by the El Reportero’s news services
The scale of the defeat of Mexico’s ruling Partido Acción Nacional (PAN) in the elections on July 5 was worse than even the most pessimistic opinion polls had forecast.
The defeat has already forced the PAN’s president to resign and triggered an unprecedented clash between panistas in Guadalajara in the PAN-controlled state of Jalisco. Not only was the PAN crushed in the congressional elections but it was also pushed back in the six gubernatorial and numerous state congress and municipal elections that were held simultaneously.
Overall, the PAN is now much weaker than it was at the comparable point in President Vicente Fox’s term (2000 to 2006). The only encouragement it can glean from that memory is that it did recover from the mid-term drubbing in 2003 to retain the presidency in 2006.
The verdict was crushing for President Felipe Calderón and his ruling Partido Acción Nacional (PAN). Fewer than 45 percent of the electorate bothered to vote, despite a major effort by the government to stress the importance of the elections. Of those that did vote, most voted for the opposition Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI) but over 5 percent cast void ballots.
Apra back on top after Peru reshuffle
Javier Velásquez Quesquén, the former president of Congress, was sworn in as the new prime minister on July 11.
Although only six of the 16 new members are card-carrying members of President Alan García’s Partido Aprista Peruano (Apra), the new cabinet is more narrowly based than the outgoing one. Its senior fi gures now all take President García’s line that all the social unrest in the country is being fomented by radical leftists loyal to Presidents Hugo Chávez of Venezuela and Evo Morales of Bolivia.
Uruguay offers Bolivia sea access
The Uruguayan and Bolivian presidents will meet in this capital, especially to tackle, among other issues, the former’s offer to Bolivia access to the Atlantic Ocean In its first visit to Uruguay as head of State, Evo Morales will tackle with his host Tabare Vazquez important issues on the bilateral and regional agenda, but this subject has hit the local and international media headlines.
The issue has auspicious antecedents, because Vazquez stated at the beginning of the past week that “we talked about it with Evo several times and we want to make progress in that direction.”
“It is a gesture of solidarity by our government and our country towards a brother government and people,” the president said.The Uruguayan proposal includes readying a port in Montevideo for Bolivian trade that could start operating in 2010, with similar administration to that of the Chilean Arica port.
Urge solución en Honduras para estabilidad de la región
Para la estabilidad política, comercial y social de Centroamérica es necesario solucionar la situación de Honduras, afirmó hoy el ministro de Hacienda de Costa Rica, Guillermo Zúñiga.
En su opinión, las actuales condiciones en Honduras, tras el golpe de Estado que destituyó al presidente constitucional, Manuel Zelaya, pueden afectar mucho a su país y al resto de la región.
Zúñiga precisó que Centroamérica es un mercado de 80 millones de habitantes, por lo que si uno
