Ebrard: His 2018 campaign starts this Dec. 6

Marcelo Ebrard said that his campaign for the presidency in 2018 will start on Dec. 6, 2012, the day after he steps down as mayor of Mexico City. Presidential campaigns, he noted, now tend to start six years in advance.

No cigar for guessing who taught him that.


Source:

Anuncia Ebrard próximo arranque de su campaña presidencial. Proceso Online, July 10, 2012.

Mexico 2012-5 Congress count complete, no PRI majority

The final count by IFE confirmed that PRI will not have a majority in either of the two houses of Mexico's congress, even with backing of the PVEM, it's electoral ally since 2000:

For the Chamber (500 in total, 300/200)

PRI: 207 deputies (157 Single-member districts and 50 proportional representation).

PVEM:  33 (19 SMD and 14 PR)

PAN: 114 (52 SMD, 50 PR)

PRD: 101 (57 SMD, 44 PR)

PT: 19

MC: 16

For the Senate:

PRI: 51
PAN: 38
PRD: 22
PVEM: 9
PT: 4
MC: 2
PANAL: 1



Source:
Congreso no tendrá mayorías. El Universal, July 10, 2012.
Atlas Electoral. Eluniversal.com.mx.

How Calderón destroyed PAN

A very recommended read from sinembargo.mx and Alejandro Páez Varela on the stunning collapse of PAN on Calderón's watch, playfully entitled "It's Calderón, stupid."

He reminds us what he did:

Fue Felipe Calderón el que hizo funcionarios de primer nivel del PAN a dos incondicionales que son una bofetada para la mayoría de los ciudadanos: Juan Molinar Horcasitas y Cecilia Romero...
Fue Felipe Calderón el que dio larga vida a Elba Esther Gordillo (y a otros líderes sindicales corruptos) y le permitió transitar sin dificultad hasta un siguiente sexenio, en el que ha comprado, otra vez, impunida...
Fue Felipe Calderón el que dio larga vida a Elba Esther Gordillo (y a otros líderes sindicales corruptos) y le permitió transitar sin dificultad hasta un siguiente sexenio, en el que ha comprado, otra vez, impunida...
Fue Felipe Calderón el que convirtió en la voz del PAN a un golpeador repugnante como Javier Lozano; el que entregó a sus amigos de pachanga la imagen del país y del mismo partido; fue Calderón el que ordenó expulsar a las voces disidentes (en un partido fundado por el pensamiento disidente) y fue Calderón el que lo puso, en 2012, en manos de ineptos pero muy compadres.

In short, Calderón, in complete control of PAN with his wife Margarita Zavala since 2006, bear the brunt of blame for PAN's destruction. Don't expect Calderón to express even the slightest hint of self-criticism: He has not once did this since July 2, 2006 - why start now?

Source:
Alejandro Páez Varela: Es Calderón, estúpidos. Sinembargo.mx, July 9, 2012.

Teleprompter interview? Fareed Zakaria and Peña Nieto

Fareed Zakaria on his GPS program interviewed Enrique Peña Nieto on his drug war strategy, and the virtual president-elect takes the oddest pauses in the middle of his arguments. I've seen plenty of simultaneous-translation interviews with Zakaria and none has looked like this one.

See the interview on YouTube (after 0.59 secs) at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=VQWrWXN0A5g#

Source: Genera polémica en redes sociales la entrevista de EPN con CNN. Proceso Online, July 9, 2012.

Even PAN does not rule out election annulment

New and unexpected tones from Gustavo Madero:

la legitimidad no le alcanza... Los cuestionamientos que surgen en torno a esta elección son muchos

The PAN leader did not say that the evidence PRD and PAN has gathered is enough to demand the 2012 election's annulment, but pointedly did not rule it out. This marks a rather sharp turn away from PAN's immediate reaction to lament irregularities, but then essentially signal it would accept the results regardless.

Source:
“Legitimidad no le alcanza” a Peña Nieto, dice Gustavo Madero. Proceso Online, July 8, 2012.
“Los cuestionamientos que surgen en torno a esta elección son muchos.” Milenio, July 8, 2012.

Castro follows tradition by congratulating Enrique Peña Nieto

Cuban dictator Raúl Castro follows in the tradition - and office - he inherited from brother Fidel:

After the 1988 election, despite widespread and well-documented fraud accusations, Carlos Salinas received congratulatory calls from a few leaders who didn't want to bother awaiting the official certification of the election (after any and all complaints have been dealt with): From Ronald Reagan, and from Cuba's Fidel Castro.

Now, Enrique Peña Nieto has received quite a few more, even though AMLO has announced he will impugn the election, and PRI's victorywill then not be official - and Enrique Peña Nieto the president-elect - until early September. Among the first calls he received was from Barack Obama - and Raúl Castro.

Source:
Mandatarios felicitan a Peña Nieto. El Universal, July 7, 2012.

Trotsky's grandson

Esteban Volkov, Trotsky's grandson and the only living witness to his murder, is 86 years old and still going strong. A recent interview with Volkov in El País, is well worth reading, and not just for the fascinating personal context: There's also a note on current politics:

Volkov likes to be informed, read newspapers and surf the Internet. He applauds the indignados movement, "a raising of the youth's awareness about an archaic system."

(I also just happened to get hold of Salazar's "Murder in Mexico" and Dugrand's "Trotsky in Mexico," from an Irish bookstore of all places - great summer reading!)

Source:  Esteban Volkov, nieto de León Trotski: “Sin memoria no hay futuro”. El País, July 8, 2012.