Tensions High in Mexico City as Calderon's Inauguration Approaches This Weekend (Translation)

El Universal ( Mexico City ) ^ | November 30, 2006 | Andrea Merlos & Ricardo Gomez

[StJacques]

Marines settle in at San Lazaro¹

Andrea Merlos & Ricardo Gomez
El Universal
Mexico City
Thursday 30 November 2006

1:40 a.m.   At least ten trucks of the Marines of Mexico² arrived in the early morning this Thursday at the Chamber of Deputies with 40 soldiers, each one of whom put himself in place on Congreso de la Unión Avenue.

One day before the Toma de Protesta³ of Felipe Calderon as incoming President of the Republic, security was reinforced to the maximum in those squads who are covering the area up to the corner of Viaducto and Congreso de la Unión [Avenues].

Moreover, the PFP⁴ is installing one more stage of the metallic wall of some three meters in height which already covers all the streets which cross Congreso de la Unión [Avenue].

Patrol squads of the Public Security Secretariat are vigilant. Furthermore, within San Lazaro they have adapted the cellar of a new building which still has not completed its construction for the Presidential State Office,⁵ which has already taken over its dining room, kitchen, and dormitory.

Even so, the federal deputies of the PAN and PRD parties continue to occupy the rostrum of the Chamber of Deputies.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Translator's Notes:

¹ San Lazaro is the site within Mexico City where the Congress of the Union, the Mexican national legislature, meets.

² The Marina Armada de México, literally the "armed navy of Mexico," or the Marines.

³ The Toma de Protesta, which translates as "taking protest," is the first of two ceremonial events whose necessity is set forth in the Mexican Constitution which will take place over the next three days. Tomorrow, as President-Elect, Felipe Calderon is due to face the Chamber of Deputies, which is the lower house of the Mexican Congress, and stand in front of the legislative body assembled to "take protests" from them about the state of the country, demonstrating his fitness for office as a defender of the Mexican Constitution. Later in the ceremony Calderon will be handed the presidential banner from current President Vicente Fox, which is the symbol of office. Then on Sunday, December 1st, Calderon was officially scheduled to "take possesion" of his office, the Toma de Posesión, which completes the second step of the presidential transition. The Directive Desk of the Chamber of Deputies now says that ceremony may follow the Toma de Protesta immediately, thus completing the presidential transition tomorrow. The PRD and affiliated leftists from the Labor Party (PT) and a few from the Convergence Party have vowed to prevent both ceremonies from taking place, as they are claiming that Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador is the "Legitimate President" of Mexico.

⁴ Acronym for the Mexican Federal Preventive Police.

⁵ The Estado Mayor Presidencial, which Vicente Fox heads directly, and which contains a retinue of bodyguards and agents whose function is similar to the U.S. Secret Service's role in protecting the U.S. President.

[StJacques]

Well; tomorrow is the day when we find out just who's got the cojones. Fox has guaranteed that he will be present in San Lazaro to hand over the presidential banner to Felipe Calderon, and Calderon himself has guaranteed that he will be there to conduct the ceremony. The PRD and their leftist allies have guaranteed that the presence of either will provoke an effort on their part to prevent the ceremony from proceeding, as they did successfully when preventing Vicente Fox's annual address to the Congress September 1. The Directive Desk of the Chamber of Deputies has stated that the ceremony will proceed. And after Tuesday's violent scenes in the Chamber of Deputies, the PAN and PRD legislative coordinators have signed a non-aggression pact to avoid violence on the floor in the future.

For those of you who remember, the PRD's success in preventing Vicente Fox from giving his national address on September 1st was in large part due to the presence and distraction of violent demonstrators outside, who worked in conjunction with the PRD legislators inside. (See this post #25 in another thread for a translated article with the details.) The presence of the Marines on the legislative grounds at San Lazaro says that they are expecting something similar on this occasion.

Look to hear from me tomorrow on how this all goes down.

 

[StJacques]

A Mexican Left Watch ping for you all.

Anyone wishing to be added to the ping list may contact me via Freepmail or post within this thread.

[StJacques]

I forgot to ping you guys, sorry.

[Dane]

Al Gore is so proud now.

[glorgau]

the PAN and PRD legislative coordinators have signed a non-aggression pact t

Like the Nazi-Soviet non-aggression pact of September 1939? ;-)

[StJacques]

On the "non-aggression pact" ...

This is the Spanish description in the article I linked to in my "Comments" above:

"La tregua de no agresión pactada por diputados federales del PAN y del PRD que tomaron la tribuna, se venció a las 15:00 horas de este jueves. . . ."

Which translates to:

The non-aggression truce signed by federal deputies of the PAN and the PRD who took the rostrum [of the Chamber of Deputies], overcame events as of 3:00 p.m. this Thursday. . . .

It has occurred to me while responding that perhaps I may want to post a link on Tuesday's thread on violent confrontation in the Mexican Congress, since the rostrum continues to be occupied by the PAN Party, who are encircled roundabout by the PRD. That is the context in which this is all taking place.

[c-b 1]

Is this what we want here in the U.S.?

A few more years of open borders, and that is what we will have.

[Mind-numbed Robot]

Al Gore is so proud now.

It is often practiced Communist tactic in an effort ot gain power they could not obtain legitimately. Even as a minority they insist on ruling. An excellent example was the Democrats after the 2000-2004 elections.

[Mind-numbed Robot]

Agreements with Communists are worthless. They abide by them as long as it is to their advantage and ignore them when it is not. North Korea is an example but others are numerous.

[Kenny Bunk]

Yo me considero bien 'pingado'...
Por eso tomé protesta personal en forma de trago,
brindando contra AMLO y su sucia pandilla de marxistas, payasos, y borrachos cabrones malcontentos bandidos macheteros agarrados del zócalo de cada pinche aldea entre Piedras Negras y Mérida.

¡Qué cada uno se halle encarajado y quemando en adelante de una muerte horrible!

[StJacques]

". . . AMLO y su sucia pandilla de marxistas, payasos, y borrachos cabrones malcontentos bandidos macheteros agarrados del zócalo . . ."

De acuerdo.

[Alia]

Today's the day.

[Codename - Ron Benjamin]

And the hour will be the hour in less than an hour.

[Codename - Ron Benjamin]

"09:35 Inicia la sesión en la Cámara de Diputados."

The session begins.

[BunnySlippers]

This just came over Reuters two minutes ago [excerpting]

MEXICO CITY, Dec 1 (Reuters) - Felipe Calderon took over as
Mexico's president on Friday and pleaded for an end to months
of unrest over his narrow election win, but a huge brawl
erupted in Congress where leftists vowed to block him from
taking the formal oath of office.

Dozens of rival lawmakers threw punches and chairs at each
other and leftists built barricades of chairs to block the main
doors and prevent Calderon from entering the building.

{snip}

FIST FIGHTS
Conservative and leftist lawmakers attacked each other in
an ugly brawl in Congress earlier this week, and fighting broke
out again on Friday morning.

"Calderon is not coming in here, we are going to stop him,"
said deputy Adriana Diaz. "He is not coming in the front
entrance. Thieves come in through the back door."

[Codename - Ron Benjamin]

"* 09:53 Deja Calderón la Tribuna del palacio legislativo. (EL UNIVERSAL)

* 09:50 Calderón se pone la banda presidencial. La recibió de Jorge Zermeño"

Calderon takes the presidential band and leaves.

[Codename - Ron Benjamin]

(presidential band => presidential sash); and I forgot to mention that he swore in (I almost wrote "swore before taking it... hehe) before taking it, I kind of made it sound as if he "ran away with it"... sorry.

[Alia]

Just heard on news it was a raucus event.

[StJacques]

I have had the most terribly busy day and could not get free to post until just before now. Thank you both for posting the updates.

I think I may just wait until tomorrow to do anything major.