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| Courtesy Zeta: Protest in Mexicali |
Several weeks ago, a Mexican national complained to me that, "...it seems as though the Mexicans are only complaining and worried about Trump, which is reinforced by the Mexican press. Why don't they start organizing against their own country's leadership who are involved in crimes against their own society ?" Be careful for what you wish for, or in this case....2017 may just turn out to be the year of a society homogenous in character, opposed to the ruling class.
Calling themselves a "citizens mobilization" and renouncing all politicos and political parties, chanting slogans of disgust with the Federal, State and Municipal governments an historical never seen before number of citizens - 70,000 + - throughout Baja California took to the streets and marched yesterday as part of the "Mega Marcha Nacional". Although the focus was anti- gasolinazo, the new "Ley de Aqua", raised impuestos (taxes), and the sharp rise in electrical and food prices amidst undeniable inflation, no one can deny the anger which boiled over was directed at what the protesters labeled as "bad government." "Ya basta de malos gobiernos!" (Enough of bad government ! "We are going to teach Pena that we are not the minority!" "No more injustice!" "Out Pena!" "Out Kiko !" "Pena is a parasite!" ) At this time, the number of protesters stand at: Tijuana: 15,000; Mexicali: 45,000; Rosarito: 2,000; Ensenada: 5,000. At least.
Frontera - with enclosed video !
Hartos! Marchan 69 mil en BC
Citizens were given colorful placards and encouraged to write the message of protest they prefer by organizers, which leads one to wonder if this massive show of social discontent included people who are also opposed to what my friend described in his question, or for that matter those who oppose the outrageous insecurity which permeates Mexico. Was there talk of the 43 missing students, or the extrajudicial killings, the killing of the teachers, the missing people in Mexico ? Surely these must have been subjects of discussion among the protesters as they pounded the streets. INEGI has reported that now 74.1 % of the Mexican population aged 18 years and older feel that living in their city is unsafe, and this is the highest number ever registered by INEGI since they began taking their surveys in 2013:
Frontera
El 74.1% de la poblacion se siente insegura en su ciudad: Inegi
Noted in this Frontera report, on Tuesday (tomorrow the 17th) at 5:00pm Mexican citizens will meet at the Tijuana Municipal Auditorium to plan future protests not only against the gasolinazo, rising prices on just about everything and the Ley de Aqua, but "...other government actions." Already, two such demonstrations have been scheduled for this coming Sunday the 22nd. We can only hope that the gringos will be able to keep up with the Mexicans and not be put to shame with demonstrations and boycotts of their own against Donald Trump - so, this coming weekend just might turn out to be another Jumpin Jack Flash for both sides of the border.
Videos of the demonstrations in Baja California:
Frontera TV
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We have been really busy with little Paris Simone. We are working our way into the "socialization" aspect of Puppy Land, and I am worn out. 54 bogus spam messages received, wow, that is a record ! I'm going to come back after dinner with the Sergio Aguayo article and interview for you where he predicted that 2017 could be the year that we finally witness an organized Mexican population standing up for their rights. Unfortunately, during and as soon as the protests were over, the executions started up again, another body thrown into Blvd. 2000 today (although this one was in a suitcase), already this month we are up to 38 executions.... more on those a bit later.
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Copied and Pasted Translation From Zeta: "Peña Nieto is a Government Without Direction"
By, Enrique Mendoza Hernández
Monday, January 16, 2017
After two weeks of demonstrations throughout the country against the increase in the price of gasoline by up to 20 percent by the government of Enrique Peña Nieto, Professor and researcher of the Colegio de México (COLMEX), Sergio Aguayo Quezada, warned in an interview with ZETA that "2017 may be the year of the reappearance of organized Mexican society."
To begin with, Aguayo Quezada valued the fact that the National Confederation of Employers of the Mexican Republic (COPARMEX) decided not to sign the "Agreement for the Economic Strengthening and Protection of the Family Economy" headed by Enrique Peña Nieto on Monday, January 9 :
"COPARMEX is proving to be more sensitive in understanding the national mood, because what COPARMEX says is true: that agreement is a replica of the pacts of the 80s, and we are seeing, they are insufficient; On Monday, January 9, promising entrepreneurs who are not going to raise prices, which is a very empty promise, because what we have been going for four days has gone off; it is also an unsubstantiated agreement because the government of Enrique Peña Nieto does not have the capacity to make sure that they will control and avoid the rise in prices; then, the attitude of COPARMEX is very sensible, very realistic, practical and intoned with what we are feeling the majority, that is the hartazgo.
The renowned analyst said that despite the unanimous rejection of 99 percent against the increase in the price of gasoline (cited Reforma), the rulers and political class "do not understand what is happening":
"The rulers, and here I clarify that Enrique Peña Nieto is not alone in his insensitivity, because the political parties and a good number of governors and municipal presidents, deputies, senators, the Congress of the Union, the local congresses, have demonstrated that they understand what is happening, they are unable to make the necessary reforms to revitalize the exhausted, exhausted and proposless transition."
When the organized society is mobilized
Regarding the peaceful demonstrations, Sergio Aguayo insisted that "The great changes have been made as a result of society mobilizing; we have been sold the story that the political parties are the protagonists of the change, which is false, it is not the political parties, it has been the organized society; if the parties in power had shown an exposure to prosecute or champion the aspirations of a democratic, honest and law-abiding Mexico, we would not have this crisis."
Specialist in issues related to organized society, embodied in books as "Swirl. The Mexico of Organized Society, the Factual Powers and Enrique Peña Nieto "(Ink Editorial, 2014) and Vuelta in U. Guide to Understand and Reactivate Stagnant Democracy "(Taurus, 2007), the COLMEX member argued:
"There is 20 percent of organized Mexican society, and in that 20 percent there is a very important fraction that is spearheading specific struggles which are reflecting the population's feelings; we are seeing it all over the country, even to talk about Baja California not now, but from the 60s and 70s, it was one of the States that championed the alternation in the urn, it was for the existence of a civil society expressed in the media communication; the media in Baja California had margins of independence that were not found in other states, and the same can be said of Yucatan, San Luis Potosí, of the Federal District, of course; that is to say, the changes are not of spontaneous generation, but are the result of the organization of the social fabric, which is the one that sustains the democratic changes."
"At this moment, it is the organized society that can make the proposals that regenerate the country, which I am seeing and I am realizing, and I am not thinking only of the NGO that attends to prisoners or brings food to the poor, but I am thinking of Universities, churches, not only Catholic, some orders at least religious expressions, media, business chambers and here comes the COPARMEX, by the way, that is in a stage that began many years ago of involvement with political and social issues ; COPARMEX has decades watching the elections, we see its optimism and now it is expressed in this way. "
"2017 is a defining year"
Member of the National System of Researchers, Sergio Aguayo also referred to 2017 as "a defining year":
"We are living in 2017 and seeing how the petrolzo was the starting signal for a society that we are not satisfied with what we have; 2017 is a defining year: if society does not understand that the State is incapable of responding to our issues, then there will be no changes."
"We must protest, impose and force changes, that is the task in 2017; that is to say, it is not a year nor a moment to invent excuses, but to be involved; Mexico will change if we are willing to fight for those changes. " 2017 is being,and can be confirmed in the coming months, it may be the year of the reappearance of the Mexican organized society as protagonist of the changes that the country needs."
Reporter's question: What future or final can you notice from Enrique Peña Nieto's term?
"Peña Nieto's is a government without direction, the drifter, adrift, with an absent commander in chief; I do not worry as much of Enrique Peña Nieto as a person but about the wide margin that there is for all kinds of forces to express themselves: cartels, multimillionaires, abusive companies, in short; if we do not defend ourselves, they will make mincemeat more than they already have. "
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Note on clicking the Zeta link you need to take "one more step" to gain access. Nothing is wrong with your computer, this notice appears on neighbors computers as well as computers in the USA:
Zeta
"El de Pena Nieto es un gobierno sin rumbo": Sergio Aguayo
por, Enrique Mendoza Hernandez
01/16/2017
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01/17 - UPDATE/EDIT:
Acknowledging he was persuaded to change his position on the Ley del Aqua by the demonstrations over the past few weeks, Governor Kiko announced he will issue an initiative to repeal the Ley del Agua.
His move was applauded by politicos and seen as a victory for citizens and social groups who opposed the measure. It was a little surprising then this evening to see another group of people blocking the State Government facilities in Tijuana as part of the protest against the Ley del Aqua and the rise in taxes. Likewise in Mexicali, the blockade continues.
Frontera
Da Reversa Gobernador de BC a Ley de Agua
Zeta - with full video of the Governor's announcement:
(VIDEO) Despues de Manifestaciones, Kiko Abroga Ley del Agua
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Another Paris Simone tune to hold ya'll over :