Monday, May 14, 2012
Mexican Candidates Go Round and Round in Presidential Debate
By
Allan Wall
On Sunday, May the 6th, the four Mexican presidential candidates squared off in a televised debate.
My wife and I watched it live on the Internet, and I took notes. My impression was that the debate was informative,
that is, a good forum for the candidates to express their views. And it was actually entertaining.
The four candidates
appearing in the debate were Enrique Peña Nieto of the PRI (Partido Revolucionario Institucional) and Green
Party; Josefina Vazquez Mota of the PAN (Partido Acción Nacional); Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (known
by the initials AMLO) of an alliance of parties led by the PRD (Partido de la Revolución Democrática);
and Gabriel Quadri de la Torre of PANAL, the Nueva Alianza.
The candidates began with opening statements that
introduced themes which would pop up again and again. Peña Nieto decried Mexico's growing poverty and violence.
AMLO said that Mexico has been plundered for centuries by a shadowy group which has taken over the country. Josefina
Vasquez Mota called herself "a different candidate." Quadri affirmed that Mexico could be a rich country,
and faces two alternative futures -- that of Quadri and that of everybody else.
Then the regular rounds began.
A topic was presented and each candidate spoke about it, with the first candidate both beginning and ending each round.
Peña
Nieto, as the front-runner, was the target of both Josefina and AMLO, and defended himself against both. Nobody attacked
Quadri, who presented himself as a sort of non-political candidate.
Here are the topics in chronological order:
FIGHTING
MONOPOLIES IN THE ECONOMY
Josefina would open markets, improve competition, and open internet access. Quadri said
monopolies were bad, even in electricity and petroleum, and that broadband internet access is a basic human right. Peña
Nieto said that for the past ten years Mexico has had poor economic growth compared to other countries in Latin American,
and that Mexico needs more competition. AMLO is against monopolies too, and started talking about former president Carlos
Salinas (president from 1988 to 1994) and about yachts belonging to rich Mexicans. Josefina started criticizing Peña
Nieto's record as governor (2005-2011) of the State of Mexico (also known as Edomex).
JOBS, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Quadri
said that Mexico needs more science and technology, and it needs a cabinet secretary of science and technology; and once again
he said that broadband internet is a basic human right. Peña Nieto defended his record as Edomex governor against
Josefina. AMLO started talking again about the shadowy group that rules and dominates Mexico, and he talked about the
FOBAPROA [banking fund] controversy of the 1990s. Josefina talked about scholarships. Quadri tut-tutted the other three
candidates as typical politicians and held up Dilma Rousseff, the president of Brazil, as a good example.
PUBLIC FINANCES
Peña
Nieto said reforms were needed in social security and health access. AMLO talked more about that group which he says
controls both the PRI and the PAN. Josefina pointed out that she is an economist, played up anti-corruption and transparency,
and used the state of Mexico as a bad example again, calling it Mexico's second most corrupt state. Quadri said
once again that the other three candidates were continuing politics as usual. Peña Nieto defended his record
in Edomex again, and called for fair taxes.
GROWTH AND THE CURRENT ECONOMIC MODEL
AMLO said the "neoliberal"
economy of the past 29 years is not functioning, and that the violence and insecurity are in the interests of those who rule
Mexico and control the media. Josefina said it's time for the economy to grow, and she emphasized tourism and small
businesses and job creation. Quadri said the populist models have failed, the market economy is good, and Mexico needs
reforms and not monopolies of electricity and petroleum. Peña Nieto disputed AMLO's view of the media. Josefina
attacked Peña Nieto's Edomex record again. AMLO started talking about Santa Anna back in the 1800s.
CRIME
PREVENTION
Quadri pointed out that Mexico's prisons are saturated and suggested new prison systems, using the U.S.
and Europe as examples. Peña Nieto talked about violence, prisons, and fiscal reform. AMLO asked about
who Peña Nieto really is, and talked about the PRI candidate's uncle and another former Edomex governor.
Josefina said she won't make a truce with criminals, and talked again about Peña Nieto's Edomex record.
Quadri talked about a new national police force, using Chile, Spain and Italy as positive examples of national police forces.
JUSTICE ADMINISTRATION
Peña Nieto talked about judicial reforms carried out in Edomex, and defended himself
against a charge by AMLO. AMLO, in the funniest moment of the debate, produced a photograph supposedly damaging to Peña
Nieto -- but the photo was upside down as he talked very seriously about it. Josefina brought up the sad case of a four-year-old
girl named Paulette who was killed in Edomex while Peña Nieto was governor. Quadri decried the mudslinging employed
by the three major candidates, and talked about his plan to pressure states to enact legal reforms. Peña Nieto
brought up some dirt on one of AMLO's associates.
PUBLIC SECURITY AND ORGANIZED CRIME
AMLO called for a federal
police force and a new strategy, and started talking about 1988. Josefina brought up Paulette again. Quadri stressed
the importance of intelligence in police work. Peña Nieto accused Josefina of making political hay off the tragic death
of Paulette. AMLO accused Peña Nieto of privatizing hospitals and highways.
REDUCING VIOLENCE
Josefina
spoke of the value of universities, culture and playing musical instruments. Quadri wants to abolish the autonomy of
municipal police forces and wants mayors to be able to stand for reelection. Peña Nieto agreed with Josefina's
support of a new national police force and asked why the PAN hadn't established one. AMLO talked about Peña
Nieto and Edomex, and brought up Carlos Salinas again. Josefina said that most of the deaths perpetrated by organized
crime took place in PRI-ruled states.
FIGHTING POVERTY
Peña Nieto talked about the increase in poverty
in the last four years, and he told AMLO that he'd never spoken of privatizing PEMEX but of modernizing it, and he used
Brazil and Colombia as positive examples. AMLO talked about poverty in Edomex. Josefina assured Mexicans that she knows
the poverty of Mexico and called for scholarships and reforms. Quadri called for private investment in PEMEX, along
the lines of Brazil's Petrobras, and talked about the relationship between agriculture and the environment. Peña
Nieto criticized Josefina's absentee rate in the Mexican Congress.
EDUCATION AND TECHNOLOGY
AMLO started talking
about the internet and wound up talking about honesty. Josefina reminded viewers that she's different and talked
about Edomex's poor educational record. Quadri talked about quality in education and broadband internet as a basic
human right. Peña Nieto talked about the digital divide, and putting computers in 5th and 6th grade classes.
AMLO says he'd fight corruption and improve education, while adding that high-level Mexican officials' salaries are
too high.
CONSERVATION, SUBSIDIES AND RURAL MEXICO
Josefina talked about schools, sustainable development, defended
her Congress attendance record, and talked about climate change. Quadri talked again about agriculture policies causing
deforestation. Peña Nieto talked about increasing agricultural production and criticized something on Josefina's
website. AMLO wants to rescue rural Mexico, clean up PEMEX, lower energy costs and terminate monopolies. Josefina
talked about climate change and education.
RENEWABLE ENERGY
Quadri said to AMLO that gasoline subsidies
actually benefit the rich, and that Mexico needs to eliminate the electric monopoly, and he discussed solar, wind and geothermal
power. Peña Nieto wants cheaper and cleaner energy. Josefina criticized Peña Nieto's Edomex
record. AMLO wants justice, jobs, to help the handicapped and single mothers, and to fight poverty and inequality.
Josefina wants to modernize PEMEX and the CFE (the electrical monopoly), and she's also for wind and solar energy.
Quadri talked again about solar energy
FINAL COMMENTS
Josefina said everybody could be successful and said she
is different. Quadri said citizens are sick of the status quo and should choose Quadri, a citizen. Peña Nieto defended
his Edomex record to Josefina and talked about poverty and education. AMLO knows every municipality in Mexico, called
for lower energy costs, plans to end corruption and to hold a referendum on his presidency every two years.
The next
debate is scheduled for June 10th, with the election scheduled for July 1st.
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Allan Wall, an educator, resided in Mexico for many years. His website is located at http://www.allanwall.info/.
