candidacy a "joke," which it truly was. However, I remember very well reading a column just a couple of months ago where the same and increasingly self-absorbed columnist made an argument along the "you better take him seriously" lines, which I found wholly unconvincing then. Quite amazing that he has already forgotten this, if indeed he has.

Peña Nieto's number magic on murder rates in Mexico State

A most recommended read from The Economist's The Americas blog: The governor's miraculous achievement. The title, regarding Peña Nieto's supposed achievements in drastically reducing the murder rates in Mexico City, is more than suggestive: Miracles just ain't what they seem.

This year Enrique Peña Nieto, the outgoing governor of Mexico state and the early front-runner in next year’s presidential election, used his September 5th informe to mark the unofficial launch of his presidential bid. Prominent in his address was the stunning claim that the murder rate in Mexico state had fallen by more than half during his six-year term... The claim is absolutely false.

Read original here.

Ex collaborators of Ulises Ruiz' government wanted by Interpol

If this is not a damning indictment of your government, I don't know what is: Interpol is instructing its organization (in 188 countries) to apprehend five former members five members of Ulises Ruiz' disastrous government in Oaxaca.

International warrants against your close collaborators - when are they finally going after Ruiz? Unfortunately, not very soon, it seems.

Narco Soliz Soliz : Last year, a candidate for Green Party federal deputy!

This is quite amazing: Last year, Saúl Solís Solís / Saúl Soliz Soliz, who was just arrested as an important figure within the Caballeros Templarios drug trafficking organization, was a candidate to be... a federal deputy!

While Solís Solís lost the vote, he was the candidate of the PVEM Green party, and here is his campaign video.

The new PRI: Efrén Leyva Acevedo in Guerrero

Efrén Leyva Acevedo is head of PRI in the state of Guerrero. It was just revealed how he falsely used the names of 20-odd mayors, deputies and senators - including the name of one who died in 2010 - by pretending they had "signed" and assented to press release where Leyva Acevedo accused the state government of Ángel Aguirre Rivero of being behind the recent murder of a PRI federal deputy.

Lying, faking signatures - so much for the "new" PRI.

The other PRI contender: Manlio Fabio Beltrones

Manlio Fabio Beltrones have not given up on his presidential ambitions, and Milenio has a good article on his circle of allies and advisers here.