Leftist Protestors in Mexico City Attempt to Close Major Banks (Translation)

eluniversal.com.mx ^ | August 9, 2006 | Jorge Ramos, Rubelio Fernández & Alejandra Martínez ( translated by self )

[StJacques]

AMLO's sympathizers block access to bank offices

Civil resistance impedes the passage of employees at the offices of the Bancomer¹ Center on Universidad Avenue, Banamex² on Venustiano Carranza Avenue, and HSBC³ on the Paseo de la Reforma Avenue.

The For the Good of All coalition⁴ initiated at 7:00 a.m. today a series of blockages at the central offices of the Banamex, Bancomer, and HSBC banks.

Groups of the followers of Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador left their encampments at the Zocalo capital plaza to direct themselves, first to the Banamex bank building, located on the street corner of Isabel La Católica and Venustiano Carranza avenues, in the historial center [of the city].

Gerardo Fernandez, spokesman for the PRD, provided information that other small groups of Lopez Obrador sympathizers have begun to block access to the home offices of Bancomer, on Universidad Avenue, to the south of Mexico City, and at HSBC, on the Paseo de la Reforma Avenue.

By agreement with the PRD leader, the protestors will remain seated, blocking access for several hours and they will not permit entrance to anyone, only exit to those who desire it.

The capital city police have only cut traffic circulation without impeding these protest actions at private offices.

The organizers revealed that more than 600 people participated in the action of civil resistance.

The closure of the avenues impedes the passage of automobile drivers and workers at those bank offices.

Around the Bancomer Center a group of policemen formed a fence surrounding the protestors.

The instruction of this civil resistance is to remain for a few hours at the home offices of these banks to deny entry to the workers and afterwards to retire.

The protestors shouted constantly "vote by vote, precinct by precinct."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Translator's Notes:

¹Bancomer is part of the Bancomer Grupo Financiero, Mexico's second-largest financial group.

²Banamex, is part of the Grupo Financiero Banamex, Mexico's largest financial group.

³HSBC, is Mexico's fourth-largest banking company.

⁴The "For the Good of All" coalition is the alliance of Lopez Obrador's PRD (Party of the Democratic Revolution) Party, the Labor Party, and the Convergence for Democracy (Convergencia) behind Lopez Obrador's presidential candidacy.

[StJacques]

¡Gracias Amigo!

I think I need to search to see if Formato 21 has a web site.

[GeronL]

They'll start to attack other infrastructure soon, trying to force the authorities to crack down on everyone, and escalate the conflict. It's been happening in Chiapas for close to 20 years. It'll spill over.

Since the PRD controls the local and state cops the federal troops would have to go in to quell attacks. You could literally see a civil war in Mexico City.

[StJacques]

I've been worried about what will happen in Mexico ever since I became aware of Lopez Obrador's contacts with Cuba, Venezuela, and Bolivia -- you are aware that agents from all three countries were expelled during the campaign for interference in Mexican internal affairs by campaigning for Lopez Obrador? -- over the course of the campaign. I've lived in South America and spent about five months total in Mexico and all I can say is that I am very well acquainted with the Latin American Left. And I hate them with a passion.

But one of the things I have seen develop in Mexico over the last ten years or so is a body of respectable and articulate conservative thought. It's a little different than that which we have here; but it's definitely free-market oriented, supportive of free trade, fearful of authoritarian politics, and not at all ignorant of the realities of economic life. When I spent time in Mexico in the 1980's that body of conservative thought either did not exist or kept itself hidden from public view because all I saw was leftist dribble in the press. I think we have reason to hope that the right in Mexican politics will show that they have the common sense and, yes I must say it, the balls, to stand up to the Left.

But there can be no doubt that we all have something to lose if Lopez Obrador and his crew come to power in Mexico. A lot to lose in fact.

And by the way conservativeharleyguy, I've translated a whole series of articles from the Mexican press on this controversy for the board. Do a forum "keyword" search for "STJTRANSLATION" and you'll get the returns.

[StJacques]

Dave, this is a special ping for you because I remember you questioned me about the location of the ballots and whether there was a threat that the PRD would try to mobilize and seize them to do their own recount.

In an article just posted at the El Universal web site (in Spanish) at:

http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/notas/367742.html

entitled "Coalition rejects mobilizing itself against District Councils," the campaign coordinator for Lopez Obrador, Jesus Ortega, stated that even though the coalition has "protest encampments" at the district offices they do not anticipate taking any other specific actions at this time. My reading of this article is that they do not want to disrupt the TEPJF's ordered recount, or at least, they do not want to disrupt it right now.

[Codename - Ron Benjamin]

"with the first precinct finished.. AMLO lost one vote."

I think the correct expression here is "LOL". or maybe (Nelson finger pointing) "Ha ha".

[rovenstinez]

http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/notas/367781.html This just in, this link sounds like the problems of Florida of Hanging Chads, Pregnant Chads, in which the TWO party leaders fuss over ballots which exhibit a slight line that went outside the 'box', and some wanted to accept the vote and some wanted to throw it out. Video cameras were forbidden, which upset the PRD, and scuffles, and shouting matches ensue. If this fuss goes on to count 9% of the precincts, let's hope they don't have to do this to all 41 million votes.

[norton]

"Also, mentioned that the partial recount should be over soon ... in a day or two."

Ummm,,,fun weekend?

[norton]

Sorry to say this, but:

"I have seen develop in Mexico over the last ten years or so is a body of respectable and articulate conservative thought. It's a little different than that which we have here; but it's definitely free-market oriented, supportive of free trade, fearful of authoritarian politics, and not at all ignorant of the realities of economic life. When I spent time in Mexico in the 1980's that body of conservative thought either did not exist or kept itself hidden from public view because all I saw was leftist dribble in the press."

COULD [easily] describe a drug cartel.

I understand & respect that you have far more optimistic beliefs regarding mexico and South America that do I; but I worry that your beliefs might fog an otherwise highly beneficial understanding and access to their actions.

For my part, I trust them NOT, I respect them NOT, I want their opinions NOT, and I demand that they fix their own wagon first before the "NOT" goes away.

If that means sealed borders and artillery positions - so be it.

(Seriously, thanks for your postings and your opinions, who knows? You might sway me/us.)

[norton]

And to
"But there can be no doubt that we all have something to lose if Lopez Obrador and his crew come to power in Mexico. A lot to lose in fact."

I'm afraid that the only "loss" will be in how long it takes to get to the same place.

[StJacques]

Well norton, obviously we disagree and I may not be so much the optimist about what will happen as you seem to suggest, because I have a hard time believing that the Left in Mexico is going to go down this time without doing serious damage, as I am about what can happen if the peace is kept and Calderon comes to power. Nothing in Mexican history changes basic economics and with respect to the productivity of capital alone, and Mexico has lots of capital to use -- do you know that Mexico reduced its national debt by 20% while Fox was President? I'm talking about outright debt, not deficits. -- there is reason to see that economic growth can ensue. Mexico has an inflation rate of something like just over 3%, its annual government revenues are growing quickly with the rise in oil prices, it has enjoyed over 20 consecutive quarters of economic growth, it has huge untapped reserves of natural resources in oil, forests, minerals, and significant potential for agricultural modernization in unused land, and it has the basic economic infrastructure in place to get it started. Mexico's challenges are primarily two; 1. To finally come to grips with leaving its PRI-corrupted past -- something that was a great disappointment during Fox's administration, which Roberto Madrazo of the PRI deliberately sabotaged; and 2. To take the basic economic infrastructure they now have and expand it using national revenues, which are growing.

Those two challenges taken together can be combined into one question; can Mexico use its growing national revenues to develop itself or will the wealth be siphoned off, either for the benefit of a privileged few as Mexican history shows us occurring while the PRI ran the country, or for keeping the social peace for an illiterate and undeserving many, as the PRD wants? This question has been asked in similar ways in Mexican history before, but never quite like it is today. We'll see.

[Shuttle Shucker]

Glad to see you're still alive and kickin' :-) I worried when a day or two went by without you posting stuff. I wouldn't put anything past AMLO and his thugs nowadays, and folks like you help sway international opinion (like Herald's socialist editors try to do from Mexico City, too, unfortunately).

[StJacques]

I've been a little busy these past couple of days. That's how it is for me. I'll go several days in a row with three to four hours of regular daytime on my hands and nothing to do and then I'll go several more with very little time at all.

And I don't know if I'm really making any impact on international opinion, but I'm sure I'm not hurting the cause either.

[StJacques]

LOL! You guys are gonna LOVE this!

They just finished the recount in Electoral District 15 in Mexico City. This is the electoral district in which Lopez Obrador's campaign team argued that the infractions and violations were so serious as to present such evidence for fraud that he based his Recurso Madre (the Mother of All Appeals) asking for the recount of the entire country around this district.

The article is (in Spanish) at:

http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/notas/367806.html

And the result? Brace yourselves . . .

Eleven more votes for AMLO and eleven more votes for Calderon. IT'S A TIE! The PRD representative is claiming that something is wrong because the electoral packets were already opened. Of course, that was required by the TEPJF to obtain documentation for analyzing the appeal of the PRD, but that's the spin in PRD land.

I'll bet they are not too happy in PRD headquarters right now. LOL!

[norton]

we only disagree on the very, very, basics:

"Those two challenges taken together can be combined into one question;
a, can Mexico use its growing national revenues to develop itself or will the wealth be siphoned off, either for the benefit of a privileged few as Mexican history shows us occurring (...) or for keeping the social peace for an illiterate and undeserving many, (...)?

where we differ is that I see NO difference in the outcome regardless of who wins any particular election.
The issues are NOT dependant on parties, they are dependant on societal absolutes.

[StJacques]

Well then we will agree to disagree norton. I begrudge no one their right to an opinion different than my own. After all, I'm not a Democrat.

[SAJ]

So, Senor Lopez Obragore, you hab 11 more ballotas, y so does Senor Calderon. Porque, how is this el corrupcion, eh?

<<--Doesn't speak a lick of Spanish, and not bloody likely to in future.

Thanks again, Saint -- and, btw, I **have** responded to your latest e-mail, but the birch.net server I'm on, keeps timing out (called the buggers, MAYBE you'll receive it tomorrow...my apologies, but DON'T have a clue with these chaps.

Will advise here, p.r.n. PRESUMABLY, this lot will restore their service properly (but no bets).

FReegards as always, and thanks again,
SAJ

[Texan5]

I'm sure the PRD honchos have their tinfoil hats firmly in place by now-anything that doesn't favor them is bound to be viewed as a conspiracy. I hope the good news just keeps on coming.

[CedarDave]

Thank you for the update. I agree. Don't think they'll do anything now during the recount, but expect they'll scream like a stuck pig if the count doen't go their way -- will want to recount more ballots "just haven't found the right ones yet" (for them, that is).

[Enterprise]

"Eleven more votes for AMLO and eleven more votes for Calderon. IT'S A TIE!"

LOL! Someone grab me before I faint. This is Earthshaking.

[Shuttle Shucker]

My concern is that if there's a discrepancy demonstrated at most of the casillas, and there are thousands subjected to being recounted, in the aggregate that can look "not too good". Hopefully the overall modifications will seem reasonably minor though. And hopefully the authorities won't take too long to release the results... The results' release timing issue is analyzed here:

http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/notas/367705.html