On the air in Mexico: a different view of Iraq war. Anti-U.S. voices resound on talk radio

SF Gate ^ | Apr. 13, 2003 | Kevin Sullivan

[madfly]

Mexico City -- It's 8:43 a.m. in the big city, 62 degrees on a sunny Thursday morning, traffic is heavy, and our next caller says George W. Bush is just like Osama bin Laden.

"Osama bin Laden always says he speaks in the name of Allah," says writer Juan Goytisolo, on the phone from Guadalajara. "And now the American administration has been kidnapped by a group of fundamentalists and messianics who continually use the word 'God.' They should leave God in peace."

Radio host Jose Gutierrez Vivo nods, and millions of Mexican listeners hear him laugh in agreement. "All sorts of things, including this war, are being done in God's name, don't you think?"

Gutierrez Vivo is known here as "the voice that Mexico hears," and it's no exaggeration. An estimated 8 million people around Mexico City listen to his daily show, "Monitor," which is carried by more than 40 other radio stations around the country. Millions more tune in to the four-hour morning show in taxis and taco stands and workplaces from the Texas border to the frontier with Guatemala.

Radio is by far Mexico's most important means of communication. With more than half the country's population of 100 million living in poverty, more people can afford radios than televisions.

The most listened-to radio personality in the country, a fixture on the airwaves for more than 30 years, Gutierrez Vivo is acutely tuned to public opinion. And he knows for sure that Mexicans hate the war in Iraq. Polls show that at least three-quarters of them oppose the war, but Gutierrez Vivo thinks it's even higher.

"At least 95 percent of the people who call oppose the war," he says, sitting in his sleek, glass-walled studio in southern Mexico City.

[madfly]

Complete Text

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[madfly]

Washington Post writer reports from South of the Border ping

[OfByForThePeople]

With more than half the country's population of 100 million living in poverty, more people can afford radios than televisions.

"At least 95 percent of the people who call oppose the war," he says, sitting in his sleek, glass-walled studio in southern Mexico City.

There is nothing unusual about this. The rich and powerful usually decide what the poor will think.

[OldFriend]

USA so bad we risk our life to get there.........makes sense doesn't it?????????????

[BillyBoy]

>> says writer Juan Goytisolo, on the phone from Guadalajara. "And now the American administration has been kidnapped by a group of fundamentalists and messianics who continually use the word 'God.' They should leave God in peace."
Radio host Jose Gutierrez Vivo nods, and millions of Mexican listeners hear him laugh in agreement. "All sorts of things, including this war, are being done in God's name, don't you think?" <<

Our friendly neighbors to the south are such DEVOUT Christians and social conservatives, aren't they? Thank godness Mexicans embrace an American president who is open about his faith < /sarcasm>

The PAN is supposely the Mexican version of a "relgious right" polititcal party, although our buddy Vicente seems to regularly violate most of his church's teachings.

>> Gutierrez Vivo is acutely tuned to public opinion. And he knows for sure that Mexicans hate the war in Iraq. Polls show that at least three-quarters of them oppose the war, but Gutierrez Vivo thinks it's even higher. "At least 95 percent of the people who call oppose the war" <<

Hmmmm...sort of sounds like FRANCE, isn't that odd? Say what you want about our northern neighbor, but at least many Canadians have made it clear they DON'T suppor their government's decision to stand with Saddam. No doubt the Mexicapologists will be yapping that Vicente has to follow the "will of people" on this one, although Vince has managed to turn a blind eye to the "will of people" in Mexico whenever they anything conservative.

[canuck_conservative]

Are there ANY conservatives remaining in Latin America?

[Marine Inspector]

Are there ANY conservatives remaining in Latin America?

Nope.

[FITZ]

If they were conservatives, their countries would look quite a bit better and be more stable. The reason conditions are so terrible in most of these countries, is because the people aren't conservative (in our sense of the word).

[WOSG]

Now, let's see if they could deign to give Rush Limbaugh the same level of respect in their reporting.

Uh, not likely, eh?

[LenS]

Yeah, they can be found in Chile and other places. But face it, the smart conservatives do their darnedest to emigrate to the US. So it makes the conservative cause tough south of the border because it constantly has to recruit new people while the leftists never leave.

[WOSG]

The leftist media echo chamber at work again.

Conservative voices are there but are snuffed out by the leftists throughout the region. Just remember what the US was like back in the 1960s and 1970s.

[Cuttnhorse]

Are there ANY conservatives remaining in Latin America?
Nope.

There are actually lots of conservatives in Latin America, but like conservatives everywhere, are busy making a living and tend to leave politics to the leftists who generally run things.
I get very little grief or questions about the war from the people I work with, most of the grief about the war comes from leftist expat Americans who live down here.

[Exit148]

Since we are Big Bad America, perhaps the Mexicans should build a wall, along the border, to protect themselves from us.

[FITZ]

while the leftists never leave.

Their leftists also leave ---they're all along the border and in California demanding welfare and free health care, they're going to Austin to protest every single budget cut.

[Sam Cree]

Yeah, true enough. Although I have a feeling that the Mexicans who are already here are pro U.S.A.

[monkeywrench]

I wonder whose client state mexico is. Who's pulling their strings? Russia? China?

[E. Pluribus Unum]

And we care what Mexican narcotrafficante wannabes think because???

[ckilmer]

there's a professor at columbia university who reflects mexican views.

[janetgreen]

pro U.S.A

Come to California to get a load of many of who are here, you might change your mind. The only way they're pro U.S.A. is to say that they're here to reclaim California as part of Mexico.