Jorge Hank Rhon, gobernador?

It's hard to imagine a worse nightmare scenario for his opponents, of which there are many: But Jorge Hank Rhon suggested he may run for governor of Baja California State "if the party obliges me."

The PRI avoided any substantial comment; given its president Humberto Moreira's decision to keep a very low profile these days, it was left to his secretary general to note that it was "not an opportune moment" for the party to discuss any Hank Rhon candidacy now. Alternatively, PRI could have answered: 'There is no way in hell we will let an obvious criminal linked by the United States to drugtrafficking, to become our gubernatorial candidate.' But no.

Mexico's position worsen on "failed state" index: Fund for Peace

Mexico's position on The Fund for Peace's Failed State Index worsened, chiefly due to increased violence and human rights abuses, and uneven economic development.

It's 2011 ranking is 75.1 and 93rd place (of 177), vs. 76.1 and 96 place in 2010, meaning a worsening on both indicators. (Worst country? You guessed it)

For more, see the Fund's Interactive Grid here.
(El Universal erroneously refers to the organization as "Foundation for Peace")

Mexico State: A rigged election, it is now clear

Mexico State's electoral institute, Instituto Electoral del Estado de México (IEEM), responsible for arranging the upcoming elections in Mexico State, flat out refused to order the PRI-run state government to tear down more than 2,500 billboards favoring the PRI, which it is now illegal to display. The IEEM sought to wash its hands by saying it would only do so under a direct order by the federal electoral tribunal - despite the fact that it earlier apparently did order five billboards torn down for violating the law.

It is becoming clear that the criticisms launched against the IEEM by the PRD and PAN that the institute is biased toward the PRI are more than warranted.

Coahuila gubernatorial election: Good run-down of candidates

A good run-down of the candidates for the upcoming (July 3) state election in Coahuila from El Universal here.

Eruviel Ávila's campaign refuses to release its campaign spending

Challenged by the PRD, which claims that the PRI has massively overspent on its gubernatorial campaign, to release an account of its expenses, PRI refused, saying it will do so only to IEEM, the electoral institute of Mexico State, which PRD and PAN claims is heavily tilted toward the PRI.

So much for the "public" in "public money," which the PRI receives from the Mexican state.

PAN releases its membership numbers

Some newly released membership figures for the Partido Acción Nacional (PAN): Mexico's governing party says it has 1,759,534 members, of which 298,076 are "active members."

Why the raid against Jorge Hank Rhon?

Jorge Zepeda Patterson, a usually well-informed and reasoned columnist (and academic), proposes two hypotheses why the army launched the raid against Jorge Hank Rhon. Both assumes that the army acted on its own, yet one is considerably more sinister than the other.

1) The army was convinced of Hank's guilt, and launched the operation to catch a bad guy, with the intent also to shore up its increasinly tattered image (particularly compared to La Marina).
2) The army intentionally set out to bungle the operation, a la the Michoacanazo, in order to discredit the PGR, PAN, and President Calderón.

Definitely among the more interesting speculations around the botched operation - though exactly that, speculations.