Cowardice in Michocán religious conflict

There seems to be no end to the cowardice, incompetence, and partiality of the PRI government of Michoacán. Nominally lead by Governor Fausto Vallejo Figueroa but given his rapidly deteriorating health (rumors of his coming death are likely not exaggerated) in practice in the hands of secretary Jesús Reyna García, the government is doing the bare minimum to avoid violating the federal constitution while not touching a hair on the head of the Taliban-like cult psychopaths of Nueva Jerusalén, who attack formal schooling, modern music, radio, TV, and internet - and to boot predicted, falsely as it were, that the world would end in 2000.

Instead of arresting the thugs - they've raped children, pelted opponents with rocks, and trashed a school - the PRI government is relocating those who oppose them, that is, those who want their children to attend a secular government school.

Reyna García is truly a man of no shame, instead attacking their victims: Against the recommendation of the state's human rights commission, he is instead forging ahead with a plan to force those opposed to the cult to leave, including forcing the children to attend school elsewhere. When the parents objected that this would mean their children would cross a dangerous river current just to get to school - their previous one was burnt down right before the start of the school year - Reyna García called them "liars," suggesting it was just a little creek and that they had demanded themselves to be relocated. That is a complete, fabricated lie.

Given the state government's incapacity and clear lack of will to do anything -  Reyna García notoriously designated the conflict as one between "power factions" - the children of parents opposed to the cult have now gone three weeks without school


What support from their elected officials!

Prevén clases el lunes en Nueva Jerusalén. El Universal, Sept. 6, 2012
Proponen reubicar en Nueva Jerusalén. El Universal, Sept. 5, 2012

Religious whacks again attack education

Again the religious whacks in Nueva Jerusalén, Michoacán, are attacking the constitutionally guaranteed rights of Mexican children for an education, and again the PRI government of Fausto Vallejo Figueroa is doing nothing to stop them:

For two consecutive days, the pederast-rapist cult led by the "bishop" Martin de Tours has blcoked children in the indigenous community from going to school. Why? Because they don't believe in education, that's why. And as it usually goes with strongly religious individuals or cults, they are not merely content with following their own commandments , but will do everything they can to impose them on others - like it or not. Hence, with the start of the school year, they are now depriving children who are not member of the cult and whose parents want nothing to do with it, from learning.

Governor Fausto Vallejo Figueroa has done nothing so far to arrest these psychopaths, and any action does not look very forthcoming, at least judging from the very cowardly and highly erroneous recent statement from the Secretary of Government Jesús Reyna García,(second in command after the governor): It is a "religious disagreement" that has "nothing to do with education. Of course it has everything to do with education. From 1973 to 2007 there was no school or even health clinic in the village, and the right to education - an an alternative viewpoint to the cultists - is central here.

What political cowardice - kowtowing to a community that also just happens to be ultra-priísta.

Source:
Se recrudece el conficto en la comunidad Nueva Jerusalén; impiden regreso a clases. La Jornada, Aug. 21
Nueva Jerusalén: otra vez impiden inicio de clases. El Universal, Aug. 22, 2012

Pedophile Pol Pot-esque cult psychopaths

It's hard to find the words to describe the madness happening in Nueva Jerusalén in Michoacán.

An absolutely nutty cult has taken control of the village of 2,500 inhabitants, and bans music and cars and anything at all relating to modernity, and most recently destroyed a school - there is no opting out. The cult behind "bishop" Martín de Tours and the "clairvoyant" Rosa Gómez Gómez has maltreated and even murdered anyone daring to question their insane doctrines and rule, or to denounce the pedophile "priests" abusing the children of the village.

It's utterly amazing that the PRI government of Michoacán has not acted to throw these sadists and psychopaths in jail, and it is truly shameful.

Read more about it in today's La Jornada.

Source:
En Nueva Jerusalén, si no cumplen los mandatos el castigo puede ser la muerte. La Jornada, July 16, 2012.

Ataques sexuales, veto a la educación y asesinatos, en la historia de la localidad. La Jornada, July 16, 2012.

Religious nuts destroy schools in Michoacán

Via Proceso, from Nueva Jerusalén in the state of Michoacán:

Spurred by an alleged clairvoyant, teachers and religious fanatics of the New Jerusalem community began to demolish with sledgehammers, picks and shovels two schools - pre-school and primary education - which threatens to unleash a new conflict in this entity...Members of New Jerusalem believe that "schools are of the devil" and oppose secular education...Drinking, dating, and fun, is prohibited in the district, as well as voting for any other party than the PRI, and one also needs to say about 50 rosaries a day.

Source: Fanáticos religiosos destruyen escuelas en Michoacán. Proceso Online, July 6, 2012

A great read on Michoacán from UpsideDownWorld

I recommend UpsideDownWorlds's article  The Michoacán Debacle: Fault Lines Ahead of the Mexican Presidential Election by Paul Imison.

I don't necessarily agree with the implied assumption that Cherán's ditching of democratic elections in favor of the usus y costumbres mechanism may be a viable example to follow, but it is in any case a highly informed read on this beautiful, harrowed state.

Michoacán mayors take office - state goes from yellow to red

Hundred-and-eleven out of 113 municipalities changed hands in Michoacán this weekend. In essence, a big shift from yellow to red - from PRD to PRI. In the capital Morelia, an interim mayor took office given the recent cancellation of that race; in Cherán, the local population refused to hold elections.

Here is the graphic in pdf form on what party controls what municipality.

I happened to be at a ceremony for a PAN mayor where also Josefina Vázquez Mota was present. Her body guards carried the biggest assault rifles I have ever seen in use outside of a Hollywood blockbuster.

Michoacán: Morelia elections annulled, possibly entire state elections

Mexico's electoral tribunal TEPJF's (specifically its regional branch in Toluca) annulled PRI's victory in the mayoral race held past month in the state capital Morelia.

The argument: The illegal live television coverage of campaign closing of gubernatorial candidate Fausto Vallejo, and a boxing match where one of the fighters wore shorts with PRI's logo - forbidden according to electoral rules.

Officially, difference between PRI's Wilfrido Lázaro Medina and PAN's Marko Cortés Mendoza was only 2000 votes, or 119, 941 to 122, 258. Now a rematch will need to be held.

PRI, as one may imagine, is not happy about the verdict, and strongly suggests pressure from president Calderón , who it notably took a month to recognize the victory of Vallejo as governor.

Now, given TEPJF's reasoning, the PRD demands annulling the entire state elections, pointing to narco interference but also that of President Calderón himself. PAN also demands the governor election cancelled. I really doubt that, as it would be quite extraordinary, but then again, we live in extraordinary times.

There is already one problem: Morelia will for sure need to run new elections, but they are not cheap - and the state electoral institute does not have money for another extraordinary election.

(On another note, the Archdiocese of Morelia comes out pretty strongly against the recent governments of the state, particularly that of Lázaro Cárdenas Batel (2001-07), essentially accusing him of not having been prepared at all for the job and exercised it poorly).

Entire police force resigns in Carácuaro, Michoacán

Carácuaro, Michoacán, is a historic place: It was where José María Morelos, exercised his priesthood before joining and becoming a leader of the Mexican War of Independence.

It is sadly today a place where the entire police force of 38 men  resigned following threats and ambushes from organized crime, leaving public security provisionally in the hands of the military.

Carácuaro has been run by PRI, and will after the elections be led by a left coalition.

Narcopolitics in Michoacán, bullet form updates

The brewing narcopolitics scandal in Michoacán is receiving international attention.
In short, Milenio got hold of recorded conversations where third-in-command of La Familia Michoacana (which supposedly is no longer existent), telling villagers in the Tierra Caliente and Tuzantla area to vote for PRI.

Subsequent reactions:

* PRD president Jesús Zambano said it was evidence of narco collusion with PRI and merely the tip of the ice berg

* PRD's defeated candidate Silvano Aureoles Conejo demands election be annulled.

* Cocoa, PAN's candidate and president Calderón's sister,  demands and explanation

* So does the PRI.

* Political commentator Ciro Gómez Leyva apologizes to Cocoa for having belittled her claims of a narco vote

* SIEDO has launched an investigation

* New interior secretary Alejandro Poiré said the recordings were "very worrisome signs"

* PAN has now joined the PRD in demanding the elections be annulled.

Michoacán governor election: PRI ahead with 89% of voted counted

According to the PREP, or a program for preliminary election results contracted by Michoacán's electoral authority, Fausto Vallejo Figueroa is leading in the count to be Michoacán's next governor with 35.38 percent.
Luisa María Calderón Hinojosa is in second place with 32.67.

If confirmed, this is quite an upset: All major polls had Calderón's sister Cocoa as the favorite. It will be a huge triumph for the PRI ahead of 2012.

PRI won in all four districts of the capital Morelia, where Vallejo was governor, and the two in Uruapan. It is also ahead in Hidalgo, Zitácuaro, Apatzingán, Zinapécuaro and Múgica - 9 districts.

PAN is ahead in La Piedad, Zamora, Jiquilpan, Jacona and Tacámbaro, while PRD won Lázaro Cárdenas, Puruándiro, Zacapu, Huetamo, Maravatío, Los Reyes, Pátzcuaro and Coalcomán.

What is moreover clear, as Milenio proclaims front page in its print edition, is that the PRD lost control of the state.

PRI: When a picture says more than a thousand words

From www.cazadorgrafico.com.mx, via La Jornada: PRI candidate for governor Fausto Vallejo Figueroa, literally giving money to supporters in Zicuirán, Michoacán:

From La Jornada

Murdered mayor close to Calderón

The murdered Ricardo Guzmán Romero, mayor of La Piedad, was the coordinator of PAN's mayors in Michoacán. He was also close to President Felipe Calderón, and to his sister, "Cocoa," who is now seeking to become governor of Michoacán.

His murder appears a straight execution: A Jeep drove up to the mayor while he was busy putting up a banner, and gunned him down.

Michoacán is having elections on Nov. 13. So far, 1060 observers have been registered for the election, none of them foreign, and so far no special security/protection has been put in place to make sure they are not victims of organized crime on election day.

Michoacán PAN mayor murdered

A tragic and sad event just 11 days or so ahead of Michoacán's gubernatorial election:

Ricardo Guzmán Romero, a PAN mayor in La Piedad, was gunned down this evening.

This, only hours after interior secretary  José Francisco Blake Mora and Michoacán governor Leonel Godoy declared the elections would not be affected by the organized crime groups of the state.

Michoacán: Another mayor candidate steps down after threats

Elizondo Maldonado Ambriz was the PRD's candidate to be mayor of Múgica, Michoacán, but stepped down after what appears to be threats from organized crime. Antonio Soto Sánchez, spokesperson for PRD's candidate for governor Silvano Aureoles Conejo, all but confirmed this.

He is not the first: In the past weeks, mayoral candidates have also stepped down in Tumbiscatío, Indaparapeo, Churumuco, and Arteaga, as they simply are not willing to face near certain death if they defy the criminal group in control of the area.

One is hard pressed to blame them.

Michoacán gubernatorial election: It's on, officially.

This will be a most unique election: As Milenio notes, and I concur, there has probably never been a gubernatorial election that is divided so completely in three - for PAN, PRI, and PRD.
In Michoacán, everything seems at this point as a possibility.

The candidates started yesterday the official campaign, with three strong candidates: President Felipe Calderón's sister Luisa María Calderón Hinojosa; PRD Senator Silvano Aureoles Conejo, and four-time mayor of Morelia, Fausto Vallejo Figueroa.

From yesterday on, the state government (PRD) is not allowed to publicize any public works or propaganda, nor are state officials allowed to participate in any campaigns. One can only hope that the federal government, over which the state electoral institute has no jurisdiction, will do the same: I am not too optimistic, given all the "visits" of key cabinet officials as well as the president himself to Michoacán the past weeks.

Election Day is Nov. 13.

Michoacán: Government Secretary says reconcile with drug gangs

A quite notable lack of harmony from the Michoacán state government: The Government Secretary, Rafael Melgoza, suggested that the drug gangs should "reconcile" with the people and community.

Also these people who are engaged in this illegal activity have to reconcile, it sounds bad to express this phrase, but they need to reconcile, they must reconcile these illegal activities that they perform  with the interests of peoples and communities."

Shortly thereafter, the state government, led by Leonel Godoy, sent out a press bulletin distancing itself from what was said by its Government Secretary, essentially the second in command of the state government.

Michoacán politics: There is no such thing as a coincidence

A few days ago, his sister won the internal party primary to be PAN´s gubernatorial candidate in Michoacán.
Today, President Felipe Calderón just happened to start a two-day tour of the state, visiting five major municipalities, including the capital of Morelia. All a coincidence, to be sure.

Michoacán: PAN at its worst

There is something truly repugnant about virtually every step the PAN has taken in Michoacàn ahead of the November gubernatorial election.

As is known by know, the president's sister,  Luisa María Calderón Hinojosa, became the PAN's candidate for governor. Nothing illegal, though it bears notice that the pact she made with her brother and other member of the Calderón family in 2006 to NOT seek any elected office while Felipe was president, was just a lie. Shocker.

Yet now, Marko Cortés Mendoza, the losing candidate in PAN´s primary, has just been given the consolation price of becoming PAN´s mayoral candidate in Morelia. First, I think it tells you a bit of his character that he even threatened to leave the PAN and run for another party should he not get some kind of reward. A pure opportunist - I think the morelianos deserve someone with a bit more principles. But it gets worse: Marko - he goes by his first name in the state - was directly appointed candidate centrally by the PAN, reminiscent of the worst dedazos of the PRI regime. This does not please local deputy Alfonso Martínez, who has been campaigning long and hard for the nomination, yet simply received news that any primary is cancelled.

And worse it gets: Despite all the dirty laundry aired in public, and quite a bit of mudslinging, regarding the PANAL party of  Elba Esther Gordillo, based on her iron grip of the SNTE teachers union, and despite declarations from PAN it would not stoop again to the low of allying with Gordillo, the PAN in Michoacàn did just that.

I hope Michoacán makes a wise electoral choice on the coming Nov. 13.

AMLO puts the PT back in line - no separate candidacy in Michoacán

To his credit, AMLO will not back a separate Partido del Trabajo (PT) candidate for governor of Michoacán, as many feared:  On the contrary, he even offered to put the structure of his MORENA movement at the disposal of PRD's candidate.

I assume he must have come to the conclusion that a loss for the left in Michoacán, thanks to a potential spoiler candidacy of the PT, would have torpedoed his already remote chances in 2012.

More on Cherán, Michoacán: Wonderful story in El Universal

A highly recommended read is today's story in El Universal of Cherán, Michoacán, a small town that heroically took up arms against organized crime and illegal loggers, kicked out the PRI mayor, and has so far lived to tell the tale.

The article in particular highlights the help and support from Cherán's expat community in the United States, which numbers around 7,000.