Friday, March 18, 2005

Local entrepreneurs say "no" to a new Wal-mart in Cabo

Local reps of a national business organization, CONACINTRA, expressed their opposition to the opening of a new store run by Wal-Mart in Cabo San Lucas. The article in La Jornada says:

"La ética con que opera Wal-Mart en México ha sido duramente cuestionada, inclusive por sus propios competidores, debido a las prácticas monopólicas que utiliza para acaparar el mercado de consumidores", dijo a la prensa Armando Covarrubias, presidente local de Canacintra. De acuerdo con el organismo empresarial, "contrariamente a lo que se piensa, (en Wal-Mart) no son creadores de fuentes de empleo, pues estos negocios traen a su propio personal, con excepción de cajeros, personal de intendencia y vigilantes".

Wal-Mart is the largest private employer in Mexico. They own several store and restaurant chains. You can read about the new Wal-Mart-owned store near the pyramids north of Mexico City and a first-hand account of discrimination at a local Wal-Mart supermarket in an earlier post.

In many ways, it's not that suprising that members of CANCINTRA would be opposed to Wal-mart. Historically, CANACINTRA has represented largely small and medium enterprises, many of which benefitted from decades of government protectionism and subsidies. The Canacintra tends to be more lefty when it comes to state protectionism and state involvement in the economy. For instance, the Canacintra was one of the only employers' associations to consistently support social security benefits for workers.

Desafuero updates

The discussion here will get briefer and briefer. The desafuero debate is tiring; bumper stickers, flyers, and little pins all proclaim general disatisfaction with the desafuero. I've never seen a spontaneous or planned expression of support for the desafuero in Mexico City. No bumper stickers saying "throw the bum out," no lapel pins or buttons with a big AMLO prohibited sign. Nothing.

The archbishop has (supposedly) expressed his belief that the desafuero should not occur, if politicians are responsive to the preferences of the citizens. (Since when has the Mexican government been responsive, though?)

At the same time, the PRI and PAN have agreed to pursue the desafuero of AMLO in April. (Great, just when I want to be interviewing them about labor-party relations and social security reforms....but then again, it's not about me.)

An op-ed piece by a retired UNAM professor arguing against the desafuero.

Other news about internal political party clashes and leadership disputes

An article about Gordillo and what should happen should she become President of the PRI.

An article on the "crisis panista".

posted by Michelle @ 6:37 PM,

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