Hugo Chavez not recognizing election of Mexico's Calderon; will boycott ceremony (Translation)

El Universal ( Caracas ) ^ | November 16, 2006 | El Universal staff article ( translated by self )

[StJacques]

Venezuela's presence in Mexican presidential investiture unconfirmed

Mexico City. - The government of Venezuela still has not confirmed whether it will send a representative to Mexico to the presidential investiture of Felipe Calderon, the 1st of December, according to the official list circulated today by the Mexican presidency.

The President of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez, who is seeking reelection in the elections which will be carried out in his country the 3rd of December, up to now has avoided recognizing Calderon's victory, among other reasons since he considers there were "strange things" in the Mexican elections.

According to information released today by the presidential spokesman of Mexico, Ruben Aguilar, as of now ten heads of State or of Government have verified that they will be present in Mexico, whereas others will send special representatives or their Foreign Ministers, as reviewed by the DPA.¹

The preparations for the ceremony of the 1st of December are being carried out in Mexico in a tense evironment, because of the warning of the legislators of the Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD) that they will hinder the ceremony in the Legislative Palace of San Lazaro.

The PRD, party of the losing candidate of the elections, the centro-leftist Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador,² asserts that Calderon's victory was the product of fraud.

The list of confirmed [attendees] so far includes the Presidents of Guatemala, Paraguay, El Salvador, Colombia, Honduras, Costa Rica, Peru, and Argentina; the Prime Ministers of Belize and Tanzania and Prince Felipe of Asturias.³

Great Britain will be represented at the level of Vice Prime Minister, while Japan and the Holy See will be sending special representatives.

Moreover, the Foreign Relations Ministers of Chile, Jamaica, the Netherlands, Germany, China, Finland, Italy, Haiti, the Czech Republic will be attending, among other countries.

Also the Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), chilean Jose Miguel Insulza, the Secretary General of the Organization for Cooperation and Economic Development (OCED), Mexican Angel Gurria, and a representative of the European Parliament.

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Translator's Notes:

¹ Acronym for the Deutsche Presse-Agentur, or the German News Agency.

² Remember this is an article from a Venezuelan newspaper. From their perspective the definition of a "leftist" would be Hugo Chavez. By that comparison Lopez Obrador looks to be more to the center.

³ Prince of Spain, son of King Juan Carlos and Queen Sophia.

[StJacques]

". . . Why does anyone, Calderon and PAN particularly, give a flying whoop-de-do . . ."

It comes down to the "legitimacy" issue. Lopez Obrador has cried fraud and had himself declared the "legitimate" President of Mexico. Calderon is facing a legal process associated with the transition that includes the toma de protesta (taking protest) of the national legislature, which is a sexennial event in which the declared winner symbolically demonstrates his willingness to defend the Mexican Constitution. Once having done so he completes a step along the way to the toma de posesión (taking possession) of office. The PRD has threatened so forcefully to disrupt this proceeding that there is talk of using police force against legislators, of using the military to back up the PFP if the demonstrators outside get too numerous and rowdy, and much more. AMLO and his wrecking crew, now supplemented by APPO, are still a formidable force in Mexico. If they can prevent some of these ceremonies from taking place they may be able to claim that Calderon is "illegitimate" because he didn't complete the process.

Attempts to create ingovernability on a national scale such as Lopez Obrador and APPO are now undertaking require some international recognition of their legitimacy. Chavez is providing that right now.

[MichaelManureMoore]

Is this guy for real? Just when I think he can't top himself, he hits another home run for the forces of stupidity! Please let there be a coup or a random act of God!


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[sgtbono2002]

They need to toss him out of there. Hopefully they will.

[happinesswithoutpeace]

It seems like it was a hundred years ago when we referred to this as the Soviet assault on our southern flank.

Now the curse is running rampant throughout Nicaragua, Venezuela, Bolivia, Uruguay, Chile, Argentina and Brazil.

[StJacques]

Yes; but Mexico is the "prize" for the Latin American Left. They can cause more trouble in Mexico than anywhere else.

One of the main reasons why we are seeing so much leftist success in Latin America recently is that the left within these various nations is uniting behind a single candidate while the center and right divide against each other, as was especially the case in the recent Nicaraguan election in which Ortega becomes President with only 40% of the vote and hardly any chance of winning a runoff. But what is going on in both Mexico and Venezuela right now may be turning the tide. In Mexico the PRI and the PAN are learning to cooperate and the unified opposition to Chavez in Venezuela may be leading in the race right now, as Manuel Rosales was ahead of Chavez 47 to 43 in the most recent poll (see this post in another thread for more).

Latin America is going to have to learn that their loosely-organized systems of political parties has left them weak in the face of a united Left. Mexico and Venezuela are the proving grounds of two-party system politics. It won't be like our two-party system, because Latin America's will be built upon coalitions and alliances, but it must be a two party system one way or another for the Left to be stopped.

[happinesswithoutpeace]

And even now in Colombia, Uribe calls for heads to roll for anyone involved with paras or a-uc. f-arc must be using the hostage card.

[StJacques]

I lived in Colombia for a year and I have a lot to say about the FARC, who I hate with a passion having seen their work with my own eyes. But the paras are a danger in and of themselves because they tend to try to function along the lines of "warlords" once they get established and Uribe's success in breaking them, and he has been very successful at it, has enabled him to bring the ELN (Army of National Liberation) guerrillas into talks which seem headed to a successful conclusion right now.

ELN to Talk Peace with Colombian Government: Oct. 27, 2006

I look forward to a day when Colombia can focus almost exclusively upon the FARC.

[oneamericanvoice]

"They need to toss him out of there. Hopefully they will."


I'm with you, Sarge! It's a idea whose time has come! Vive, el revelucion!

[Hope from Venezuela]

The "coup de faux" mentioned by Maeve was non other than a self coup. This was a way for Chávez to find out who was with him and who wasn't. This is why he was returned to power so fast and easily.

[DieHard the Hunter]

> The President of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez, who is seeking reelection in the elections which will be carried out in his country the 3rd of December, up to now has avoided recognizing Calderon’s victory, among other reasons since he considers there were “strange things” in the Mexican elections.

Well, that changes everything then. If Chavez doesn’t approve the election results then I guess it’s back to square one for Calderon...