Citizens of Chiapas had the opportunity the past days to hand in their weapons in return for laptops, and military and state authorities received a total of 871 firearms the past couple of days.
Part of a drive to reduce the number of weapons in the state, the guns were destroyed in a public ceremony attended by Governor Juan Sabines and a military commander.
What a wonderful idea.
Showing posts with label Juan Sabines. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Juan Sabines. Show all posts
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Is Juan Sabines a dark-horse PAN-PRD candidate for 2012?
Yesterday, Felipe Calderón went to the pro-business Council of the Americas yesterday, where he received the Gold Insigne award, its highest distinction.
Who accompanied him? His wife, his secretary of tourism - and Juan Sabines.
Juan Sabines, the governor of Chiapas, continues to baffle me. He is greatly criticized by many social organizations on the left, and has a rocky relationship with the party that had him elected (PRD), though he continues to rake in on a range of international awards for poverty fighting and environmental protection.
(he broke with his party in 2006 to immediately recognize Calderón's July 2 electoral victory)
In particular his backing of the UN's flagship emissions reduction/forest preservation program has attracted lots of attention internationally. I confess I still am withholding judgment on Sabines' government, as I am simply not familiar enough with them, and have not yet fully heard the other side.
But I have noted that mainstream Mexican newspapers have the last months continuously printed the press releases of the Chiapas government as if they were "news" stories - in particular Milenio, but notably also La Jornada. Their decision I think can be ascribed to, well, at times failing judgment on part of some copy editors. But for his part, Sabines is making a tremendous effort, albeit low level, to spread the achievements, real or not, of the Chiapas state government.
Sabines' term as governor is set to expire in 2012. I wonder if he has any higher ambitions, and even more if he has any friends in high places.
Who accompanied him? His wife, his secretary of tourism - and Juan Sabines.
Juan Sabines, the governor of Chiapas, continues to baffle me. He is greatly criticized by many social organizations on the left, and has a rocky relationship with the party that had him elected (PRD), though he continues to rake in on a range of international awards for poverty fighting and environmental protection.
(he broke with his party in 2006 to immediately recognize Calderón's July 2 electoral victory)
In particular his backing of the UN's flagship emissions reduction/forest preservation program has attracted lots of attention internationally. I confess I still am withholding judgment on Sabines' government, as I am simply not familiar enough with them, and have not yet fully heard the other side.
But I have noted that mainstream Mexican newspapers have the last months continuously printed the press releases of the Chiapas government as if they were "news" stories - in particular Milenio, but notably also La Jornada. Their decision I think can be ascribed to, well, at times failing judgment on part of some copy editors. But for his part, Sabines is making a tremendous effort, albeit low level, to spread the achievements, real or not, of the Chiapas state government.
Sabines' term as governor is set to expire in 2012. I wonder if he has any higher ambitions, and even more if he has any friends in high places.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Pablo Salazar, a Mexican Mandela?
With virtually no one leaping to his defense, former governor (2000-2006) Pablo Salazar Mendiguchí declared he would launch a hunger strike, and leave prison either dead or freed of charges, in response to his arrest on corruption and embezzlement charges.
Not only that: His choice of reading material in prison, according to his attorney, was Nelson Mandela's autobiography.
Now that's a bit rich, señor gobernador.
Worth reading is also Carlos Loret de Mola´s column, which suggests that Los Pinos was well informed of the alleged "danger" of Salazar to current Governor Juan Sabines, in a letter attributed to Sabines himself, who, to recall, was Salazar´s one-time protégé.
Not only that: His choice of reading material in prison, according to his attorney, was Nelson Mandela's autobiography.
Now that's a bit rich, señor gobernador.
Worth reading is also Carlos Loret de Mola´s column, which suggests that Los Pinos was well informed of the alleged "danger" of Salazar to current Governor Juan Sabines, in a letter attributed to Sabines himself, who, to recall, was Salazar´s one-time protégé.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Ex Governor Pablo Salazar of Chiapas arrested
Ex governors are not arrested everyday in Mexico - though quite a few are prime candidates for being thrown behind bars - so the arrest of former Chiapas governor Pablo Salazar Mendiguchí (2000-2006) is quite a big deal.
A comparison with the recent arrest of Jorge Hank Rhon is inevitable, though it must be noted that Salazar was arrested in the Cancún airport on orders of the Chiapas government, not the federal authorities. He is accused, among other things, of embezzlement and the abuse of authority, and several civil lawsuits are apparently also pending.
His attorney general, Mariano Herrán, was arrested in January 2009, and Salazar has now joined him in the El Amate prison, where both are now held.
Just like in the case of Hank Rhon one may ask, why now? Clearly the arrest of Salazar marks the definitive break with the current governor, Juan Sabines. Like Sabines, Salazar was a PRI member until he ditched the party to become an alliance candidate for a very wide coalition of parties - every single one, in fact, except from the PRI - that managed to kick out the PRI in 2000 in Chiapas
(the very same thing happened with Sabines; after losing the PRI nomination he was recruited by the PRD, though quickly broke with the party).
What is certainly clear the timing was right, with attention focused on Hank; likely there is as well much more here the eye, as last Friday, Salazar denounced in an interview a break in in his office where armed men apparently stole 50,000 flyers he had planned to hand out to defend himself.
Much dirty laundry remains to be aired.
A comparison with the recent arrest of Jorge Hank Rhon is inevitable, though it must be noted that Salazar was arrested in the Cancún airport on orders of the Chiapas government, not the federal authorities. He is accused, among other things, of embezzlement and the abuse of authority, and several civil lawsuits are apparently also pending.
His attorney general, Mariano Herrán, was arrested in January 2009, and Salazar has now joined him in the El Amate prison, where both are now held.
Just like in the case of Hank Rhon one may ask, why now? Clearly the arrest of Salazar marks the definitive break with the current governor, Juan Sabines. Like Sabines, Salazar was a PRI member until he ditched the party to become an alliance candidate for a very wide coalition of parties - every single one, in fact, except from the PRI - that managed to kick out the PRI in 2000 in Chiapas
(the very same thing happened with Sabines; after losing the PRI nomination he was recruited by the PRD, though quickly broke with the party).
What is certainly clear the timing was right, with attention focused on Hank; likely there is as well much more here the eye, as last Friday, Salazar denounced in an interview a break in in his office where armed men apparently stole 50,000 flyers he had planned to hand out to defend himself.
Much dirty laundry remains to be aired.
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