Monday, August 21, 2006
Mexico update
The citizens's movement that suppports the PRD has come up with a
"powerful fortification of resistance." Up against the water cannons and riot police, they have in the Greek style placed a chorus of the elderly. "The Gray Kingfishes" as they call themselves sung a hymn composed of the words of Martin Luther King and Mahatma Gandhi.
There was a protest in front of the national cathedral against Cardinal Norberto Rivera Carrera for injecting himself into politics.
The Mandoki "Anvil" films are available at here and here
As of 5 AM Chiapas time, SenderodelPeje reports that the PRD gubernatorial candidate was ahead, but that-- just as in the presidential election-- the margin was falling. At 70% vote counted, it was a 2% margin. La Jornada delivered a very stern editorial on the elections in Chiapas, titled PAN and PRI, corrupters. Two PAN/PRI-istas were recently arrested for passing out money: Jaime Villarreal Gramajos arrested Friday in Tuxtla Gutiérrez and Sunday in Tonala, Francisco de Jesús Torres Hernández, local director of Elba Esther Gordillo's teacher's union. So, is there a connection between the money talked about in the intercepted phone conversation between Espina and Islas (see Sunday's post below)?
The rate of growth of manufacturing fell during the Fox
Administration. Of the seven sectors, only alcohol/food/tobacco and extraction of
non-metallic minerals exclusive of petroleum or coal (like, cement) have prospered. The rest have slowed their rate of growth or even contracted. The maquilas have laid off 116,000 workers, 8.7% of the number at work at the start of Fox's Administration.
SenderodelPeje reports that one of the big ISPs, Megacable, is blocking access to their site. Aside: something that those who rely on the Internet need to consider. We may need to develop alternate means of communication.
Horacio Duarte explained the election irregularities on TV here (the Swiftboating of
Lopez Obrador), here and here
More blogs about politics.
