Mexico State's electoral instute, IEEM, approved the registry of all three candidates - PRI, PAN, and PRD - and the campaign to be the state's governor officially started today - or, that is, at midnight yesterday.
Despite a last-minute request from PAN that IIEM again investigate the residency of Encinas in Mexico State, the institute accepted the legality of the documents offered by Encinas, which demonstrated that he still maintained the required residency in the state. While PRI candidate Eruviel Ávila (see Gancho's right-on take on his campaign opening here) has promised he will not question the legality of Encinas' candidacy, should Encinas gain traction in the race, it is nonetheless a very likely action to take.
For now, that threat comes from PAN, which yet again swore it would continue its quest to have Encinas out of the contest, by taking the case to the electoral tribunal.
Hard to believe at times that just weeks ago, the PRD and PAN were contemplating a common candidate.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Will Javier Lozano's calls for prison terms in Sabinas mine disaster extend to himself?
Following the recent mine disaster in Sabinas, Coahuila, where 14 workers died, Javier Lozano Alarcón, Mexico's secretary of labor, recently huffed and puffed and demanded prison terms for whomever found responsible.
Given the persistent lack of thorough labor safety inspections, and the issuing of a record number of concessions with minimum oversight during his tenure as secretary of labor, will the call for arrests eventually also extend to Lozano himself?
A good background article on the Coahuila mining industry here.
Given the persistent lack of thorough labor safety inspections, and the issuing of a record number of concessions with minimum oversight during his tenure as secretary of labor, will the call for arrests eventually also extend to Lozano himself?
A good background article on the Coahuila mining industry here.
Calderón as Churchill? Or "an act of megalomania"?
Calderón's recent comparison of himself with Winston Churchill, and Mexico's fight with the drug cartels with Churchill's fight against the Nazis, predictably drew a lot of fire from the opposition, and rightly so: The comparison was bizarre, to put it mildly.
Armando Ríos Piter, PRD's group leader in the Chamber of Deputies, put it best: "an act of megalomania"
Armando Ríos Piter, PRD's group leader in the Chamber of Deputies, put it best: "an act of megalomania"
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Cuba pushes for more economic ties with Mexico. Will Calderón visit?
During the 12th interparliamentary meeting between Cuban and Mexican legislators, held this weekend in Mérida, Yucatán, Ricardo Alarcón, head of the Cuban parliament, called for more extensive trade ties between Cuba and Mexico, which are remarkably weak: Reportedly totaling only around 250 million dollars yearly.
This is truly, truly low, given the longtime "special relationship" between the two countries. According to the CIA Factbook, Mexico is not even on the list of major import-export partners - behind, notably, even the U.S!
While historically the ties between Cuba and Mexico were strong, relations drastically cooled during the Fox years, thanks both to President Vicente Fox and his foreign minister Jorge Castañeda.
Alarcón, however, expressed hope that Calderón will visit the island next year - a previously scheduled visit was earlier cancelled. Will Calderón do so, or will he rather leave office without, despite having "normalized" relations a few years back?
(and he would be one of the very first presidents not to have done so -even Fox visited Cuba)
This is truly, truly low, given the longtime "special relationship" between the two countries. According to the CIA Factbook, Mexico is not even on the list of major import-export partners - behind, notably, even the U.S!
While historically the ties between Cuba and Mexico were strong, relations drastically cooled during the Fox years, thanks both to President Vicente Fox and his foreign minister Jorge Castañeda.
Alarcón, however, expressed hope that Calderón will visit the island next year - a previously scheduled visit was earlier cancelled. Will Calderón do so, or will he rather leave office without, despite having "normalized" relations a few years back?
(and he would be one of the very first presidents not to have done so -even Fox visited Cuba)
Ebrard and AMLO agree: A national poll will decide the left's 2012 candidacy
Marcelo Ebrard notably said that he and Andrés Manuel López Obrador has reached an agreement on how the left's 2012 candidacy for president will be decided: Through a national poll.
This is quite important news: It was earlier well known that AMLO insisted on a party primary/ies, while Ebrard preferred a national poll. Now, AMLO has seemingly come around to Ebrard's position.
This is quite important news: It was earlier well known that AMLO insisted on a party primary/ies, while Ebrard preferred a national poll. Now, AMLO has seemingly come around to Ebrard's position.
Mexico's Jewish community
In connection with the celebration of Israel's declaration of Independence, of May 14 1948, El Universal has an interesting story on Mexico's Jewish community, which today numbers less than 40,000, and is mostly located in the well-heeled Lomas the Chapultepec are of Mexico City, and in Tecamachalco, in Puebla state.
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Governor Rafael Moreno Valle's pledge to investigate "anomalies" ring hollow
One hundred days: Governor of Puebla, Rafael Moreno Valle, who notably ended PRI's 80-plus-years monopoly on holding the state government, said that as the a 90-day(!) process of transferring the government has just come to an end, a "more profound process" of investigating the previous government of Mario Marín may now commence.
I certainly hope so. Moreno Valle said evidence has already been gathered of many "anomalies" during the disastrous misrule of the scoundrel Mario Marín's government, and he reiterated his campaign pledge to castigate those who are found to have abused power. Mario Marín is the obvious candidate here, and if Moreno Valle is truly serious, he should take on Marín directly.
Yet one hundred days have already passed, which makes this reiteration sound hollow. I hope I am wrong here.
I certainly hope so. Moreno Valle said evidence has already been gathered of many "anomalies" during the disastrous misrule of the scoundrel Mario Marín's government, and he reiterated his campaign pledge to castigate those who are found to have abused power. Mario Marín is the obvious candidate here, and if Moreno Valle is truly serious, he should take on Marín directly.
Yet one hundred days have already passed, which makes this reiteration sound hollow. I hope I am wrong here.
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