Mexico’s Elections: Out-Foxing the Left

-Taylor Kirk

This summer’s elections in Mexico will be historic in more ways than one: ex-patriates in the United States will be allowed to vote by proxy in their home country’s elections for the first time, and Mexicans will have the chance to see if they have fully unlocked presidential politics from the political machine that the PRI once was. Outgoing president Vicente Fox has been influential on both counts, and he may be making important moves behind the scenes that will notably affect the outcome of this summer’s elections.
Fox first made it clear that he would remain a powerful force in politics until his last day in office when he attempted to prosecute the Mexico City mayor and left-wing presidential candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador for a minor land dispute in which Obrador sought to construct a hospital on private land. The incident backfired, and the charges were retracted amid popular protest. The prosecution arguably added to Obrador’s popularity, as the majority of the capital’s voters sided with his argument in the dispute.
Obrador is now free from prosecution and is a promising candidate in the presidential race, and Fox appears to be changing his tactics to ensure that a presidential victory does not fall into the hands of the left. His government surprisingly authorized Zapatista leader Subcomandante Marcos to conduct a six-month tour of the nation, a sharp departure from the close eye the Mexican army has kept on the Zapatistas in the southern state of Chiapas. Marcos stated the purpose of the tour was to “forge alliances with leftist groups that are not taking part in the elections, campesinos, indigenous people, and other sectors, in order to hash out a new blueprint for the country ‘from the grassroots up’”, according to IPS News Service.
The Zapatista National Liberation Army (EZLN) has spent much of its tour trying to convince voters that Obrador will offer more of the same, and that his candidacy does not represent the values of the true left. Though Marcos has criticized all the presidential candidates (in addition to harrassing the first lady) his tour will most likely succeed in persuading some voters on the left to reconsider their support for Lopez Obrador. Given that the Fox administration didn’t permit the Zapatista tour for entertainment purposes, this may be exactly what they had in mind.

latin america, mexico, politics,andres manuel lopez obrador, vicente fox, elections, zapatistas, chiapas, subcomandante marcos

Profile of Michelle Bachelet

Newsweek profiles Michelle Bachelet, soon to be the first female President of Chile. (Newsweek)



latin america, south america, chile, michelle bachelet, elections, politics, current affairs

Newsweek explores Morales' standing in Brazil

Brazilians watched Evo Morales' ascent to power in Bolivia carefully, hanging on to every word he uttered regarding the re-nationalization of the country's oil fields and the economic 'decolonization' of Bolivia. As Bolivia supplies half of Brazil's natural gas, Brazilian wonks fret that Morales will now be tempted to turn the taps off. Newsweek explores the dynamics between Bolivia's president-elect and his neighbors, and how the situation may progress. (Newsweek)

latin america, bolivia, brazil, south america, oil, natural gas

Global reactions to Morales win

Depending on what periodical one picks up, the world views on Morales' win in Bolivia range from predictions of the apocalypse to the coming salvation of the Bolivian people. Below are some of the comments from around the world:

Al-Jazeera - "But hope can be found everywhere: in the chants of Bolivia's poor lauding Evo Morales and his people-centered agenda..."

Front Page Magazine - (USA) "A mineworker, labor agitator, and friend of the coca producers, Morales is little more than an opportunistic street thug."

Miami Herald - (USA) "Electing an indigenous man as president is a shock to the fragile social strata of South America and lifts the veil on Latin American racism long denied."

New Socialist Group- (USA) "At best, Evo will promote some marginal increases in property and royalty taxes, and perhaps increase some social spending on welfare services (but always limited by a tight fiscal budget)."

Periodico26 - (Cuba) "With this overwhelming support, the Bolivian people showed that they trusted the honest, incorruptible and austere political history of comrade Evo Morales..."

Pravda - (Russia) "Today, Evo Morales of Bolivia and Hugo Chavez of Venezuela join Fidel Castro as leaders...of socially progressive systems which focus on the need to create programs which serve the interests of the people, and not the corrupted super-rich clique of elitists living at Washington's beck and call."

The Progress Report - (USA) Bolivia's Evo Morales Could Shift the Hemispheric Balance of Power

SFBayView - (USA) "‘Mother Coca’ wins in Bolivia."

VHeadline - (Venezuela) "For the first time in decades Bolivia's government is at long last in the hands of the People."

Washington Post- (USA) "Lacking any coherent policies of his own, Morales will probably take instruction from Chavez..."

latin america, bolivia, evo morales, al-jazeera, pravda, media, south america, socialism

Film blames Cuba for JFK slaying

A new documentary by German director Wilfried Huismann claims that the assassination of John F Kennedy was a ploy by the Cuban government, and that the Lyndon B Johnson administration covered up the details in order to resist pressure to invade the island. "Rendevouz With Death" debuted in a limited release Wednesday in Berlin. (Newsweek)

latin america, cuba, movies, film, huismann, wilfried huismann, jfk

Morales ahead in exit polls

Bolivian presidential candidate Evo Morales claims victory after exit polls give him a significant lead in Sunday's election. (WAPO)
latin america, bolivia, evo morales, socialism

Debate: Who will triumph in Mexico's presidential elections?

As Mexicans at home (and now abroad!) prepare for next July's presidential elections, the contest has consolidated around three main candidates: Roberto Madrazo (PRI), Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (PRD), and Felipe Calderon (PAN). None of the candidates has more that 36% of the vote according to recent polls, so the outcome is far from certain. What are your predictions for the election, and who would you like to see as the next President of Mexico?

mexico,roberto madrazo, andres manuel lopez obrador, felipe calderon, latin america

Marcela Sanchez

Washington Post's Marcela Sanchez on the Immigrant Spirit of Giving, in English and Spanish.
immigrants, immigration, washington post, remittances

Juarez killings remain unsolved

Human rights organizations have blamed inept authorities for bungling many of the unsolved cases in Ciudad Juarez. (WAPO)

latin america, mexico, ciudad juarez, texas, human rights

Hablas español, eh? Spanish-speaking people third-largest minority in Canada

-Contributed by Erwin Cifuentes. Oakland Ross reports in the Toronto Star on the growth of Hispanics in Canada and the benefits and problems they have in assimilating to Canadian life. Approximately 700,000 people of Hispanic background reside in Canada, mostly in Ontario, and they represent 20 different nationalities. (The Star)

canada, spanish, hispanics, immigrants

Venezuelan union leader convicted for treason

-Contributed by Erwin Cifuentes. Carlos Ortega, the head of the Confederation of Venezuelan Workers, was sentenced to 15 years in jail for his role in leading a two-month strike in 2002 to try to topple President Hugo Chavez. An outspoken anti-Chavista, Ortega maintains his innocence and vows that “from prison…I'll keep fighting to preserve the freedom, democracy and unity of the people.” (ABC)

venezuela, hugo chavez, unions,latin america

Slight decrease in illegal immigration from Dominican Republic to Puerto Rico

-Contributed by Erwin Cifuentes. Though illegal immigration from Dominican Republic into Puerto Rico has gone down by 10%, Dominicans still make up 70% of illegals that immigrate into Puerto Rico. (DominicanToday)

puerto rico,dominican republic, latin america, immigration

Flores continues leading polls in Peru

-Contributed by Erwin Cifuentes. Lourdes Flores continues as the top contender in Peru’s presidential race according to a poll by the Universidad de Lima. Flores has 25.6% support and leads ex-president Alan Garcia by nearly 10%, and the poll also showed Flores would easily win against Garcia and other contenders if a run-off is needed. (AngusReid)

latin america,peru, lourdes flores,politica,elecciones

GDP growth diminishes in Mexico

-Contributed by Erwin Cifuentes. Mexico’s GDP growth for this year will be of 3% according to their finance minister which is 1.5% less than 2004. Though 750,000 jobs were created this year, finance minster Francisco Gil Diaz noted that economic growth "isn't what we would have wanted, and could have been higher if reforms had been carried out." (CNN)

latin america,mexico, francisco gil diaz, gdp

Ecuador: EU banana tariff unfair

-Contributed by Erwin Cifuentes. Ecuador will demand a lowering of the European Union’s tariff on bananas during an IMF conference later this week. Ecuador joins a growing chorus of Latin American states that are upset at the EU for raising tariffs on bananas.

latin america, ecuador, eu, tariff, trade, imf

Cuba second-highest jailer of reporters

-Contributed by Erwin Cifuentes. A journalism watchdog group identified Cuba as the second-highest country that jails reporters with 24 reporters in jail, and most of them imprisoned after a 2003 government crackdown on dissidents. (MetroNews)

latin america, cuba, journalism, reporters