Protests force Mexico's Fox to change Independence Day ceremony (Backs Down in Face of Mexican Left)

Reuters AlertNet ^ | September 14, 2006 | Reuters

[StJacques]

MEXICO CITY, Sept 14 (Reuters) - Leftist protests forced Mexican President Vicente Fox to abandon plans to lead a traditional ceremony in the capital on Friday, the eve of independence day, the Interior Minister said.

Fox, targeted by leftists angry at what they say was fraud at July's presidential election, will instead hold the highly-symbolic cry of independence in the central town of Dolores Hidalgo, minister Carlos Abascal told reporters on Thursday.

The ceremony, known as "el grito", takes place every Sept. 15 in the central Zocalo square but leftists have vowed to demonstrate against conservative Fox in the plaza.

[StJacques]

I see other articles up on this on the Mexican news sites, but I am unfortunately occupied and I do not have the time to do any translating at the moment. I will be posting more on this later this evening with information from the Mexican press.

[StJacques]

A ping for you all.

Needless to say, I am very disappointed at this news. Very disappointed.

[Kitten Festival]

Fox true to form, always a weakling.

[samadams2000]

My God that country has no reason to celebrate anything.

[StJacques]

I actually thought Vicente had shown some cojones over the past week, but this is just a complete cave-in.

[Republicus2001]

Heh, I'd like to see Howard Dean try to make Bush change the 4th of July --bah!

[AmericanChef]

I'm thinking the same thing. Also, independence from what, exactly? They haven't used their independence very productively.

[P-40]

We might need to start thinking about getting that fence up....

[Texan5]

What a wimp-I hope the new pres has a titanium set-that seems to be badly needed.

[sean327]

Mexico is in serious trouble folks, and Fox changing things to avoid the moonbats is not a good sign.

[samadams2000]

Maybe Mexico should disband and turn their cesspool..er.. county into a wildlife sanctuary.The left would support that im sure. Half their country lives in the SF Gay area anyway.

[Triggerhippie]

Ausente Fox strikes again.

[Graymatter]

Mexico is in serious trouble folks

I'll say. There has to be something more to this than loudmouthed lefties. Smells to me like the military is putting pressure on Fox and he is trying to avert a coup. (Well Fox, you get the govt you deserve, and when you're president you get it sooner than anybody else.)

[CedarDave]

My reading of the article and those you presented earlier is that the encampments, equipment, etc. must be removed by Saturday, not Friday. So everything may still be on track for Saturday as originally agreed to by Obragores goons. Fox may just be going the extra kilometer to show everyone that he is being reasonable, etc...

But if they do not clear out by Saturday, then it should be a different story.

[redgolum]

Analysis of what this means for the future?

[StJacques]

"Analysis of what this means for the future?"

I'm thinking that through right now redgolum. I've just begun translating an article from the Mexican press on this and I have some very early thoughts that, because Fox and Calderon's own PAN party opposed the giving of the address in the Zocalo in Mexico City, that there is more going on here than meets the eye.

I'm going to come back to this a little later. I'll ping you when I do. There are a lot of variables at play here, but I have the feeling I'm going to disapprove no matter what I read into the motivations behind this decision.

[redgolum]

Thank you.

[StJacques]

Here is the text of the El Universal story up at http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/notas/375218.html. And I do wish that El Universal would send some of their journalists writing news copy back to school, because it was very poorly written.

And as a preliminary "translator's note," when Mexicans speak of their "declaration" of independence, they are not referring to a published document such as we have in this country. Mexicans refer to El Grito de la Independencia or "The Shout of Independence," which celebrates the speech shouted out in the public square of the town of Dolores Hidalgo, in the state of Guanajuato, by Catholic Father Miguel Hidalgo, who organized a revolt of Indian mine workers and Mexican peasants in 1810 that continued into the eventual achievement of the independence of Mexico from Spain.

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Fox will give The Shout [of Independence] in Dolores Hidalgo, Guanajuato

The Governmental Secretary, Carlos Abascal, affirms that the President made the decision in order to preserve conditions favorable for harmony and peace.

President Vicente Fox will give the "Shout of Independence" the 15th of September, in Dolores Hidalgo, Guanajuato, "after pondering what is best for the nation," the Governmental Secretary Carlos Abascal Carranza announced.

The titular head of SEGOB said that the Chief Executive made this decision in order to preserve conditions favorable for harmony, security, and peace, in the Plaza of the Constitution, as well as in other sites in which it will be celebrated in the republic.

Carlos Abascal formulated a declaration to the news media, after operating through the morning under the instruction of the Chief Executive, of how to take on the organization of the change of venue, and of how Alejandro Encinas, Head of Government of the Federal District, will take on the task the giving of "The Shout" in the Zocalo, from early times the Palace of the Municipal Council.

The official responsible for Interior policy [Abascal] did not take questions from the reporters, which made the confirmation of versions suggesting the Chief Executive is not coming to the Zocalo Friday night impossible, neither [is it possible to know] whether the leader of the For the Good of All coalition, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, would be in the plaza.

Fox's decision, Abascal said, is a demonstration of the "invariable commitment to the safeguarding of institutions." In deciding to go to Dolores Hidalgo, the Chief Executive "assumed his absolute responsibility in the construction of favorable conditions for harmony, security, and the peace of those who are gathering at the Zocalo."

Moreover, it is in the interest of the President of the republic to act in favor of harmonious social coexistence and the fortifying of the democratic values of Mexico.

In his message, the Governmental Secretary emphasized that unity, for which Fox is sacrificing his presence in the National Palace this Friday, "is the superior value which we Mexicans are all called to defend."

He remarked that as head of the Mexican state, Vicente Fox "has been invariably respectful of political, ideological, and opinionated differences, and of the forms of exercising the freedoms guaranteed in the Constitution."

The announcement that the President will journey to Dolores Hidalgo to give "The Shout" was revealed at 3:05 p.m., some 10 minutes after the Senate, in plenary session unanimously approved a non-binding resolution presented by the PAN bench; with the end of exhorting the Chief Executive not to give "The Shout" in the Zocalo."

This presidential decision, as Abascal agreed, could guarantee that this September 15 Mexicans "will celebrate together, with happiness, in peace and with love for Mexico," their national festivals.
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Okay; now for a little analysis on my part. And before I begin, all of you should understand that I am having to eat what I just posted yesterday about Fox's success in standing up to Lopez Obrador. That isn't going down well with me, as I hope you will all appreciate. I am at this very moment undergoing a process of reexamination of certain conclusions I have made about the situation over the past few weeks, because I clearly have made some mistakes in overestimating the Fox administration, the PAN party, and more. I've clearly been too optimistic about the prospects for Mexico's political future, which look much darker to me tonight than they did this morning.

Based upon what is in the above article, it appears to me that Fox has bowed to near unanimous pressure from all sides to avoid giving the "Shout of Independence" in the national capital Friday evening. The fact that his own PAN party presented the resolution before the Senate says something about how widespread public fears over a violent reaction from PRD demonstrators is at present. I do not rule out the possibility that Fox may have worked behind the scenes to get the PAN legislators to introduce the resolution to give him an opportunity to "save face" when deciding not to stay in Mexico City, but my best guess is that he wanted to do it, given that I have seen numerous articles over the past few weeks expressing the near-unanimous opinions of leaders from all the political parties that Fox should not give El Grito in the Zocalo.

There are some obvious implications to all of this. One of them is that in the aftermath of the violent actions of some of Lopez Obrador's supporters preventing Vicente Fox from giving his Informe on September 1 (see this post [#25] for more) everyone is coming to recognize that there is nothing "peaceful" about Lopez Obrador's claim to lead a movment of "peaceful civic resistance." Everyone knows the potential for violence among the Mexican Left, but it seems that references to it are only made as passing comments, rather than calling the PRD down for what they are really doing. A second obvious implication is that, despite all of Fox's spin to the contrary, there is a genuine problem of the ingovernability of the country. When the President cannot give his annual national address before the Mexican Congress nor can he perform his traditional ceremonial duty on Mexico's Independence Day, the causes cannot be dismissed as insignificant. And I didn't even mention Oaxaca. Though Mexico is a much more modern society than many understand, its domestic political situation is one of genuine turmoil, there is just no getting around it.

An additional implication, which may not be quite so obvious as those I just listed, but which is sticking in my brain right now, is that the withdrawal of the presidency from Mexico City in the face of Lopez Obrador's intimidation will tend to lend some legitimacy to the aims of his "Democratic National Convention" this Saturday evening in the eyes of some of his supporters. This is where I believe that Fox and the Mexican politicians who have urged him to avoid confrontation are making a serious mistake. If a violent confrontation in the Zocalo were to unfold in the Zocalo this Friday, then it would have been obvious to everyone that Lopez Obrador's "Convention" would have lacked any popular air of legality, given that everyone would have associated it with the events of the previous night. I think that would have been worth something. Instead, it seems that the tact everyone is taking is to simply ignore AMLO and hope that he will eventually go away. I am now prepared to pronounce that strategy as misguided. AMLO's PRD has formed very close ties with Venezuelan, Cuban, and other leftist movements elsewhere in Latin America and they are providing financial assistance as well as ideological guidance. They're not going anywhere, no matter how much responsible Mexican politicians may wish to the contrary.

And as a final comment, I want to try to put this in historical perspective. It is very obvious to me as I view the light-handed treatment with which everyone in Mexico seems to treat the PRD and their allies that the shadow of the Tlatelolco disaster, I think it is unfairly referred to as a "massacre" but that is how it is usually known, of October, 1968 looms large here. Lopez Obrador consistently refers to it in speeches, saying that the Fox government is no different, which is an outrage, but he continues to do it just the same. And I think that the "forces of order" are perhaps frozen in place fearing that if they stand up to the Left, they will have another Tlatelolco on their hands. I am becoming afraid that if they don't stand up to the Left, they may have worse to deal with before this is all over.

[CedarDave]

I don't know what to think. You certainly have put out a different take on things. Fox seems almost paralyzed. Maybe he's just thinking of his "legacy" because he is a lame duck with less than 90 days left as president. Not that he has one, but probably he doesn't want to be remembered as one who took action against the PRD and Obrador. Just wants to slide for the next several weeks. As you say, however, they aren't going away and Felipe Caldron better have a plan to deal with them.

[A CA Guy]

Fox is on the way out anyway and doesn't want to die the last few days because of the left.

In this case I may not blame him.

[Truth29]

Absolutely. If real anarchy breaks out in Mexico, we have no means to protect our borders short of calling out the Army and our legislators continue to drag their feet and argue without any real progress being made.

[goldfinch]

Thanks for the historical perspective. I had forgotten the 'Tlatelolco' disaster. Whether that is what is guiding Fox or not, it is never good policy to get into a situation where the government might have to shoot at its own countrymen. Please keep us posted.

[livius]

Very disappointing that he's backing down on this, although as you say, he's obviously having visions of 1968 and doesn't want to play into their hands. He's between a rock and a hard place, but I think he should have taken the chance and gone ahead with it. This is just going to embolden them, IMHO.

[Becki]

Dolores Hidalgo

Isn't Dolores Hidalgo where Mexico made their Declaration of Independence? Perhaps this is meant to be more symbolic.

Becki

[StJacques]

"Isn't Dolores Hidalgo where Mexico made their Declaration of Independence?"

Yes; see my second paragraph in my post #18 above.

"Perhaps this is meant to be more symbolic."

Well it's definitely the 2nd best option on the table, but there's no letting Fox off the hook. He's standing down.

[redgolum]

Not good.

Heard that Chavez is not going to recognize the new Mexican president, claiming that there were some "irregularities".

This could get ugly fast.

[norton]

"the withdrawal of the presidency from Mexico City in the face of Lopez Obrador's intimidation will tend to lend some legitimacy to the aims of his "Democratic National Convention" this Saturday evening in the eyes of some of his supporters."

Sorry St. J. but when the head of state 'withdraws' from his capital it's usually a sign that the coup has already taken place.

Does anyone know what's being said/done/promised regarding mexico during this week's cuban conference of anti-american slime balls?

More to the point, what is Calderon doing / saying these days?

(Finally; I'm wondering where Vince's family might be?)

[StJacques]

"Sorry St. J. but when the head of state 'withdraws' from his capital it's usually a sign that the coup has already taken place."

If you would amend your statement to "it's usually a sign that a coup is already underway" I would agree with you. The Mexican Left is attempting to overthrow the government by extra-legal, i.e. illegal, means. I do not think they are close to success. But I do believe they are still underway.

Their plan is simple. Phase One: Immiserate the population and the nation by promoting the ingovernability of the country. Phase Two: Force new elections as a response to the ingovernability of the country. Phase Three: Take physical control of the principal institutions of the country before the new elections are held by holding the key centers of power. Phase Four: Conduct the elections under leftist control so as to guarantee victory.

AMLO's "Democratic National Convention" is more than a parallel government in my opinion. I think it represents a "replacement government" waiting to be put in place in what I described as "Phase Three" above. I consider all of this to be very very serious.

[StJacques]

Alright; there are news items on the Mexican web sites today which show that the Fox administration is at least hitting back against the Mexican Left, by announcing to the public that there are "radical groups" within Lopez Obrador's For the Good of All coalition who were ready "to provoke violent incidents" in the celebration of Mexico's Independence, i.e. El Grito de la Independencia (Spanish: The Shout of Independence). The following news item is up at: http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/notas/375365.html and it is my judgement that Aguilar's comments represent a change in tactics on the part of the Fox administration, which is that they will now begin to publicly address Lopez Obrador's movement as one that depends upon the violent intimidation of the government. This is significant in my opinion, because the Mexican news media is circulating this charge throughout the country, and it puts AMLO and his followers on the defensive in the public debate.

Preliminary Translator's Note: "Los Pinos" (Spanish: The Pines) is the official residency of the President, i.e. "Mexico's White House."

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Presidency Identifies Radical Groups Previous to "El Grito"

The spokesman for Los Pinos, Ruben Aguilar, assured that they are not referring to sympathizers of the For the Good of All coalition, only to other groups; emphasizes that conditions exist for the celebrations today in the Zocalo

The federal government confirmed that it has identified the radical groups who will be in attendance at the Zocalo capital square this evening with the objective of provoking violent incidents.

Ruben Aguilar, presidential spokesman, specified that they are not referring to the For the Good of All coalition and that they are not accusing that political organization as the responsible party or of being a radical group in its totality, only that groups exist within that organization who are trying "to breakup" the Grito de Independencia.

He explained that for reasons of security he is not going to make their names known, nor the organizations to which they belong.

Nevertheless, he clarified that they are totally neutralized and that there is no problem with the attendance of people who desire to go to the Plaza of the Constitution.

"So far we have neutralized this action and we have avoided [the possibility] that this action can occur, which would have been a tragedy for this country."

It is totally ruled out that what they had planned can now happen according to the intelligence services of the federal government and because of them, Ruben Aguilar said, no problems exist and the security of those who are going to the Zocalo capital plaza is guaranteed.

Vicente Fox will give the Grito in Dolores Hidalgo, Guanajuato, in an "act of prudence and responsibility."
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Aguilar's statement has really touched exposed nerves among the PRD today. Evidently in comments Aguilar made that are not quoted in the above article he referred to the radical groups as "Shock Groups" (Grupos de Choque), a term that has some very negative connotations because it suggests that the PRD is putting together a paramilitary organization. PRD legislators in the Mexican Congress vehemently rejected the charge. At first the PRD Coordinator Javier Gonzalez Garza said he was not interested in anything Aguilar had to say, but when the reporter told him of the charge that there were "Shock Groups" assisting the For the Good of All coalition he changed his tune and responded "it's a lie." The Federal District government, under PRD Head of Government Alejandro Encinas, also took issue with Aguilar's accusation. I will be waiting to see the editorial opinions published tomorrow which assess all of this.

I will remind everyone, as I linked in an earlier post in this thread, that there have been stories published in the Mexican news media of the coordination of violent assaults on the legislative grounds of San Lazaro in Mexico City on September 1, the day Fox was scheduled to give his official report of the government, with the simultaneous "taking of the rostrum" inside the legislature by the PRD. I translated an article, which I posted and I will link again here, which revealed details of the coordinated effort of violent protestors outside distracting the police while the PRD legislators inside took the rostrum. It is my hope that in the ensuing days information such as this will be presented again in the Mexican press to back up Aguilar's accusation.

This is what the "Shock Groups" looked like on September 1, the day of the aborted Presidential Address before the Mexican Congress:

   

No matter what the PRD says to the contrary, they do exist. Read that translation at my last link.

[A CA Guy]

Thanks, I'm glad at least Fox is saying something considering he's almost out of there.

[Texan5]

Thanks for the update-gangs of thugs, huh? I really don't like the way this is shaping up.

[rovenstinez]

THE GRITO, of Miguel Hidalgo will begin all over Mexico in about l hour. Let's see WHO the MSM focuses on and gives the most attention, Fox or Malo.

[antceecee]

Ditto.. my thoughts exactly when I read this...
We better be prepared for a melt-down in Mexico.

[Shuttle Shucker]

A whopping 500 (five hundred) Mexicans are marching in Mexico City for ObraGore's Democratic National Congress tomfoolery this weekend: http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/notas/375628.html Curiously enough, the article says there are around 100 trucks and buses and such from different parts of the country. Either the union goons didn't bother to fill those vehicles, or few want to be seen marching in what is turning out to be something of a revolutionary joke. :-)

[StJacques]

There was an earlier report that perhaps as many as 350,000 might be in attendance, and I haven't seen that figure verified, but how ever many show up it will be well below the 1 million the PRD were predicting as recently as yesterday. I'm keeping an eye on it.

I noted with great satisfaction last night as I watched Univision's coverage of El Grito, that they never went to the Zocalo in Mexico City. One announcer commented that it was a shame that Mexico City would not get to enjoy its usual fireworks display and another said that it must have been nice for Vicente Fox to come back to his home grounds in Guanajuato to enjoy a break from la vida imposible (their exact words) in Mexico City. Univision also carried Grito celebrations in Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and Monterey as well. But nothing from Mexico City.

I saw the way the ceremony is carried out for the first time too, and it was repeated in almost identical fashion in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Monterey. There is a military honor guard that beats a lot of drums to summon everyone to show up and get ready. Then a flag bearer from the military comes up to the celebrant, Fox in Guanajuato obviously, and hands him the Mexican flag with all pomp and circumstance. The celebrant salutes the flag bearer before receiving the flag. Then the celebrant returns to a podium, or atop the church steps as it was in Guanajuato, and faces the crowd, unfurling the flag. Then the celebrant rings the bell one time. In Guanajuato Fox gave a simple pull on a long velvet rope, as was the case in Monterey. In Los Angeles and Las Vegas a "mounted bell" was brought out. And then the tradition is carried out. The celebrant literally "shouts," and I do mean loudly a series of celebratory shouts; ¡Mexicanas! ¡Mexicanos¡ ¡Viva la Independencia! ¡Viva Los Que Nos Dieran La Patria! (Long live those who gave us the country, followed by a list of them) ¡Viva Hidalgo! ¡Viva Allende! !Viva Josefina Ortiz! !Viva Morelos! . . . etc. and then they wrap up with several very loud shouts of ¡Viva Mexico!. Then the band strikes up the Mexican national anthem and everyone sings along, after which the celebrant returns the flag to military officer and the fiesta is underway. I thought it was a really nice ceremony, quite unique.

[Shuttle Shucker]

I wonder if Josefina Ortiz was included for p.c. reasons. I mean I've never heard of her before.

As for Obragore, this excerpt shows how out of touch with reality he is:

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/4191903.html

"The former Mexico City mayor said he hopes to mass 1 million people for the convention and pledged to follow the meeting with a tour across Mexico. "I'm going to visit all the towns in the country," he said."

ALL the towns? Jes. Meanwhile, getta load of this:

http://www.el-universal.com.mx/notas/375651.html

"17:19 La Convención Nacional Democrática fue inagurada a las 17:05 horas por la escritora Elena Poniatowska. El acto fue retrasado durante dos horas primero por un torrencial aguacero y por la desorganización, ya que la gente no encontraba el sitio que le había sido asignado."

Of course they couldn't find it; there weren't that many people around to follow. What a joke.

[StJacques]

Josefina Ortiz is deservingly included, she is the stuff of Mexican legend, and could perhaps be described as Mexico's answer to Paul Revere. She was the wife of the Corregidor of Queretaro who overheard the discussions of the planned military expedition to Dolores Hidalgo to seize Father Hidalgo and break up his gathering of Indians and peasants. She then rushes to Dolores Hidalgo herself to warn Father Hidalgo and Allende who then make the decision that they will have to fight, which is what directly leads to Father Hidalgo ringing the church bell to summon all the Indians and peasants to mobilize them, setting Mexican Indpendence on its way.

[shield]

Fox may be a chicken...bet the next president's NOT...Fox is probably goin' to let him take care of those mexicans. Bet he does.

[Shuttle Shucker]

The next president is hopefully not susceptible to blackmail because he's got some potentially unpopular work to do, especially if they don't figure out how to more effectively clamp down on street-blockages and such (with the Mexico City Leftist government's collaboration of course).

[Shuttle Shucker]

Thanks. Glad to see they didn't have to invent a hero.