As expected, Zambrano-Padierna already in each other's throat.

Jesús Zambrano, PRD's new president: The vote will be held (on a PRD-PAN alliance in Mexico State)
Dolores Padierna, PRD's new secretary general: nobody wants to hold the poll, and it should be canceled.
While Zambrano and Padierna do represent factions that, respectively, back and oppose the poll, one might point out that the PRD's natioanal council voted with a large majority to hold it. Yet the day Padierna and her IDN faction actually respects internal party votes they lose... well, that'll be the day.


One last stab from Padierna that signals how the relationship between the two will be, as well as demonstrating Padierna's (utter lack of) logic:

"Today is our first day of work. He [Zambrano] went to his first meeting with [PAN president] Gustavo Madero (president of the PAN); my first meeting was with Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas. In this we note in the end what we want for the party."

One sign the economic crisis is waning....mas Tequila!

Mexican tequila exports went up 13 percent last year when compared to 2009. One hundred and fifty-three liters are sold abroad, to be exact, and 70 percent of this goes to the United States...

Todos debemos creer en algo, yo creo que me echo otro tequila. 

Mexico State poll numbers: Pro-alliance forces rising

47.6 percent of Mexico State residents who are not close to PRI, said they would support a PRD-PAN alliance. This is up from 41 percent two weeks ago.

Note that the poll was done, though, by the Gabinete de Comunicación Estratégica, an oufit the PAN and PRD most recently have accused of making propaganda, through call centers, against the alliance, and earlier of deflating the true level of pro-alliance support. We will presumably find out this Sunday, when the poll will be held.

Church to PRD: Stop lawsuits, then we'll talk.

You really do get much further with a smile and a gun than with a smile alone, as Al Capone noted.
The PRD, after a series of vicious political attacks from the Catholic Church, finally launched a series of lawsuits, which clearly has worried the church. The most recent sign: Armando Martínez Gómez, legal representative of Cardinal Norberto Rivera (and, I assume, Hugo Valdemar, whom IFE recently found to have broken the law), said the church would be willing to talk with the PRD, but only if the party drops its lawsuits.

PRD's new national president, Jesús Zambrano, said he was willing to talk with Cardinal Rivera, but that the PRD would not retract the suits. Given the escalation of the church's rhetoric the past years - calling PRD fascists, an enemy of the faith, etc - PRD's conclusion seem to be that with the catholic high clergy, you do not get very far with a smile alone.

Amalia García off the hook, for now

Former governor of Zacatecas, Amalia García Medina, has for months been under investigation for the "diversion of resources" during her government. Now, however, the 23rd Circuit Court (Zacatecas) suspended this process, blocking the Zacatecas State Comptroller's proceedings against her, and thus reversing an earlier decision by the 2nd District Court (Federal District). That means that for now, García is off the hook.

Alfredo del Mazo officially wants to be governor in Mexico State

I've long regarded Alfredo del Mazo as the most likely anointed candidate to succeed Enrique Peña Nieto as governor of Mexico State, not the least because he is virtually Peña Nieto's Doppelgänger.

Now, from del Mazo's mouth:

"Today I am telling all residents of Mexico State that I do want to be governor. I have a conviction of vocation of service; I have lived it at my own home: both my father and my grandfather worked for the state and helped it grow."

I would be expecting the proclamation of del Mazo's "unity candidacy" any time now.

Two of the most embarrassing photos I can ever remember in Mexico

First, Juanito in the pathetic charade orchestrated by AMLO in 2009 to put the former street vendor-boxer-porn actor-etc etc as a token candidate running against the official PRD candidate:

From Milenio

Yet now, an even more embarrassing photo, also courtesy of Milenio: 

To recall, Juanito a while back declared that he would now become priísta. Who on earth, however, managed to convince new PRD President Humberto Moreira that posing for a photo with Juanito in 2011 would  be a good idea?