Posted on 11/28/2003 10:12:08 AM PST by SwinneySwitch
MEXICO CITY (AP)--Union members, left-wing activists and farmers by the thousand marched to the capital's central plaza Thursday in a major display of opposition to the president's plans to raise taxes on food and medicine and sell state-owned assets.
The crowd estimated by police at 80,000 packed major avenues from Mexico's independence monument to the city center. The march had been billed as Mexico's largest in years, but the turnout fell short of the 150,000 predicted by organizers.
The march was largely peaceful, with demonstrators chanting ``Our country is not for sale!'' Still, authorities dispatched thousands of police to guard against possible violence, arresting at least four people in the afternoon along Reforma Avenue, the capital's main drag.
The protest reflected growing frustration with President Vicente Fox and proposals that have led to increasing political paralysis and a sharp drop in the peso against the dollar.
``The only solution will be a national strike, to stop them from selling what little we Mexicans have left to the foreigners,'' said Rosalia Prado, a middle school teacher dressed in the yellow colors of the leftist Democratic Revolution Party.
Speaking Thursday about the marches from Michoacan state, Fox said ``we should all enjoy Mexico's unprecedented new climate of liberty ... freedom of expression and the right to protest are never going to be blocked by my administration.''
Fox recently commented that the country ``is doing wonderfully'' _ a statement that sharply contrasted with the current economy, and led one local newspaper to run an ironic headline, ``Another Day Here In Wonderland.''
Protesters, who converged in three columns to the city's central plaza, are mostly opposed to the president's proposal to eliminate a sales tax exemption on food and medicine and to allow more private investment in the state-run electricity sector to ease projected power shortages.
Ramiro Gomez, a rancher from Chihuahua, showed up riding a chestnut-colored horse to protest the government's free-market policies.
``We have an abandoned countryside,'' Gomez said. ``Nobody is making money, now production is paralyzed and many of the producers have emigrated. We want national sovereignty in food, and to consume only Mexican corn, beans, wheat and meat.''
Marchers included movie production workers whose jobs are threatened by Fox's proposal to sell off a state-owned movie studio.
``We risk becoming a subsidiary of Hollywood, and losing our identity as Mexicans,'' said German Ramirez, a set builder at a state-owned movie studio who would lose his job under Fox's proposals.
Juan Molinar, a congressional leader from Fox's conservative National Action Party, defended the sales tax increases, calling the exemptions for food and medicine ``a huge subsidy for purchases by the wealthy, with money that could be spent helping the poor.''
Molinar said National Action is willing to compromise on the tax changes, but Fox has had little success at lobbying lawmakers.
Fox's troubles have taken a toll on one major political supporter, congressional leader Elba Esther Gordillo. She is fighting off an attempt by disgruntled members of her Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI, to oust her from her leadership post for being too close to Fox.
``The worst thing is that Fox has lost control,'' said Rosendo Flores, an electrical workers' union leader and organizer of the march. ``He's isolated, and even so he insists on imposing totally erratic policies.''
The struggle over the reforms, which featured Gordillo in a public row with fellow PRI leader Roberto Madrazo, has unsettled financial markets, sending the peso to a record low of 11.355 against the U.S. dollar on Wednesday.
``As long as there is no clear outlook on what is going to happen with reforms, volatility will continue,'' Mexico's central bank governor, Guillermo Ortiz, said Wednesday.
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Allan Wall, an American writer living in Mexico, has many informative articles about the "politics" of Mexico which should concern America. These articles can be read at VDare.
Yes --- only a million leaving to the USA every year --even dying trying to get out and he thinks everything is great????? One fifth of the Mexican people are already relocated to the USA --- and most of the rest are planning on coming as soon as they can. Fox did nothing to turn this around.
Of course it was pouring rain while the protest was going on ---- they likely would have had their numbers easily if it wasn't for the crowds getting drenched. These trends to the left aren't a good sign either. I don't know what can be done about Mexico --- Fox didn't live up to the high hopes.
This is what Fox is too stupid to see --- that getting rid of the working people of Mexico was one of the worst policies that country has ever taken. They aren't there to build up the country or it's economy any more. They are in the USA and will hopefully send money back for a while --- but that's it. When the checks and wires stop coming --- what next?
Can someone figure out why the heck SOCIALIST Vicente Fox is seen as a "center-right" leader? I can count about two dozen LEFT WING proposals he's put forth and precisely ZERO "conservative" proposals.
On the plus side, at least he's finally doing something in his OWN country. Usually, Vicente is hanging out in the U.S. and demanding OUR taxes get raised to help his "undocumented migrants"
You one-percenters that bitch about Fox are going to see the problem multiply.
Push VDare and Tancredo, it's your right. But you just help the Dems and PRI.
The Fox critics here 1) don't know recent Mexican history and 2) don't know Mexican current events.
Fox is not perfect, just as Bush is not perfect. But he is trying to move Mexico in the RIGHT direction. The lack of support from the ignorant who should be with him is not a help. The legislative leader of the opposition is the Zell Miller of the leftist PRI party. But she is embattled by the wacko half of the PRI, and by PRD green socialists.
Selling off the myriad of socialist government owned businesses is absolutely the first step towards improvement to the Mexican economy. The opposition raises a red herring with US ownership. Those buyers will mostly be Mexican emmigrants. What the parasites really fear is ownership by profit motivated capitalists. These businesses are heavily subsidized by the government and pay no taxes. That is what is draining the Mexican economy.
First off, Bob, I supported Vicente Fox in the 2000 election (check the old electon threads and you can see me hailing his victory) precisely because I WAS ignorant about Mexican politics. Fox was sold was a charismatic conservative reformer running on the Mexican version of the religious right party. Many Mexicans probably voted for him precisely the same reason. They wanted a Mexican Ronald Reagan. They got a Mexican George Ryan instead.
>> Fox is not perfect, just as Bush is not perfect. But he is trying to move Mexico in the RIGHT direction. <<
There is little comparison between Fox and Bush other than the fact they are both accused of being ignorant jerks trying to foist their values on other nations. The difference is Fox actually fits the label. Bush, for instance, would never show up at a European sentence hearing and make an ass out of himself by DEMANDING that nation adopt his values and America's criminal justice by executing the guy. Vicente Fox doesn't think twice about pulling the same stunt AGAINST the death penalty in our country.
Of course Bush is not perfect, Bush has been weak on keeping down government spending and refuses to veto anything. But no conservative has complaints about his handling of social issues and so forth.
By contrast, Vicente Fox-- who CAMPAIGNED around the very idea of being a devout Catholic with conservative, traditional values-- is liberal across the board. In the past three years, we've gotten a pretty good feel for Vicente Fox's "agenda". A small sample:
Vicente Fox gleefully supports gun banning efforts, both home and abroad with the the UN, he is a bitter foe of not only the death penalty but ANY kind of tough crime measure, including life in prison without parole for murderers (again, not only at home by abroad). Vicente Fox supports and aids the socialist government of Cuba, Mexico being one the few Latin Amreican countries to do so. The "pro-life" Vicente Fox NEVER speaks out against abortion (unlike the death penality, nor does he bother to enforce the pro-life laws the PRI (not the PAN) government put in place. Vicente Fox has refused to support the war on terrorism, not only in Iraq, but he wouldn't even send troops to aid in Afghanistan. He believes the government should provide universal health care, welfare, jobs, and other heavily socialist giveaway programs. Vicente Fox is a proponent of higher taxes and loves the U.N.
This the Mexican version of "Bush"?? This is Mexico's idea of "conservative"?!? Could have fooled me, because EVERYTHING on that list is the exact OPPOSITE of what Bush stands for. However, his ideology is very simular to the far-left wing of the Republican Party in the U.S., so Vicente Fox would find much in common with Jim Jeffords, and of course George Ryan (of course, Vicente Fox has already said George Ryan is a world role model and wrote him a letter telling George as well)
Vicente Fox's American equivilents (which he has nothing but praise for) are George Ryan, Gray Davis, and Bill Clinton. He has said so HIMSELF many times.
The legislative leader of the opposition is the Zell Miller of the leftist PRI party. <<
After actually studying the PRI, I have come to the conclusion they are more of the corrupt, status-quo, centrist party, perhaps idelogically like Bill Lipinski and powerwise like the Daley gang. They are not the hard-core leftists that the U.S. media portrayed them as. I actually do see Miller as more of a centrist than the "conservative" freepers often claim, so the label is probably accurate. If the opposition leader IS like Zell Miller, you've just proved my point. Who is the more conservative INDIVIDUAL? Zell Miller or Jim Jeffords? George Ryan or Glenn Poshard? We know where their PARTIES stand ideologically, but the individual in power is who decides what direction his area will go. We also know where their support comes from. Many in Vicente's OWN party have actively opposed his "agenda", for obvious reasons.
>> But she is embattled by the wacko half of the PRI, and by PRD green socialists. <<
The PRI is not embattled by the PNR anymore than southern Democrats are held hostage to the Greens. The PNR take votes from them and are probably one the reasons they were defeated. It's a different party. The PNR is probably be quite pleased with "conservative" Fox, as the Chicago Greens were with "conservative" George Ryan enacting their agenda. Vicente Fox has appointed many far-left people to power, including a card-carrying communist to be the cabinent member in charge of foriegn affairs. Could you imagine the outrage if Bush decided Ramsey Clark should be Secretary of State?
>> These businesses are heavily subsidized by the government and pay no taxes. That is what is draining the Mexican economy. <<
What is draining the Mexican economy is Vicente Fox's socialist policies of higher taxes and creating a big government welfare state in America to care for all the citizens he's exported. No "conservative" in their right mind would support Vicente's agenda.
In much the same way "Republican" George Ryan governed to the LEFT of Walker and Blagojevich, so has "PAN" President Vicente Fox put his country is a more socialist direction than the 'buisness as usual' Zedillo adminstration could have dreamed of. I have little doubt Mexico would be better off with the immediate removal of Fox. The Zedillo government was moderately conservative on social issues, generally sought to ignore the U.S. and took little note of world affairs. Our "best friend", Vicente Fox, is strongly left-wing on social issues, actively seeks to undermind the U.S. and export socialism on the entire world.
You can review a history of Vicente's "leadership" just by reading achieved threads here. As I noted before, you will see he has fought for a liberal agenda dozens of times and taken the "conservative" position precisely ZERO times:
FREEPER THREADS
Elections spell beginning of end for Vicente Fox
Vicente Fox's Party Loses 49 Seats in Mexico
Bush putting Mexican president on hold
Mexican president lays out demands for immigration reform before U.S. visit
Mexican President Demands Oklahoma Governor to Halt Execution
First France, Now Mexico: So much for Vicente Fox's vaunted friendship with George W. Bush
Mexican President Says He Is Against War in Iraq
Vicente Fox, N.M. Governor Richardson (D) Meet at Forum
Mexican President Defends His Wife, Says They Are a "presidential Couple"
Outgrowing the U.N. (WILLIAM F. BUCKELY slams Vicente Fox)
Mexican President Kisses Papal Ring, Breaking a Taboo
(President Vicente) Fox Cancels Trip to Texas to Protest Execution
Mexican president heads to U.S. (More Demands)
Vicente Fox: Immigration Lawbreakers Not 'Illegals'
Castro Escorts Mexican President Through Old Havana in First Visit to Cuba
Mexican President Fox Casts his Lot with Castro
Vicente Fox ignores pressure to visits dissidents in his first state visit to Cuba
Vicente Fox shake's Daschle's hand
Vicente Fox Is Getting Bad Economic Advice
Read my lips, Vicente Fox: Jude Wanniski warns Mexico about excessive taxation
Mexican President-Elect details plan for an open border with U.S.
Clinton Will Host New Mexican President Next Month at White House
In the U.S., we have R.I.N.O.'s So, for the Mexican equivilent, Vicente Fox is a lying, scumbag P.A.N.I.N.O.
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