Lopez Obrador's Supporters Occupy Capital of Mexico (City Center Shut Down - Vow to Force Recount)

San Diego Tribune ^ | July 31, 2006 | S. Lynne Walker

[StJacques]

MEXICO CITY – Leftist Andrés Manuel López Obrador led his supporters into Mexico City's streets yesterday and launched an occupation of the nation's capital that he vowed to continue until federal electoral officials accept his demand for a recount in the presidential election.

Casting the protest as a defense of Mexico's fragile democracy, López Obrador outlined a detailed plan to close nearly two dozen main thoroughfares by setting up encampments in the heart of Mexico City's business district.

He also promised to stay with supporters “day and night” at a permanent camp he asked them to set up in the city's historic main plaza, the Zócalo.

“This goes beyond the fact that they should recognize my triumph as president of the republic,” López Obrador told a crowd of several hundred thousand supporters packed into the Zócalo yesterday. “The fundamental issue is that there is democracy in our country.”. . .

[StJacques]

Pay attention everyone, this is NOT an incremental step in the escalation of post-election tensions in Mexico. This is a qualitative leap forward in the ratcheting of pressure Lopez Obrador and his supporters are placing upon the Mexican Federal Electoral Tribunal to order a complete hand recount of all 41 plus million ballots of the July 2 election.

I have also been at the Mexico City newspaper site El Universal this morning and it is filled with stories of the shutting down of Mexico City's central district.

Many observers recognize that if the full recount Lopez Obrador is demanding, which is not provided for under Mexican electoral law due to the fact that the vote is certified by party representatives in each precinct on election day, does go ahead and does not favor him that he and his followers will demand that the election be "annulled," an option that is provided for under Mexican law.

Today's occupation of the center of the nation's capital and its accomapanying closure of the city's central district -- which is where the government buildings are -- could be the first step towards a seizure of the government on the part of Mexico's left. It would be going too far to say that is what is going on, but Lopez Obrador and his followers have erected 47 encampments around the city they are describing as "permanent" unless their demands are met. This is for real.

[Izzy Dunne]

Haven't I heard this story before? Except I thought the name was El Goro, or something like that.

[LIConFem]

Looks like someone's been takin' Algore lessons.

[StJacques]

A Mexican post-election ping for you all.

Guys, the news coming off the Mexican web sites on all of this is continually breaking and I would like to find something appropriate to translate for you all, but there is just so much right now. I am somewhat busy today, so it's going to be difficult for me to get enough free time to do anything.

What I may do later on is put a "summary" of major news stories from the Mexican press within this thread with appropriate links and, in that event, I will ping you all from there.

[Jameison]

YYYAWWWN!
Why doesn't this sucker go grow tomatoes or something?
Or make a movie about "global warming"?
Algore did.

[jneesy]

i still have a bad feeling this will get bloody before all is said and done (remember south american leftists LOVE guns)

[RoadTest]

Mob Rule

[Eric in the Ozarks]

That's what Obrador has in mind.

[johnny7]

When's the shootin' start?

[freedumb2003]

My in-laws in Monterrey are starting to get concerned about a very real civil war or a new Revolution.

Obragore has lots and lots of very poor people he has promised bolgna sandwiches to,as well as the Teacher's Union (which, as you know, is as powerful as the AFL-CIO in the George Meany days).

In the meantime, almost all external investment has come to a screetching halt.

I check in with the in laws pretty frequently -- they are standard middle class surburbanites, so I'll chip in with info "from the ground" where I can.

[Tzimisce]

We're going to count them till I win. :)

[nina0113]

Please add me to the ping list as well.

[StJacques]

Ok nina, you're on it.

I want to post a Mexican political cartoon I put up last night on another thread for everyone to see.

Lopez Obrador is wrapped up in a strait jacket, falling from the sky, and shouting "I am the President of Mexicoooooooo . . ."

[Utahrd]

If all economic activity in El DeFectuoso is shut down, how will we be able to tell?

[sdillard]

Perhaps this is a bad time to buy that condo in Baja.

Seriously, given Mexico's political history, a violent attempt to seize power is a real possiblity.

[squarebarb]

Thanks, I would like to hear what your in-laws have to say.

My husband and I lived in Mexico for a year and were thinking about staying but his retirement check was impossible to process through Mexican banks, in fact everything from renting to parking was an extreme problem, not to speak of telephone. You had to bribe everybody for everything.

[DustyMoment]

This is a qualitative leap forward in the ratcheting of pressure Lopez Obrador and his supporters are placing upon the Mexican Federal Electoral Tribunal to order a complete hand recount of all 41 plus million ballots of the July 2 election.

There may be another revolution in Mexico's future. This doesn't bode well.

[freedumb2003]

Seriously, given Mexico's political history, a violent attempt to seize power is a real possiblity.

It won't hold if Nuevo Leon stares them down (which they have done in the past).

All real commerce and manufacturing engines are centered in Monterrey. And that is a PAN stronghold.

But it will be a mess if it goes that far. Mexico could split with Guadalajara and Monterrey (the 2 biggest cities outside of Mexico City) holding the North.

[dirtboy]

Haven't I heard this story before? Except I thought the name was El Goro, or something like that.

Mexico has become Baja Florida.

[SAJ]

A week ago: MPU futures = 9.1625
                     tradesports = 2.0 bid @ 2.8

This a. m.: MPU futures = 9.1500, down .0400
                     tradesports = 4.2 bid @ 5.0, 1 up, no trades yet today

Bottom line: the mkt, as always, is an anticipatory discounting mechanism for price. Right now, the mkt is saying, ''Yeah, ObraGore, we see ya. You ain't got no smoke yet, pachuco.''