- Preliminary election results are now available from Sunday’s contests – the PRI (with Green support) took the presidency and three governorships, while the left (mainly PRD) took two state governorships (including ending the PRI’s 83-year reign in Tabasco!) and the Federal District.
- To nobody’s surprise, Lopez Obrador is claiming electoral fraud; Proceso agrees, calling the result an “imposition” or, idiomatically, a coronation perhaps. It would be amazing if there had been no fraud – Mexican elections have depended on it for more than a century (though let’s not forget Florida, the West Midlands, Russia etc)
- While the Peña Nieto victory is met with guarded optimism by the U.S. broadsheets, others have pointed out his dubious human rights record. His plan for dealing with the cartels seems to be a slow cleanup of the security apparatus while increasing protection of the citizenry.
- HuffPo profiles the new president.
- A bit of a fluff piece on environmental efforts in Mexico City in the WSJ – some good initiatives, to be sure (Metrobus is great) but 1200 bikes among 22 million being touted as one of the “most successful urban policies implemented in last ten years” shows what we’re up against. The microbuses were still there in droves two years ago and you can see from the video clips how car-choked it is. Reducing car use is still the only thing that will make a big difference in my view.
- A young journalist fell to his death in a lift shaft; not sure whether his sexuality is relevant other than it being in Pink News.
- Outgoing President Calderón wished the Olympic squad best of luck on Friday.
- Mexico’s Olympic Football Team has a send-off game against Leon on Thursday before heading to Europe to play Spain on the 18th. In the tournament proper they will play Gabon, Switzerland and South Korea. Cruz Azul’s Javier Aquino could be one to watch. Diego Reyes fancies their chances.
Dr. William A. Booth
Mexico, Latin America and the Global Left
Dr. William A. Booth 