In Veracruz they hate the gov’nor, boo-boo-boo

While I agree with Naomi Klein’s “shock doctrine” for the most part (that reactionaries welcome chaos, or even foster it, as a justification for consolidating power), but I think any smart political organization takes advantage of unforeseen circumstances.

When thinking about possible effects on the upcoming July federal elections, the flu — and reaction to the flu — usually center on PRI and PAN (and PRD in Mexico City). Less noticed has been Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador’s patient “under the radar” “legitimate government” movement. AMLO has been touring the countryside, usually speaking to rural or marginal groups, and building an organization on behalf of Convergencia and the Workers’ Party (PT) outside the Federal District (inside DF, his movement is part of PRD). Those two smaller parties are particularly strong in rural Veracruz.

How much effect the flu will have on these minor party’s chances in the election, but well worth passing on is this, (translated from Blogotitlan, a pro-AMLO website) in what is going to be a rough campaign season.  And I dearly love good political invective:

The governor of Veracruz, Fidel Herrera (PRI), showed nothing but contempt for the constant denunciations against Carroll Farms, the transnational piggery in the Valle de Perote (which includes the small town of la Gloria, believed to be the point of origin of the present outbreak of flu caused by a pig virus mutation).

The Governor discounted or ignored protests by la Gloria’s residents about the transnational, jailing those who filed formal denunciations, and unwilling to investigate the so-called “biodigestores”  — which use rotting pig carcasses to generate electricity for the farm … as well as generating flies and environmental contaminants.

More worried about possible fallout in the next federal election, Fidel Herrera did not want word to leak out that young Edgar Hernandez, one of the 600 out of a total of 5000 inhabitants of la Gloria who contracted the flu was the first known case of the repirator disease bred in those contaminants in the multi-national piggery.  Protected by Governor Herrera.   PROFEPA (the Federal Prosecutor for Environmental Affairs) was convinced not to investigate the matter, and, thus, closed off focus on the source of the infection.

When all  fingers point to the source of this scourge of Mexico and the world,  towards la Gloria,  Fidel Herrera has tried to justify his criminal omission and elude his true responsibility.  Blaming first China, which responded with the contempt he deserved, Herrera then tried to attribute the problem to the State of Puebla, whose governor and citizens didn’t take kindly to the suggestion either.  Herrera seeks to save his own, and his piggish patrons, hides.

For Fidel Herrera everyone is responsible… except him.  So he continues his desperate attacks on anyone who seeks to investigate the serious environmental damange caused by Carroll Farms, already fined for the same abuses in their native Virginia…

(The last two paragraphs depended on untranslatable puns on “Fidel” — faithful — and the PRI and PAN colors, basically boiling down to a pox (or flu?) on both mainstream parties and the “establishment”.