Naked frauds

While I have to I ask for contributions (donations, subscriptions… whatever you want to call them) to keep the Mex Files up and running, I do earn a small income as a stringer for one of the local papers (all weeklies out where I live). I go to a lot of City Council meetings, and some County ones. They have their differences, and some City Council meetings can get a bit tense, but it’s mostly routine.

(The stringer work helps, but I’m by no means out of the woods yet. The most pressing bills are down to about $200. There is also another $600 in overdue bills that need to be cleaned up and on-going expenses.

If you prefer to send a check, money order or make other arrangements, please write me at “richmx2 -AT- excite -DOT- com” and include “Mex Files” in the subject line.)

I’m kind of jealous of Reynado Bracamontes, who seems to have a lot more interesting local politics to cover for Noticias de Oaxaca.

Local budgets in Mexico come from the State or directly from the Federal Government. They don’t retain local taxes. A Municipio is more or less equivalent to a county in the U.S. Mapaches (“racoons”) are those essential workers in a political machine who buy votes, steal ballot boxes, and intimidate potential opposition voters. You know, what we call “Young Republicans.”

A sombrero tip to the confidential source in Oaxaca who forwarded the original, and who made a small donation to the Mex Files.

Daniel Martìnez Dolores, President of the People’s Government of San Juan Lalana, warned yesterday that the local assembly voted to have anyone from the PRI or PAN who entered the community to bribe voters stripped naked in the public plaza and left in the hands of the community.

Offering cement, work tools or past-date food products [common offering by political parties in rural communities] “offends the intelligence of the Indigenous people of San Juan Lalana, the official said, warning would-be PRI “mapaches” to stay out of the upcoming August 5 elections.

“It’s best PRI activists not risk it,” he added.

He also Municipal President Silvano Calderón Sánchez not to pressure citizens to vote for PRI candidates for state legislative seats.

“If there’s a confrontation between the PRI government and the citizens of San Juan Lalana, that individual will be held responsible, .

At the same time, Martìnez complained about the lack of public works in the community, and the discretionary funds given to the Municipio. The Assembly met to demand an accounting from the Federal Accounting Office (Auditoría Superior de la Federación).

The community authorized Daniel Martinez to go to the Municipal Palace. He said that the community doesn’t receive a centavo from the municipio, an act of vengence by the State Government.

“Silvano Calderón always is in the city of Oaxaca, monopolizes the revenues and spends them at his discretion. That’s why there are no public works in the entire Municipio.” He noted that several communities in the Municipio are cut off from the outside world, the State public works department neglecting local roads.