From: imaz%leland.stanford.edu@MIZZOU1.missouri.edu
Subject: MICHOACAN: Salinas's Political Defeat
Followup-To: alt.activism.d
Originator: daemon@pencil.cs.missouri.edu
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Resent-From: "Rich Winkel" <MATHRICH@MIZZOU1.missouri.edu>
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 1992 00:58:27 GMT

MICHOACAN: Salinas's Political Defeat

Eduardo Villase]or is the fourteenth governor that has fallen in the
first four years of President Salinas's six year term. The removal of
Villasenor as the governor of the State of Michoacan is the most
important political defeat of Mexico's President and demonstrates the
crisis in the Mexican political system. In the opinion of Luis Javier
Garrido, one of the most important political analysts in Mexico: "The
fall of the illegitimate governor Eduardo Villase]or Pe]a, twenty one
days after his entering office is, of course, a direct consequence of
the failure of a system of imposition which for many decades enabled
the executive branch of the government to impose its choices on the
political entities of the country." (La Jornada, October 9th, 1992).

During the entire electoral process in Michoacan the PRD (Party of the
Democratic Revolution) questioned the legality of the electoral
authorities who permited and promoted irregularities such as: the use
of public resources to finance the official party (Institutional
Revolutionary Party) candidate's campaign; the sudden appearance of
armed troops in the State's capital during the election process; as
well as the use of various forms of pressure which forced the citizens
to vote for the PRI (Salinas's party).

These irregularities in the process were also found by "Convergencia
por la democracia", organization which includes 150 non partisan civic
associations and was created to defend the citizen's political rights
(Michoacan 1992, Electoral Observer's Report, presented by
"Convergencia de Organismos Civiles por la Democracia.)

The removal of Eduardo Villasenor can be attributed to the multiple
protests lead by the PRD. On September 15th Eduardo Villasenor took
office in the presence of President Salinas outside the City Hall
which was being blocked by the citizens. From that day on, the State
of Michoacan could not be ruled by Villasenor: the citizens blocked
government buildings and highways, demonstrated against the governor
in the different state's townships, and protested against him at every
public event (the people threw rotten tomatoes at him and told him to
leave in his visit to the municipality of Lazaro Cardenas). (Proceso.
October 12, 1992)

On October 6th Villasenor was finally removed as governor of
Michoacan, one day after he sustained that he had been duly elected to
rule the State for six years (El Nacional, October 5th, 1992).

Ausencio Chavez, who was pronounced provisional governor of Michoacan
in the absence of Villasenor, has two problems to solve:1) attend to
the citizens' demands for new elections in order to elect a new
governor democratically and 2) guarantee a clean and peaceful process
for the mayor's election which has been programmed for next December.

The case of Villasenor explains Mexico's political crisis, brought
about by the Salinas administration. Adolfo Gilly, well known
historian and political analyst affirms: "The salinism ...  it's
unwilligness to initiate a political reform... is forcing
modernization the only way possible, amd in a way not anticipated by
Salinas: the increase of confrontation, conflicts and negotiations in
real life, of an opposition movement which acts independently ".(La
Jornada, October,92)

This situation explains the fall of fourteen governors (approximately
40% of the state governments in the country) during the present
administration. Among these, four governors were selected directly by
President Salinas: Ramon Aguirre in Guanajuato, Fausto Zapata in San
Luis Potosi, Salvador Neme Castillo in Tabasco, and Eduardo Villasenor
in Michoacan. (La Jornada, October 9th, 1992 and Motivos, October
12th, 1992)

The political situation in Mexico is delicate. If the present
administration is not able to resolve these problems, Mexico could
enter a period of social unrest with dire consequences.

Hoping that was interesting for you to know more about whats going on
in Mexico. I will be bringing more information about it. Especialy of
what is happening in Tamaulipas- North East of Mexico- right now.

DEMOCRACIA YA, PATRIA PARA TODOS!

Carlos
Newsgroups: misc.activism.progressive