Thursday, August 03, 2006

AMLO and protests in Mexico

At last week's rally in Mexico City, AMLO called for more demonstrations and permanent installations of protestors around the country. I refer you all to two posts by Greg Weeks, with commentary and links to several articles.

posted by Michelle @ 12:47 PM,

7 Comments:

At 8/03/2006 3:13 PM,  Anonymous said...

This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

 

At 8/03/2006 3:21 PM,  Michelle said...

Please don't spam my comments with rants without appropriate ownership or attribution.

Eso quiere decir, "por favor, dinos quienes eres o de donde viene esta informacion. No lo podemos descutir sin saber con quien o para que estamos descutiendo." Mil gracias

 

At 8/06/2006 11:19 AM,  Anonymous said...

I did not read the rant in question. I did read the two posts you linked to.

You (and the poster) seem to have inaccurate information about what is going on in Mexico. There ARE blockades. Traffic through most of Reforma (one of Mexico's main avenues) is no longer possible. It’s not “just” that Mexicans who work in the area will spend 60 additional minutes trying to get to work – though, imagine YOU had to go through that… adding 60 minutes to an already lengthy commute. Remember: many Mexicans who work in the Reforma area live in the outskirts of Mexico City, and have commutes that can well hover around 120 minutes each way. On top of this, economic activity in the area has plummeted. Ask anyone who works in a restaurant. Or as a valet parking. Or in a car-wash. Or… (Now, if you can’t ask them directly, you can also simply read the Mexican newspapers chronicling events. I mean, you sort of do Latin American Politics, right?) AMLO’s supporters have installed camps right on Reforma, drilling the pavement in order to affix their tents, stealing electricity from the public lighting system (i.e. what is known as “diablitos” in Mexico). Incidentally, AMLO, while mayor of Mexico City, introduced a regulation (“Bando 13”) according to which anyone obstructing traffic would be prosecuted. For your information, “Bando 13” follows (it’s in Spanish, but I assume you know some Spanish):


BANDO 13:

A LOS HABITANTES DEL DISTRITO FEDERAL HAGO SABER:

Que es relevante la polémica acerca de las causas y efectos de las marchas, mítines, plantones y bloqueos que se realizan en el Distrito Federal.

Que es nuestro deber conciliar el derecho constitucional a la libertad de expresión con el de libre tránsito.

Que son graves de por sí los problemas de vialidad por causas estructurales y por la magnitud de la ciudad.

En este marco damos a conocer los siguientes lineamientos de política:

No permitiremos el bloqueo de avenidas o vialidades primarias que desquicien el tráfico, eleven la contaminación y afecten el libre tránsito de terceros.


Now AMLO is going against the regulation he himslef introduced when in office! A regulation that has not been enforced by AMLO’s copartisans who govern Mexico City.

Incidentally, although I am not a native English speaker, this is what I culled regarding the meaning of blockade:

blockade
n 1: a war measure that isolates some area of importance to the enemy [syn: encirclement] 2: prevents access or progress v 1: hinder or prevent the progress or accomplishment of; "His brother blocked him at every turn" [syn: obstruct, block, hinder, stymie, stymy, embarrass] 2: render unsuitable for passage; "block the way"; "barricade the streets"; "stop the busy road" [syn: barricade, block, stop, block off, block up, bar] 3: obstruct access to [syn: block off] 4: impose a blockade on [syn: seal off]
So, I would love you to explain how AMLO’s actions do not constitute a blockade – or violate Bando 13.

Thanks many.

A concerned Mexican who lives in the US and is continuously appalled by how poorly informed “specialists” on Mexico are.

 

At 8/07/2006 3:53 PM,  Michelle said...

I'm confused as to why you post this comment here. I merely pointed to another blog because that blog provided links to news reports of what was happening.

Why all the antagonism and ugliness?

 

At 8/07/2006 5:49 PM,  Anonymous said...

Because the posts you linked to are utterly inaccurate - and will do a disservice to your readers.

Because we should be demanding (i.e. discerning customers) with faculty members and journalists.

It'd be easier for me to simply exert my 'exit' option instead of 'voicing' my concerns - but that would do little to correct the inaccuracies in question.

 

At 8/13/2006 12:44 PM,  Greg Weeks said...

Actually, my posts asked what the real scoop was--it is not a disservice to anyone to ask; rather, the disservice (to students and to blog readers) is to assert that you are right and everyone else is wrong. I had what I thought was a very interesting exchange with Ricardo, another blogger who was in Mexico City at the time, and who opposes AMLO's actions. That hardly constitutes an "inaccuracy."

 

At 11/20/2021 1:23 AM,  Terrence Mercer said...

Thannks for a great read

 

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