Ex-president Vicente Fox: persona non grata in Oaxaca

Still high on himself, former PANista hosts a "symposium of marijuana experts"


Oaxaca de Juárez, Oaxaca -
Former Mexican president Vicente Fox, who served as the National Action Party chief executive from 2000 to 2006, is an expert at burning bridges everywhere he goes.

In this southwestern state bordering Mexico's Pacific coast, he's officially been awarded a new title - persona non grata - and asked to stay out until he publicly apologizes for insulting perhaps the most beloved president of the nation - Oaxaca's favorite son, Benito Juárez.

In an interview earlier this week with a popular television news magazine, Tragaluz ("Skylight"), Fox opined that his presidency was superior to that of Juárez, who was born in Oaxaca. Benito Juárez served five separate terms as Mexico's president, between 1858 and 1872.

Fox's statement was the rough equivalent of Barack Obama saying, "I think I've done a better job than Abraham Lincoln," or George W. Bush suggesting, "My presidency will be remembered as one which accomplished more than did George Washington's." The comments, which are being replayed hourly on major Mexican networks, have been met with disgust, ridicule or a combination of both.

Fox's explanation was interesting. He made detailed reference to the McLane-Ocampo Treaty of 1859, a U.S.-Mexico agreement which, according to the former president, "practically constituted the sale of national territory, authorizing Americans to intervene in our territory. Really, we handed over our sovereignty," said Fox. "How could I respect Juárez for doing that?"

In response, on Tuesday the city council of Oaxaca de Juárez, the state capital, severely chided Fox and declared him an unwelcome person.



This is not the first time Vicente Fox has found himself in hot political water. During last year's presidential campaign, the former National Action Party president torpedoed PAN's own candidate - the only female nominee of a major political party in Mexican history to have a real shot at capturing the nation's highest office. Vicente Fox does his best to sink Josefina. Fox quit PAN in December, after the party threatened him with formal expulsion proceedings (stories below).

Fox is a long time advocate of the worldwide legalization of all drugs, without limitation. On May 30 he announced a business partnership with a former Microsoft executive, which would make the men the first large scale retail distributors of marijuana in the United States. Former president Vicente Fox and ex-Microsoft exec want to "open pot trade with Mexico." The executive, James Shively, said at the time, "We’re going to mint more millionaires than Microsoft with this business." Marijuana remains flatly prohibited by U.S. federal law, but Fox is hosting a symposium of "world experts" on cannabis in León, Guanajuato today, determined to give his personal get rich scheme impetus. (Shively gave the keynote address this afternoon - in excellent Spanish, it should be noted).

In his Tragaluz interview this week, Fox was asked, "Do you smoke marijuana now, or have you ever?" He answered no to both questions. But just a month ago he called a press conference at the Vicente Fox Center and proudly proclaimed, "I'd raise marijuana, were it legal." "It's good for you," Fox added.
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Footnote on Benito Juárez: He was born into desperate poverty in a small Oaxacan village, where the native language was Zapotec. As a child he was taken in by the Franciscans, who thought he showed great promise. They taught Benito educated Spanish. Later the future president traveled extensively, and mastered both English and French. The indigenous boy died a fluent speaker of four languages.

May 31, 2013 - Minor collateral consequences of Shively - Fox dope plan
Dec. 15, 2012 - Former president Vicente Fox quits National Action Party
July 3, 2012 - Vicente Fox faces expulsion from PAN
June 5, 2012 - Vicente Fox, a PRIsta in very thin disguise
Apr. 16, 2012 - Vicente Fox: legalize all drugs immediately
Oct. 18, 2011 - Vicente Fox urges legalization of all drugs in Mexico - and worldwide

"I was better than Benito Juárez. How could I respect him?" - El Informador, Guadalajara, 7/18/2013

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