AMLO put in place by tortilla protestors

For the past six months, AMLO has looked a lot like "Subcomandante" Marcos. No, Lopez Obrador did not take up smoking a pipe and wearing a mask, but after being rejected by the Mexican populace, AMLO ran around to existing local conficts and tried to pretend that he was leading them. When he was rejected by the courts, then by the polls, and then by the voters in his home state of Tabasco, he seemed to become more desperate.

A good example would be the Toluca outdoor market last fall. The municipal government has long tried to move the market in order to ease congestion. Most of the vendors represent marginalized microbusinesses. When Lopez Obrador first appeared at their demonstrations, there was some added excitement, but as things went on it became apparent that he was there to promote his cause, not theirs.

The poorer half of the Mexican populace has been focused on the proposed price hike of tortillas. This will become a textbook example of an economic Giffen Good.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giffen_good

Tortillas are such a staple in the diet of the poor, and still the cheapest commodity in that diet (even with the price increase), the increase will not decrease tortilla consumption, but only impoverish the poor even more so that they will become more dependent on tortillas, having to cut out other parts of their diet which were previously purchased as discretionary or "luxury" items. In short, the increased price of tortillas may actually increase the demand for tortillas.

In a recent street protest, AMLO was not allowed to speak. The local leaders of this genuine movement have figured out that the progressive cause in the republic cannot be held hostage to one man's delusions.

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/01/31/america/LA-GEN-Mexico-Tortilla-March.php

another assassination

Yesterday, January 4, just before 8 PM, there was an apparent political assassination here in Acapulco. The newspapers are calling this an execution style hit, on Montealban street, in the downtown district of Fraccionamiento Hornos Insurgentes.

Jose Jorge Bajos Valverde was a local legislator. He was a PANista (uncommon for Acapulco), chairman of the finance commitee, and brother of state director of communication Cesar Bajos Valverde.

Jose Jorge Bajos Valderde was heading for an interview with a local radio station. He had parked his Toyota Rave and was preparing to exit when he was hit by a single rifle shot to the head, possibly at close range. A security guard at the radio station had heard the shot, and approached to investigate. At this time the assailants opened up with more shots from high powered rifles and automatic pistols before exiting on the busy Avenida Cuauhtemoc.

Here is a link to one local newspaper story.

http://www.suracapulco.com.mx/principal1.php