Rantburg.com
After a speech given by Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI) Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto at a forum hosted by The Economist (UK), Miguel Osorio Chong, Peña's Secretaria de Gobernacion (SEGOB), or interior minister spent time in the press last week clarifying Pena's remarks.
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| SEGOB Osorio Chong |
According to a news report posted on the website of Yancuic.com, president Peña told the forum that a reduction of violence has occurred in Mexico since the end of 2012, but, according to a news account Peña gave no details.
According to the news account, president Peña used the term appreciably with regard to the drop in violent crime in Mexico, and even when asked about what metric could used to show any decline in violence, Peña did not answer.
One criticism from the publisher of The Economist news weekly, unidentified in the article, was that when president Peña spoke of the reduction of crime he failed to make note of events in Michoacan, easily one of the most violent states in Mexico, and one which potentially threatens Pena's security strategy.
Another problem with president Peña's claims is that, according to the news account, if the drop in homicides in Mexico state only are taken into account, then Peña told the truth. Which means that Peña likely lied to the forum in his claims.
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| President Peña Nieto |
According to the data supplied by The Economist, officials in Mexico state had changed the methodology of reporting statistics for violent crime, which showed a steep drop the year Peña's term as governor ended in 2011. Now, two years later, Peña is applying apparently similar methodology by eliminating drug related deaths from statistical compilations. That statistical trick has indicated a dramatic reduction in violent crime starting in August -- when the new method went into place -- by 20 percent.
Osorio Chong responded to critics the next morning by claiming Peña's anti crime strategy deals with people not statistics. Osorio Chong before a senate committee last week combatively also denied a conspiracy of silence existed between the federal and state governments in reporting violent crime in Mexico.
That statement by Osorio Chong may well be the epitaph of transparency laws in place since 2005 under the Vicente Fox presidential administration.
Having pushed an across the board income tax increases as well as levies on other items including sugary drinks, Peña is now pushing to eliminate transparency reforms dealing with security policy in place since 2005.
An editorial which appeared earlier in the week in El Siglo de Durango news daily written by Jorge Perez Arellano said that the new national expenditure law, approved in the Chamber of Deputies and now being considered by the Mexican senate, was passed without Article 9 or Article 15, two 2005 reforms which forced state and municipal governments to report certain classes of spending back to the federal government.
The Presupuesto de Egresos 2014, or Expenditure Act of 2014 is set for a vote November 16th in the Senate when it is expected to pass, then go to the plenary session for final approval.
State and municipal governments in Mexico are severely restricted in how much of their own revenue they can raise and spend. The Mexican federal government provides the lion's share of money for state and local police corporations. Under the current law any monies provided by the federal government for security not spent 90 days after the funds are originally transferred, must be reported and any use of those funds by state of municipal entities must be publicly available for anyone to see.
Another reform expected to be removed from 2014 spending program is the requirement that state and municipal public servants must report to the Chamber of Deputies and to the national auditor's office any complaints against those officials.
For the average Mexican citizen, the reform meant that any complaints pressed against an errant officials would be sent to the Chamber of Deputies and to the auditor. With the new reform, now the average Mexican citizen will be forced to go to Mexico City to press complaints since municipal and state officials will no longer be required to send them on to the federal government.
According to Perez Arellano, the gutting of the reforms will allow public servants to grant themselves and their subordinates salary increases, presumably without any legislative oversight.
According to a separate report in El Diario de Chihuahua news daily, Veracruz Partido Accion Nacional (PAN) deputy Juan Bueno Torio warned that the elimination of the reforms will give state and local officials a "big spoon", and that gutting reform could lead to increased indebtedness in states and municipalities.
Bueno Torio, formerly a senator, had spent some time towards the end of his term warning about the dire condition of Mexican municipalities with indebtedness. At the time in 2012, he warned that 80 percent of all municipalities in Mexico were having dire economic problems due to increased amounts of debt.
It was a massive increase of public debt from 2005 to 2011 that led the populist former Coahuila governor and former PRI president Humberto Moreira Valdes to resign.
Chris Covert writes Mexican Drug War and national political news for Rantburg.com and BorderlandBeat.com
New PRI? hahaha, yeah right!
ReplyDeleteThat's what I was thinking
Delete10:19 yes the new pri,unapologetically much much bolder in its cynical approach to stealing elections,subjugating the proles, lying through their teeth,stealing the money from the public through,selling protection to criminals,stealing the people's assets,selling out pemex,corrupting the opposition,the armed forces,etc,etc,etc,yes,that is a new "PRI",all hellbent on stealing for what might be the last time,all they can, once and for all...anyone wonder which bank Carlos slim helu keeps his savings on?
DeleteDoes he keeps them savings in pesos?
Where is the money allour ex-presidents stole?(I mean in which Mexican bank)
A big spoon? Sounds more like they got a backhoe to the money now!! Wonder how much the cartels paid him to do this?
ReplyDelete11:19 forget about the money,this time it is all about the pirate privateering ownership of the land,mining,energy,pemex, education, drug trafficking,this time they wanna PRIvatize it all,not even Mexican owned.
DeleteNOTHING TO BE OWNED BY THE INDIANS OR THE PROLES! Estan muy feos,Mexicans remind Pena nieto he is not very blond...
Everybody thinks the cartels are at the top of the drug business, but that is wrong. The guys on top are the politicians, the military commanders and the business guys. The very top guys are the banks which launder (30% cut) and hold all the money and once the cartels heads are killed or busted get to keep what is left.
ReplyDeleteThe cartels are simply the stupid dogs doing the dirty work moving the drugs, killing and getting killed. This is very similar to a real war where the soldiers get fucked by the politicians and bankers.
Of course there are different parties and factions among the politicians, military commanders and banks getting paid and supporting the various cartels. This is the reason that there is not one big cartel feeding everybody, but several.
The cartels are nothing but pawns in this game giving away the biggest portion of the illicit proceeds in the shape of bribes to the top dogs who ARE the mexican society's institutional power (government, military and business).
Think about it: why do none of the investigations and trials follow the real money? Why is never an attempt made to try to trace the billions that the cartels hold? Answer: because they hold almost nothing! The money is gone into the pockets of the game makers high up in the corridors of power.
Back in the day Pablo Escobar paid USD70million in bribes per month. That was 20 years ago. Nowadays the figure is probably closer to USD500million in bribes per month for the entire industry. You can easily guess why the money trail is never followed.
The focus on the cartels as the bad guys (sure by their hands blood is shed, but they are not the makers of the game) is nothing but a smokescreen to make sure that attention is not paid to the real culprits! Note: in this respect there is no difference between the US and Mexico.
As a closing comment: one may be misled to yell 'hey the investigation into the Trevinos horse breeding operation was an example of an attempt to follow the money'. The truth: nothing of the sort! Their horse business dealt with 10's of millions and not the Billions actually involved. The real issue here was that the white Texas socialite establishment was upset to have to mingle and shake hands with a bunch of brown thugs!
3:13 MON! You are one bad motherfucker, this is one of the few times I seen somebody blaming the top of the food chain,right between the eyes,I hope somebody notices.
DeleteBy the way,do you know how much money Pablo escobar gaviria accumulated before his handlers made him the scapegoat,the fall guy and the whippin'boy,all at the same time,and where his money went?
Its no secret everyone knows that the cartels put up most of the money for Pena Nietos campaign,now its time to pay up,he made a deal with the devil.Unfortunately the people that are paying are the hardworking people of mexico through higher prices(food,gas,etc.),higher taxes,and of course the quotas and extortions.From here out pena nieto will not do much to fight the cartels and they know that,they got him by his tiny balls,pena nieto and his administration can spin the crime statistics around all they want but the people are not as stupid as he thinks they are.Everyone knows that murders,kidnappings,and extortions have gone through the roof and that Pena Nieto(PRI) is protecting the cartels and turn his back on the good people of mexico.....
ReplyDeleteHere we go again,pri at its best steling from the people.
ReplyDeleteQue risa! Pretty Boy's full of sh*it.
ReplyDeleteblank checks being handed out to public servants!! Money for everyone except the hard working farmers and poor people!! No wonder why this idiot holds small conferences!! What a puppet!! My stats are not based of numbers they are based off what people tell me!! Osorio almost smiled in that picture someone probably tickled him before taking the picture...
ReplyDeleteZzzzzzzzzzz
ReplyDeleteJust continuing government corruption,making it easier.They should all be thrown out of office.
ReplyDeleteU 11:19pm. Shut up. U know nothing. Like how the hell hes going to finish so call drug war if hes trying everything. Plus the smuggling guns is the isshe. They should closed those dam gun show or store or whatever. Thats the cause of all this shit. Calderon fail this. If it wasnt for his strategy. They could of stop this already and for u guys that are puting chapo snitches stop it and open your dam eyes man. Ive been in mexico. There was a lot of cops on the highway and parts of michoacan. The freaking mayors are so pussy. They shouldnt be scare by threats. By the way. The federal or army should send them to the mountains. Thats why is failing. Is not the president is the mayors fault. Like the mayor has to make their own responsobility. So dont blame the president people. Blame others politicians of mexico. And one thing. If u guys wish to finish and go to mexico someday. Support the army and marines or federal police. Dont support the cartels. Thats was causingthem to become powerful. Because of we people. And they should closr or suspend the guns sell. Theirs another way to grow the economy in this beautiful country. Mexico is our friend too. If u guys or girls wants to make mexico good again. We should stop the guns sells. I aint joking.
ReplyDelete@10:55 a.m if gun control works so well how come the only ppl in mexico that has them are the bad guys? Works real well there dont it? In the states all the mass shootings are gun free zones so.you need to get your facts straight! As many crimes have been prevented as have been committed by ppl with weapons! Ill take my chance with one than without one in a robbery, home invasion or kidnapping!!!
DeleteScrew your facts. Its destroying mexico and the reason why the bad guys smuggle those weapons is that those dumbasses clerks dont check nothing on them. Well some clerks. And the reason why are corrupted is because their scare. But the true is they need to stop it. Michoacan is worst thanks to those fucking laws. To be haunist. It use to be a good idea cause i understand we need protection but still they need to check before selling it to the wronge person. Besides that. We need to grow the economy. Ok they can sell guns but not assault or light machine guns or gernades.. What would we do if a gang or en enemy buys those weapons and take parts of the states and make the politicians corrupted. What u think that? Face it man. The guns laws are bad. Despite we need protection.
Delete@9:23 p.m go hug your tree and gimme my guns!! I do agree we need to do a better job on checking ppl out who buy guns but the u.s isnt the only place them idiots buy guns! If youre a corrupt gun dealer or military u should get life in prison or the death penatly.you are never going to change defects in human nature but id like to be as well armed as the criminals at least the odds would be even!!!
Delete10:55 American gun manufacturers,armed with the NRA and the 2nd ammendment poppycock muhaidins wanted only some of that narcos'money,by defanging and declawing the law and government entities they got to make many narco-dollars,since doubya et al...
DeleteHumberto moreira resigned from Pena nieto' s presidential campaign,not over his state's indebtedness,but in the midst of the scandals about his UNEXPLICABLE ENRICHMENT,and the missing funds lent to"his"state,on top of his support for drug trafficking organizations,namely the zetas,he still left his brother as governor of the state.
ReplyDeleteFor a lowly teacher that had no money for bus fare,his career as a teacher's union leader brought him untold rewards,and the grateful friendship of a president that was CORRUPT way before he even started his political career...
DEATH PENALTY FOR CORRUPT POLITICIANS
maybe someday Mexico will wake up...
Its me or does Osorio Chong looks like a Chineese version of Samuel Borrego aka Metro-3? Just saying tho.
ReplyDeleteSounds like Obama Adm.
ReplyDeleteand by gut, they mean new people will be collecting protection money from the cartels, correct? like the new guy who collected from Caro Quintero for his release..
ReplyDeletegood to see the chinamen smiling this time thx chivas
ReplyDeleteNovember 11, 2013 at 10:55 AM
ReplyDeleteLmao look at this retard. . Seriously you're actually here trying to defend Pena-Nieto? LMAO Sorry chump but we ain't as stupid as you think. The smuggling of guns is a issue but Mexico is the way it is because of corrupt politicians and narcos. Especially because of higher up politicians like Pena-Nieto. The freaking mayors pussies? They shouldn't be afraid of threats? You say you've been to Mexico right? Well in Mexico they chop up politicians for not following their orders you blabbering idiot. lol and you say you've been to Mexico, doubt it kid. And we'll continue blamaing Pena-Nieto because he's the most powerful politician in Mexico and yet he ain't doing nothing for his people. ESTA COMPRADO EL WEY. Jesus Christ it baffles me that idiots like you exist who can't even properly spell! What's saddest is people like you are given the right to vote.
November 11, 2013 at 10:59 AM
I agree bro. I hope everynight the death of his son haunts him. Pinche mugroso de humberto moreira!!! R.I.P. to your son he was a good guy but FUCK YOU H.M. He has the blood of his son on his hands.
WeyDeLaFrontera
10.55 in Mexico all power flows from the president,his close circle delivers or not.
DeleteCalderon and fox surrounded by priistas, could not cook it,pena nieto,the top priista,will not kick ass,he wore the red shirt of Hugo Chavez for the benefit of the proles,like his allies,now that he is on top,he will just kick away anybody that don't follow his lead to the money or gets on the way...