The Narco News Bulletin
"The name
of our country is América"
-- Simón
Bolívar
Roberto Hernández Elected?
By Isabel Arvide
from her nationally
syndicated column Letras de Cambio, July 11, 2000
Now it ends up that society, those millions
of Mexicans who shouted for change, voted for Roberto Hernández.
That is to say, for the banker's peace
of mind. For his fortune of many millions of pesos, for his economic
interests and even for the impunity of his actions and his connections
"of another type."
Because the first beneficiary of the new
era, that of change - one that Fox stated with great originality
(for foreign consumpion, clearly) as "the mother of all
battles" against corruption - shall be this illustrious
banker.
Everything had to change so that everything
could stay the same.
If Roberto Hernández made his fortune
with protection from the Federal Government, the doors of the
next Federal Government have already been opened to him. Who
cares if there's a new party in power? Soon the PAN members won't
care, much less the PRD members who so threatened the club of
complicity between power and business that we have lived for
so many presidencies but who with their "useful vote"
elected a new Commander-in-Chief.
Much less the "Amigos of Fox"
who want their slice from it all.
The banker Hernández was a friend
of Carlos Salinas de Gortari, who contributed greatly to his
immense enrichment. The same occured during these years of the
consistutional mandate of Ernesto Zedillo, with whom he was accustomed
to go scuba-diving. Already they've rubbed it in our faces by
at least saying who hosted Vicente Fox at his personal island
to rest-up from the campaign.
What should not surprise us is that in
this paradise of Quintana Roo there are a lot of spiders to crush
with those boots.
And the drug shipments? Does any Mexican
remember that series of reports by Por Esto! That spoke
about how in this ecological reserve tons of cocaine were landed?
Or would it be better to ask ourselves whether this matters to
anyone?
It's even more difficult to remember if
there had been an investigation, if the Señor banker was
exonerated, or whether the simple presence of the nation's leaders
permitted him to live above suspicion. First the cover-up by
the PRI and now by the PAN.
Politics continues being conducted in
the background. Don't worry yourself that the president-elect
has selected the property of Mr. Hernández to "rest"
this weekend, with all the public attention upon him.
And worry even less about the coincidence
that President Ernesto Zedillo has issued a call, so delicate
as his relation with the PRI has always been, for the opposition
- in a direct reference to his own party - to behave themselves.
As if it would be missed that the same Dr. Zedillo, already disqualified
as the "first member of the PRI," asked them to support
Vicente Fox.
And obviously, we already see, for the
packet of "aid" that goes to his friend Roberto Hernández.
This is what millions of Mexicans voted
for?
Sure seems that way.
Carlos Fazio, who can't be described as
partial to the PRI, says: "With Fox, the policies that the
current state of things made possible will only deepen. The situation
will be worse. There will be less for the unions and our dependency
upon the United States will advance more. In the short term or
long term, Fox will end up selling the state electric companies
and Mexican Petroleum. The auction of México will be complete....
The PAN has been the PRI's partner and accomplice and they applied
economic policies with a high social cost. Both have rescued
the banks and businessmen who brought the country to bankruptcy
with the adventures of the Salinas presidency."
And now we already know, also, that the
vote of refusal agaisnt the PRI served so that Roberto Hernández
can continue enjoying his personal island - with or without snow
of all flavors and types - so that his fortune is saved from
any possible contingency, so that he will never be investigated
by any authority, so that the worst of our political reality
will be maintained.
We voted in favor of the drug traffickers'
choice?
In reality, the election was set in favor
of the intimate friends of the last president, as if something
out of a Mario Vargas Llosa novel. They continue being the owners
of the destiny of millions of Mexicans, now with the endorsement
of the "transition to democracy," now on board the
railroad car of the revolution that they have already painted
heavenly blue.
copyright 2000
Isabel Arvide
Sufragio Efectivo,
No Reelección