Jaime Rodríguez

[[File:Reunión con el Gobernador Electo de Nuevo León, Jaime Rodríguez..jpg|thumb|165px|The answer to the question of “who would be the Mexican Trump?”]]
{{politics}}
'''Jaime Heliodoro Rodríguez Calderón''' {{lived|1957}}, also known as '''El Bronco''', is a [[Mexican]] [[politician]] who served as the governor of Nuevo León from 2016 to 2021, and who also ran for president of Mexico in 2018 as an independent.<ref>[https://www.businessinsider.com/mexican-governor-calling-for-boycott-of-texas-trump-carrier-2016-12?amp A maverick Mexican governor is calling for a Texas boycott in response to Trump's Carrier deal], ''Business Insider'', December 5, 2016.</ref> He has been widely described as a [[right-wing]] [[populist]] and a Mexican [[nationalist]] (basically a Mexican [[Donald Trump|Trump]]). And like his American counterpart, he’s made various controversial and [[bigot]]ed statements about minorities, women, indigenous people, immigrants, [[United States|Americans]], [[gays]], and various other groups.<ref>[https://archive.ph/ApuWH El Bronco: Blunt, Frequently Vulgar, and Aiming to Run Nuevo León], ''[[The New York Times]]'' (via archive.today), May 24, 2015.</ref>

He previously ran under the Institutional Revolutionary Party (an [[authoritarian]] party that controlled Mexico as a [[dictatorship]] from 1929 to 2000). After a fallout with other party members, he later dropped out of the party and disavowed them as dangerous and authoritarian (ironically he literally is exactly that himself as well).<ref>[https://www.aljazeera.com/amp/program/talk-to-al-jazeera/2015/10/31/jaime-el-bronco-rodriguez-mexicos-new-zorro Jaime ‘El Bronco’ Rodriguez: Mexico’s new Zorro?], ''[[Al Jazeera]]'', October 31, 2015.</ref>

In an uncanny resemblance to Trump, he even ran as a candidate for president of Mexico in 2018, having a right-leaning populist campaign. Initially, he requested leave as governor to run for president, wanting to kill two birds with one stone.<ref>[https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKBN1EF09W/ Mexican governor requests leave to run for president] Reuters</ref> Fortunately, he didn’t win, but he’s still attempting to return to politics again as a governor. And there’s always the possibility that he may run for president again and actually win, much like Trump did.<ref>[https://noticieros.televisa.com/ultimas-noticias/jaime-rodriguez-calderon-espera-trato-cordial-amlo/ Jaime Rodríguez Calderón regresa a NL; espera trato cordial con AMLO] Noticieros</ref>

==Tenure as governor==
During his time as governor, Rodriguez did very little to improve conditions in the state of Nuevo León, bringing more corruption by [[nepotism]] and giving money to cronies, including elevating his campaign with illegal funds.<ref>[https://www.infobae.com/en/2022/03/15/the-most-controversial-proposals-of-el-bronco-such-as-that-of-mochar-hands-corrupt/?outputType=amp-type The most controversial proposals of El Bronco, such as that of “mochar hands” corrupt], ''Infobae'', March 15, 2022.</ref>

He also did a ton of photo shoots presenting himself as a typical Mexican macho man, like pictures of him riding horses (giving him his nickname, El Bronco). This mirrors weird photo shoots by other right wing politicians, like Putin when he rode horses.

==General wingnuttery==
Rodriguez has made several [[sexist]] statements on women, ranging from comparing his own wife to a horse (and women in general to horses) to denying [[abortion]] rights to Mexican women and promising to heavily punish women who get abortions.<ref>[https://m.facebook.com/SinEmbargoAlAire/videos/bronco-hablador-y-cojo/1165303277629424/?wtsid=rdr_0OBwoun8SDgogzX6H Bronco, hablador y cojo], [[Facebook]] video posted by Sin Embargo Al Aire, March 16, 2022.</ref>

Rodriguez has also suggested cutting off the hands of thieves (including petty thieves who probably steal food out of desperation and hunger). Many critics of his barbaric comments inside and outside of Mexico remarked that this policy would do little to actually deter crime, and would just worsen the human rights crisis in Mexico.<ref>[https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKBN1HU0DK/ 'Cut off hands': Mexican presidential candidate's plan to deter thieves] Reuters</ref>

Mirroring US [[Republican]] candidates in 2016, Rodriguez and other candidates did not give any sensible position on [[LGBT rights]], choosing to be “agnostic” and “neutral”. Presumably with his politics and religious views, he mostly likely supports “[[traditional marriage]]”.<ref>[https://hornet.com/stories/mexicos-first-presidential-debate/ Following Mexico’s First Presidential Debate, Let’s Break Down the Candidates on LGBT Issues] Hornet</ref>

==El Trumpo==
Much like Trump, Rodriguez vowed to take a tough on crime approach (ironically, he himself would be charged as a criminal later in his campaign). Rodríguez shared several bizarre and gruesome solutions to Mexico’s crime problem (like the aforementioned hand cutting of petty thieves).<ref>[https://www.aljazeera.com/amp/news/2015/10/4/horse-riding-mexican-governor-vows-to-go-tough-on-crime Horse-riding Mexican governor vows to go tough on crime], ''Al Jazeera'', October 4, 2015.</ref> In an ironic twist, his family may have involved themselves in the world of crime, as one of his family members disappeared in a car chase in 2009 while fleeing.
<ref>[https://www.proceso.com.mx/nacional/estados/2017/1/23/confirma-nuevo-leon-muerte-de-empresario-piloto-el-bronco-expresa-sus-condolencias-177596.html Confirma Nuevo León muerte de empresario y piloto; "El Bronco" expresa sus condolencias] Proceso</ref>

Rodriguez was charged with illicit financing charges to extend his presidential campaign in 2018, in which he finished dead last among the four candidates that ran.<ref>[https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKCN1IV03U/ Mexican presidential candidate 'El Bronco' fined for illicit financing], ''Reuters'', May 30, 2018</ref><ref>[https://www.infobae.com/en/2022/03/15/what-are-the-broncosignas-which-is-why-they-arrested-jaime-rodriguez-el-bronco-in-nuevo-leon/?outputType=amp-type What are the “Broncosignas”, which is why they arrested Jaime Rodríguez, “El Bronco”, in Nuevo León], ''Infobae'', March 15, 2022.</ref>

Much like his [[Donald Trump|American counterpart]], Rodriguez faces a longtime prison sentence for his crimes unless he runs again (but as president) and wins.<ref>[https://www.infobae.com/en/2022/04/08/the-bronco-and-his-family-under-the-magnifying-glass-of-justice/?outputType=amp-type The Bronco and his family under the magnifying glass of justice] Infobae</ref>

Even more surreal, Rodriguez bet money on Trump's win, which turned out to be in his favor. Rodriguez offered sympathy to Trump, stating that they both fed on the anger of their voters and supporters to win, and were called "mad" by the respective media of their countries.<ref>[https://www.straitstimes.com/world/united-states/maverick-mexico-governor-jaime-rodriguez-tips-trump-to-win-us-presidency Maverick Mexico governor Jaime Rodriguez tips Trump to win US presidency] The Straits Times</ref>

==See also==
*[[Donald Trump]] — his American counterpart
*[[Jair Bolsonaro]] — his Brazilian counterpart
*[[Silvio Berlusconi]] — his Italian counterpart

==References==
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[[Category:Anti-LGBT bigots]]
[[Category:Christians]]
[[Category:Fascists]]
[[Category:Homophobes]]
[[Category:Mexico]]
[[Category:Racists]]
[[Category:Right-wing activists]]
[[Category:Sexists]]
[[Category:Transphobes]]

Categories: Anti-LGBT bigots, Christians, Fascists, Homophobes, Mexico, Racists, Right-wing activists, Sexists, Transphobes