Mexico Latest...

[chilango]

..anyway...

Oaxaca appears to be a little calmer...the APPO have withdrawn a bit. Though their leaders were arrested here in DF the other day at a press conference.

FeCal`s inauguration was greeted with a mix of stoney silence and contempuous indifference in the bar i was in, having has to sneak in the back door and conduct a lightening midnight cermony to try and avoid open ridicule and hostility. It didn`t work. You could clearly hear the jeering on TV.

 

[Donna Ferentes]

Who are APPO, chilango?

 

[chilango]

the Popular Assembly of Oaxaca, a kinda proto soviet that sprung up to a) unite all the various campaigns there and b) to try and provide an alternative government in the state.

 

[Donna Ferentes]

Is a chap called Flavio Sosa one of them?

I ask because his photo was in El Pais today and looking at him - big bloke, looked like a Hell's Angel - I assumed he was a rightwing vigilante or something!

 

[chilango]

Is a chap called Flavio Sosa one of them?

I ask because his photo was in El Pais today and looking at him - big bloke, looked like a Hell's Angel - I assumed he was a rightwing vigilante or something!

Yup.

The right wing press here make much of his size in thier stunning political critiques....

 

[chilango]

Apparently the Federal police have disarmed the Oaxaca state police....

 

[chilango]

the government is sending 4000 troops into the state of Michoacan ostensibly to fight drug cartels - but no doubt the checkpoints and military incursions into the countryside will also be part of a counterinsurgency operation to prevent the guerillas expanding beyond oaxaca/guerrero/chiapas, their current main areas of operation.

 

[Donna Ferentes]

Curiously enough that was the very thought that occurred to me on reading that story.

Presumably if there are US advisers involved, they're keeping their heads down at the moment?

 

[phildwyer]

Presumably if there are US advisers involved, they're keeping their heads down at the moment?

I find it unlikely that any Mexican government would employ US military advisers.

 

[Donna Ferentes]

Presumably because it would be politically unwise?

 

[phildwyer]

Presumably because it would be politically unwise?

Not just that, even right-wing Mexican politicians are nationalistic and remember the Alamo.

 

[chilango]

There`s probably mexican military leaders trained at the SoA or some such i expect...

 

[phildwyer]

There`s probably mexican military leaders trained at the SoA or some such i expect...

Again, I doubt it. Don't know for sure, obviously.

 

[chilango]

Again, I doubt it. Don't know for sure, obviously.

I`ve no real idae either. But I don`t see any reason why Mexican nationalism would stop some offiucers training at the SoA plenty of latin american countries did it.

but then again, the mexicans have plenty of experience in dirty warfare against insurgents (and mere oppositionists) so maybe not...

 

[phildwyer]

I`ve no real idae either. But I don`t see any reason why Mexican nationalism would stop some offiucers training at the SoA plenty of latin american countries did it.

but then again, the mexicans have plenty of experience in dirty warfare against insurgents (and mere oppositionists) so maybe not...

Also, Mexico is the most anti-US country in Latin America. Hardly surprising when you consider that the US nicked half of Mexico only 150 years ago. The only-ever land invasion of the US was led by Pancho Villa, the second greatest national hero of Mexico.

 

[chilango]

Apparently "Ugly Poncho" a leading narco has been captured as part of the army offensive in Michoacan.

the coverage in the media strikes me as odd...the BBC describes Michoacan as lawless and out of control...as a regular visitor to Michoacan I`d dispute that...sure the trafficantes have a big presence but life functions as well as the erst of mexico...here even in DF you see cops with trafficante imagery on their cars and i saw a riot cop with a marijuana leaf hat on. very odd situation.

 

[chilango]

13 500 or so people have been searched by the military so far in Michoacan. I`ll be heading that way after xmas...

 

[chilango]

The army have now moved into Guerrero (the state Acapulco is in).

Funnily enough possibly the state with the 3rd largest number of insurgents and guerillas.

Recent years have already seen murders of indigenous activists in the state covered up as clashes with the guerillas.


Meanwhile the price of tortillas has risen by 10% causing protests and leading to the prospect of "bread riots" in poorer areas.

 

[chilango]

Protests continue to be organised against tortilla price rises with workers groups and trade unions getting involved.

In Oaxaca an indiginous area has basically declared independance and set up a popular council as an alternative governemnt with its own armed defence

 

[colacho]

Mexican military has a long history of training in the US. Here's just one link: http://www.ibiblio.org/prism/mar98/savage.html

Here's an even clearer one http://www.ratical.org/Estrellita/SOA.html

Anyay, never mind that, or Phil's daft claim that Mexico is the most anti US country in LAm (hardly shows in its politics or in many popular attitudes), what's up in Mexico now, Chilango?

 

[chilango]

Big protests about 400% rise in tortilla prices....

 

[chilango]

Assaults on police in acapulco and sinaloa leave 7 dead. The media are blaming the trafficantes....

 

[phildwyer]

Assaults on police in acapulco and sinaloa leave 7 dead. The media are blaming the trafficantes....

Bugger, I'm going to Acapulco in three weeks.

 

[chilango]

Bugger, I'm going to Acapulco in three weeks.

why?

its a shithole.

 

[phildwyer]

why?

its a shithole.

I heard the beach was nice? But I'm not stopping there long, I'm on the way to Puerto Angel and Acapulco's cheaper to fly into.

 

[chilango]

I heard the beach was nice?

Is that sarcasm?

I hope so....

 

[phildwyer]

Is that sarcasm?

I hope so....

No, I really did. What's wrong with the beach (I know what's wrong with the town...)

 

[chilango]

No, I really did. What's wrong with the beach (I know what's wrong with the town...)

Its pretty dirty and smelly.

Go to Pie de la Cuesta its a bit nicer...though you can`t swim in the sea.

 

[chilango]

The army is now heading to Monterrey..

Odd, seeing as Monterrey is the dullest place on earth. Think Portsmouth in the late 70s and you`re close.

Meanwhile, this weekend I was in "lawless" (Cheers BBC) Michoacan. The army were around stopping vehicles but ignored us (despite the preponderance of camo / military style clothing ) people continued to openly flaunt trafficante chic ( i picked a CD with 200 odd MP3s of narcocorridos) I`m increasingly feeling this nothing to do with drugs and more to do with counterinsurgency and PR for the new prez.

 

[chilango]

Teachers have re-occupied the zocalo in Oaxaca city.

Lots of APPO graffitti in rural Morelos and Edo. de Mexico

Paramilitary police set up a lot of armed cehckpoints this weekend in the mountains around Mexico city (that may be drugs related though).