Mexico’s destiny to be decided on September 16th

2009-04-28

Richard Moore

Many Mexicans are now aware about the great benefits that the Bolivarian Revolution has brought the Venezuelan people through the wise use of that nation’s oil resources. Already, some Mexicans are beginning to murmur, “What Mexico needs is an Hugo Chavez!”

Is this why the US is thinking of invading, with the drug war as an excuse?
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Mexico’s destiny to be decided on September 16th

by
Hector Carreon
La Voz de Aztlan

Los Angeles, Alta California – September 7, 2006 – (ACN) “No Pasaran” is the slogan now most often chanted by the thousands of supporters of presidential candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador encamped for weeks at El Zocalo, Mexico City’s central historic square. “No Pasaran” means “They Shall Not Pass” and is directed at any presidential administration of Felipe Calderon Hinojosa who’s offices would be located at the Palacio Nacional adjacent to El Zocalo. Felipe Calderon was declared president on September 5th by a federal panel of judges after Lopez Obrador alleged electoral fraud in the July 2nd elections. The federal panel of judges refused to have a full recount of all the ballots in the very close election that was separated by a mere .57 percentage point. As a result, a vast number of the electorate now considers the presidency of conservative Felipe Calderon, to be installed on December 1st, as illegitimate.

Instead, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador of the Partido Revolucionario Democratico (PRD), a left of center political party, has summoned his supporters throughout Mexico and a million delegates to convene a National Democratic Convention at El Zocalo on Mexican Independence Day. One purpose of the convention is to establish an alternative or parallel national government for the Republic of Mexico. Lopez Obrador says that the Mexican people have the right to change corrupt government institutions and cites Article 39 of the Mexican Constitution that grants the people the right to change their government if that government does not represent them. A major worry is that tradition calls for a major military parade to take place at El Zocalo on September 16th. Many fear a “Tlatelolco” type clash on that day. The Tlatelolco Massacre, took place on October 2, 1968, in the Plaza de las Tres Culturas, ten days before the 1968 Summer Olympics celebrations in Mexico City. The death toll, mostly university students, was in the hundreds with many more wounded and several thousand arrested.

Lopez Obrador’s supporters marching towards El Zocalo

There have been only two prior National Democratic Conventions in the history of Mexico. The first took place during the Mexican Revolution in the state of Aguascalientes in 1914. The National Democratic Convention of 1914 included as delegates General Franciso Villa of the “División del Norte” and General Emiliano Zapata of the “División del Sur”. The second National Democratic Convention took place in the Lacandon jungle of Chiapas in 1994. It was convened by the Zapatista Army of National Liberation.

No one doubts that the agenda for the National Democratic Convention of 2006 will determine the destiny of Mexico for many decades to come. It will also greatly impact US/Mexico relations and particularly relations concerning the immigration issue. One thing is sure, the movement that will arise on September 16 is going to greatly hamper the ability of the Harvard educated conservative Felipe Calderon Hinojosa to govern effectively during his 6 year term. Most likely, the path set by the National Democratic Convention for Mexico will coincide with the paths that many Latin American nations are now taking, especially Venezuela. Many Mexicans are now aware about the great benefits that the Bolivarian Revolution has brought the Venezuelan people through the wise use of that nation’s oil resources. Already, some Mexicans are beginning to murmur, “What Mexico needs is an Hugo Chavez!”