U.K.'s The Guardian alleges Televisa-Peña Nieto deal

Televisa "sold prominent politicians favorable coverage in its flagship news and used programs to smear a popular leftwing leader," charges British newspaper


In a crushing indictment published yesterday (Jun. 7), the respected British newspaper The Guardian claims that the Televisa network -- the largest in the Spanish speaking world -- was literally bought by several politicians in this country, among the most prominent of whom is PRI presidential candidate Enrique Peña Nieto. The "popular leftwing leader" is the 2012 PRD presidential nominee, whom the paper says establishment politicians are determined to crush (The Old Guard's worst nightmare: Andrés Manuel López Obrador).

If the allegations are true, they confirm much of which the student movement YoSoy132 has been saying about the Mexican media in recent weeks, especially with respect to the powerful and influential Televisa news network.

They also paint former PAN president Vicente Fox as a political conspirator in his own right, heavily preoccupied with the destruction of López Obrador in the 2006 election.

14 corpses left at a Tamaulipas city hall

More border butchery, just 72 hours after U.S. State Dept. issues latest travel alert

*Update below*
Just four days ago the U.S. State Dept. issued a warning for Americans in Mexico, particularly those in or near Tamaulipas state, next to the Texas border. It was the second such U.S. warning for the area since March, and the third since February (all three alerts are linked just below). The latest warning has proved prophetic, after 14 dismembered bodies were found in an abandoned cargo vehicle parked in front of a town hall.

Peña Nieto rejects YoSoy debate demand

*Update below*
PRI presidential candidate Enrique Peña Nieto has rejected yesterday's demand by the national student movement known as YoSoy132 to participate in a final political debate on June 19. The three other candidates accepted the challenge today, and said they look forward to participating in what will be their last joint appearance before the July 1 election.

Canadian woman facing long sentence in Gaddafi smuggling case will stay in jail

Chetumal, Quintana Roo --
The Canadian woman accused of being the brains behind a conspiracy to smuggle a son of deposed Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi into Mexico must remain in jail, according to a Canadian news blog which is monitoring events closely.

In a June 1 story, La politica es la politica ("Politics are Politics") reported that on May 24, a Mexican judge refused to dismiss criminal charges against the woman. (The private trials of Cynthia Vanier).

YoSoy 132 demands final debate between candidates - to be moderated by students

"No excuses," they say - "it's our right to be heard"

*Updates below*
The second and final official debate conducted by Mexico's electoral commission is set for this weekend. But YoSoy representatives have asked -- demanded, really -- that all four show up for another one on Tuesday, June 19, to "confront the face of Mexico's youth."

YoSoy proposes to accept questions via the internet (from anyone, but especially young people), during and just before the debate.

Press crimes become federal crimes in Mexico today, as new law takes effect

Effective today, all crimes committed against the press or against journalists in Mexico are federal offenses. About 85 Mexican journalists have been killed or disappeared under suspicious circumstances since the year 2000.

A proposed constitutional amendment which was passed by Mexico's Senate in March has finally made its way into the law books. It passed the lower legislative body, the Cámara de Diputados, in April, and then was submitted to the 32 states, half or more of which have now endorsed it. (The law was signed by president Calderón Jun. 22).

Details here: Mexico poised to increase protection for journalists, federalizing anti-press crimes: http://mexicogulfreporter.blogspot.mx/2012/03/mexico-poised-to-increase-protection.html.

U.S. State Dept. Warning to Americans in Mexico - issued June 4, 2012

*Updated content below*
The following text is the verbatim warning issued yesterday:

Mensaje de Emergencia para los ciudadanos de Estados Unidos: Ataque con Artefactos explosivos en Matamoros Tamaulipas (04 - Junio - 2012)
Since May 31, multiple explosive devices have been reported in Matamoros, several of which have detonated. The majority of these devices were located in Matamoros at Fraccionamiento Victoria Seccion Fiesta, but are not limited to that area. U.S. Consulate General employees are being advised to exercise appropriate caution in their movements.

The Old Guard's worst nightmare: Manuel López Obrador

MGRR News Analysis -
Old Guard PANistas ready to abandon Josefina, all to stop The Leftist - so says PRD



Politics make strange bedfellows, it is said. As Mexico counts down the remaining 25 days to July 1, all of the old PAN bosses in this nation are forging an off-the-books alliance to do whatever is necessary to stop that which terrifies them most: a victory by Democratic Revolution Party candidate Andrés Manuel López Obrador. The old PAN power-breakers are prepared to abandon party, to abandon all the political ideals upon which their careers were built, to abandon millions of the party faithful, to abandon personal integrity. They're most certainly prepared to abandon Josefina Vázquez Mota, PAN's standard bearer, who soundly trounced her two male opponents in last February's primary (Josefina Vázquez Mota sweeps PAN primary). They're prepared to make a temporary truce of sorts with PRI, all to crush a common enemy.

Proposed Tamapa-Quintana Roo ferry service officially on hold until summer 2013

Problems with government permits stalls project for this year

Cancún, Quintana Roo --
A proposed ferry service from Tampa, Fla. to the Quintana Roo industrial port of Calica on Mexico's Caribbean coast is on hold for at least a year, news services report. The plan's primary sponsor is U.S. based United Caribbean Lines.

Vicente Fox, a PRIsta in very thin disguise

News Analysis -
'Vaquero' Fox also takes a slam at YoSoy 132, calling its members hired guns

On April 12, I wrote a story about the two-faced politics of former Mexican president Vicente Fox, who had just gone out of his way to fire a torpedo at his own National Action Party. Suggesting that the presidential contest is "already decided," the PAN ex-prez (2000-2006) said that Josefina Vázquez Mota would need a milagrito to prevail -- a little miracle. Two weeks later, on April 25, Fox and Vázquez Mota had a tête-à-tête in Monterrey. Afterwards, addressing her as "Madame President" and elegantly kissing her hand for assembled reporters, Fox told Josefina, "You can count on me unconditionally. I know that Mexico will benefit from your victory, from your talents, from the better future you're going to bring to all of us." Fox, a master at playing both sides of the fence, was smooth, polished and deferential (Vicente Fox does his best to sink Josefina). Now he has skillfully replanted the knife squarely in Josefina's back.

Students heckle Josefina over daycare fire

On the three year anniversary of Guardería ABC, was YoSoy behind the protest?

On the third anniversary of a horrific fire at a daycare facility in Hermosillo which killed 49 young children, PAN candidate Josefina Vázquez Mota was heckled by students and the victim's parents today during a campaign stop at Mexico City's prestigious Universidad Iberoamericana (UIA). The national student protest movement known as YoSoy 132 was born at UIA several weeks ago, and has already given PRI candidate Enrique Peña Nieto a taste of the bitter medicine it's quite capable of administering. First, here's a brief report on the fire case: Mexico has a new federal child care law.

Mexicans surveyed on YoSoy 132 attitudes

El Universal, a highly respected Mexico City newspaper, conducted a presidential preference poll recently (May 24-28). It’s survey showed Enrique Peña Nieto with 43.8%, Andrés Manuel López Obrador with 27.7%, Josefina Vázquez Mota with 26% and Gabriel Quadri de la Torre with 2.5%.

The paper attributes EPN's loss of ground in recent weeks to the effects of YoSoy132. So it decided to ask respondents how they view the student-driven movement. For some that may be the more interesting part of the survey, which was published today.

YoSoy 132 returns to Mérida streets, this time showing its true colors . . .

. . . and they're ANYTHING but red, white and green

"Vote for PRI? I'd die first"

Mérida, Yucatán --
The national student protest movement known as YoSoy 132 hit local streets again this afternoon, for the second time in 10 days. Perhaps 300 demonstrators (very generously estimated) gathered in the main plaza at 5:00 p.m., and listened to impassioned speeches by organizers. Later they marched north through downtown. The gathering was orderly.

MGRR reported on the group's local debut May 23. ("YoSoy 132" protest arrives in Mérida). Today's encore mirrored the first, although with noticeably less enthusiasm, and a much smaller crowd. A light shower didn't help fire up anyone's revolutionary zeal, and 45 minutes after it started it was all over. There was far more interest in the traditional Yucatecan street dancing (a standard Sunday evening fare in this city) than in YoSoy.

Ten dead in 11 hours of Acapulco violence

Acapulco, Guerrero -
In this famed Pacific coast resort which has been under federal military control for six months, the violence is far from over. Earlier this year I reported on what seemed to be an improved security climate. But now the old patterns appear to have resumed.

On Saturday (Jun. 3), the city recorded 10 new drug related murders. In one case a taxi driver flagged down police to report that a group of five armed men had just stolen his cab. Officers located the vehicle minutes later, but as they approached the men opened up with AK-47s. Police returned the fire, killing one of them. The other four were taken into custody. In this city, as in Cancún and many locations, taxis are frequently stolen and placed into service by drug dealers and hit squads. They easily camouflage the occupants' intentions, since so many are on the streets at all hours.

More dope comes ashore in Quintana Roo

Cancún International Airport serves as major gateway for Europe-bound cocaine

*Updated Feb. 11, 2013*
Cancún, Quintana Roo --
Famed Charles Manson prosecutor turned criminal defense attorney Vincent Bugliosi wrote an entertaining book three decades ago, detailing a bizarre 1970s murder case on hauntingly remote Palmyra Atoll in the South Pacific. The title, And the Sea Will Tell, might well describe what regularly occurs along Mexico's Caribbean coast, known as the Riviera Maya. I've written about this subject before (Drugs float ashore on Playa del Carmen), and Google tells me that readers remain attracted to it long after it was published. This is an update.