PRI presidential candidate Enrique Peña Nieto stopped briefly in this quiet beach town 20 miles north of Mérida yesterday evening (Apr. 9), his first visit to Yucatán state since Mexico's campaign officially opened on March 30.
The 45 year old nominee told perhaps five thousand cheering supporters gathered along the town's malecón, or seafront, "Yucatán, I want to be your son, please make me your son."
Appearing on stage with the easy front runner in the race to July 1 were the state's PRI governor, Ivonne Ortega Pacheco, and the man who hopes to replace her in that job, PRI candidate Rolando Zapata. Although Ortega Pacheco is not seeking any political office this year, local speculation is that she could play an important role in a Peña Nieto administration, perhaps serving as a cabinet secretary. The governor has spent most of her adult life involved in PRI politics in Yucatán. Also present but less visible was Mérida's former mayor, Angelica Arajuo Lara, who is running on the PRI ticket for Mexico's senate.
Mr. Peña Nieto arrived at 6:50 p.m. for a speech scheduled to start at 6:00 p.m. sharp, but it didn't bother the enthusiastic PRIstas in the least. They stood patiently and attentively, dozens deep and many with children, the candidate on a platform in front of them and the Gulf lapping just behind them. The sun was low on the horizon and a cool ocean breeze was blowing when the man who appears invincible spoke for about 20 minutes. A sea of red PRI campaign caps and shirts dotted the white sandy beach.
The candidate addressed economic themes for the most part, and argued that the lack of jobs and meaningful opportunities for Mexico's millions of young people are responsible for the horrific drug violence which has overtaken the country in recent years. Peña Nieto made no direct reference to other candidates, but he noted that poverty has risen during the present administration of PAN president Felipe Calderón. In February the government reported that more than three million people were added to the ranks of the impoverished between 2008 and 2010. The PRI candidate promised in particular to focus on the severe pobreza alimentaria which affects Mexico - poverty so extreme that in some areas people cannot feed themselves and their children, and must constantly hunt for something to eat. In Yucatán state, 48% of the population subsists in moderate to severe poverty. Villages and rural ares are the hardest hit, with children and the elderly often the primary victims.
Peña Nieto, who departs Yucatán today, did not speak further about his drug war strategy. During a press conference Sunday (Apr. 8) he announced for the first time that Mexican armed forces will remain primarily responsible for anti-cartel operations if he's elected, as they have been since December 2006. That policy, known as the National Security Strategy, was adopted by president Calderón just 10 days after he took office, and has proved increasingly controversial as deaths from narco violence rise relentlessly, now exceeding 50,000. Some derisively refer to the 64 month old offensive as "Calderón's drug war." Although it has produced numerous strategic successes and dozens of the most wanted narcotics traffickers have been killed or captured, the struggle with Mexico's "beast in the cave" continues unabated, with no end in site and no apparent alternative.
Poll update: A Milenio GEA-ISA poll today shows Peña Nieto with exactly double the support of his closest rival, Josefina Vázquez Mota. The PAN candidate is foundering badly, and she had a disastrous first week on the campaign trail. Her organization brain-stormed over the weekend in a desperate effort to inject some life into what has thus far been a very anemic performance, but it's not clear that there is any particular solution. After 12 years of PAN rule, some voters plainly want a change for the sake of change.
The latest numbers surely must discourage National Action Party strategists:
PRI - Enrique Peña Nieto: 52%
PAN - Josefina Vázquez Mota: 26%
PRD - Andrés Manuel López Obrador: 21%
PNA - Gabriel Quadri de la Torre: 1.7%
Mexico's presidential campaign begins: http://mexicogulfreporter.blogspot.mx/2012/03/mexicos-presidential-campaign-opens.html.
Peña Nieto roars on Day 1 of campaign: http://mexicogulfreporter.blogspot.com/2012/03/pena-nieto-roars-on-day-1-of-campaign.html#more.
Peña Nieto takes a stand: Mexican army will retain pivotal role in drug war: http://mexicogulfreporter.blogspot.com/2012/04/after-months-of-wavering-pena-nieto.html.
Peña Nieto agrees that Veracruz should remain under federal military control: http://mexicogulfreporter.blogspot.mx/2012/04/pena-nieto-agrees-that-veracruz-should.html.
Increasing poverty, rising state debt result in poor economic report for Mexico: http://mexicogulfreporter.blogspot.com/2012/02/increase-in-state-indebtedness-poverty.html.
Mexico's aimless youth: http://mexicogulfreporter.blogspot.com/2011/11/young-women-in-mexico-suffer-from-lack.html.
47,515 have died in Mexico's five year drug war: http://mexicogulfreporter.blogspot.com/2012/01/47515-have-died-in-mexicos-five-year.html.
No comments:
Post a Comment