Posted on 02/25/2006 10:55:43 AM PST by SwinneySwitch
MEXICO CITY – Officials on Wednesday were investigating whether former Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar violated Mexican law when he publicly expressed hope that ruling-party candidate Felipe Calderon would win the July 2 presidential election.
Speaking at the headquarters of President Vicente Fox's National Action Party on Tuesday, Aznar praised the accomplishments of 43-year-old Calderon, a former energy secretary.
“Yes, I'm also here to say that I hope and wish that Felipe Calderon will be the new president of Mexico,” he said, “for the well-being of all Mexicans and for the well-being of the country.”
At his daily briefing with reporters on Wednesday, Fox spokesman Ruben Aguilar noted that foreigners living or traveling here aren't allowed to talk publicly about politics in Mexico. He said the Interior Department was investigating Aznar's comments.
“The letter of our laws does not allow a foreigner to make these kinds of statements, the kind that he made yesterday,” Aguilar said.
Aznar may be questioned about his comments, he said.
“If there was a violation of Mexican law ... he will be summoned by Interior Secretary (Carlos) Abascal today so that he can be informed of Mexican law, which he surely was unaware of,” Aguilar said.
Beyond a dressing-down by Fox's top Cabinet member, it was unclear whether Aznar would face any punishment. Aguilar refused to say if the former prime minister could be deported and ducked questions about whether he would be welcomed back to Mexico.
Article 33 of Mexico's Constitution states that foreigners “cannot, under any circumstances, interfere with the internal politics of Mexico.” Violators face immediate deportation if officials determine that their presence here is “inconvenient for the country.”
At a news conference in Mexico state, which borders the capital, Calderon said that he was “not looking for the support of Prime Minister Aznar” and that “the campaign we are running and will run is exclusively for Mexicans.”
“I respect Prime Minister Aznar's comment and I appreciate it,” Calderon said. “Prime Minister Aznar was, in my view, simply expressing a personal opinion and nothing more.”
Abascal told reporters that his office would study Aznar's comments and that he would probably speak to the ex-prime minister later Wednesday.
Most public opinion polls put the conservative Calderon in second place behind Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, a former Mexico City mayor of the leftist Democratic Revolution Party.
In a statement, Democratic Revolution said Aznar's “transgression in this matter was not minor.”
“Jose Maria Aznar doesn't know the reality of our nation,” the statement said. “Because of that, he rates as positive the results of (the current) government that has been profoundly ineffective.”
Lopez Obrador said he had no problem with the ex-prime minister's comment, but that “we don't want foreign princes or foreign leaders to decide something that only Mexicans have a say in.”
A supporter of the U.S.-led war in Iraq, Aznar's conservative government was defeated in elections just days after suspected al-Qaeda militants staged the March 2004 train bombings in Madrid that killed 191 people and injured more than 1,500.
We need a law like this in the U.S.!
What good would it do. The Bush administration doesn't enforce the laws we have.
Never mind, FreePaul.
Article 33 Ping!
Please FReepmail me if you want on or off this South Texas/Mexico ping list.
Thanks for the ping...isn't Mexico a democracy...this seems to fall under freedom of speech, because although he is a foriegner he is not a prince or leader of any country anymore as the Mex. suggest...I think V. Fox is just nervous... and should be things are a mess and he has no control over the thugs that seem to be the ones really running his country...at least along the border.
Alas, like our immigration "laws" (which would be very good, if actually enforced), such a law would be ignored.
it seems you didn't understood: Aznar was supporting Fox's party, the complains were from the leftist of the PRD.
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