Articles written by David Agren
By David Agren
23 Jun 2010 |
World Politics Review
MEXICO CITY -- Ten years ago, Mexico's National Action Party (PAN) swept
to power on an agenda of change. A decade later, much of the center-right party's agenda has gone unfulfilled, and the PAN
has largely failed to establish itself as a party of government. The PAN faces voters again on July 4, in gubernatorial elections that are expected to once again highlight popular disenchantment
with a decade of PAN rule.
By David Agren
22 Mar 2010 |
World Politics Review
MEXICO CITY -- Earlier this year, Mexican President Felipe Calderón
admonished a meeting of the nation's top diplomats, urging them to speak
better of Mexico in order to counter negative perceptions of the
country. He raised eyebrows,
however, when, to emphasize his point, he compared Mexico's global image with that of Brazil. The comments reflected a sentiment often heard in Mexico -- Brazil envy.
By David Agren
01 Dec 2009 |
World Politics Review
MEXICO CITY -- A trend toward decentralization in Mexican politics has allowed state governors to exert increasing influence over matters such as
security, swelling budgets and the operation of political machines. But the lack of accountability over how federal money is spent at the state level is raising concerns.
By David Agren
10 Jun 2009 |
World Politics Review
MEXICO CITY -- The recent arrests of 28 local officials, including 10 mayors, for alleged links to the drug cartel La Familia has raised concerns among opposition politicians and political observers, who worry that the operation may have been motivated by electoral politics. The charges reflect the
politically charged climate surrounding Mexico's war on
drug-trafficking cartels.
By David Agren
19 Jan 2009 |
World Politics Review
MEXICO CITY -- Mexico's Institutional Revolutionary Party, which had ruled Mexico for 71 years until losing power in 2000,
ended 2008 on a roll. The party swept local and legislative elections in five of the six
states holding them last year, while on the federal level its lawmakers achieved legislative success in a divided Congress. Public
opinion polls now list the PRI as the most popular of Mexico's three
major parties.
By David Agren
12 Dec 2008 |
World Politics Review
MEXICO CITY -- Andrés Manuel López Obrador marked the second
anniversary of his "legitimate government" -- a symbolic opposition
shadow government -- with a rally in Mexico City Nov. 23. But the mood
was hardly festive, as the scorned 2006 presidential runner-up suffered
a series of crushing setbacks in the preceding weeks. López Obrador is seeking to remain relevant in 2009. But his constant
protests and admonishments to eschew working with President Felipe
Calderón are splitting the Mexican left and driving away potential
supporters.
By David Agren
16 Jul 2008 |
World Politics Review Exclusive
MEXICO CITY -- During his first year in office, Mexican President Felipe Calderón's approval ratings soared. As with many presidents, however, governing became more difficult during his second year in office. Calderón has encountered stiff opposition
to energy reform proposals that would allow expanded private sector
participation in the state-run petroleum sector, rising food and fuel prices, and increasing public pessimism
over the viability of his war on drugs.
By David Agren
08 Apr 2008 |
World Politics Review Exclusive
MEXICO CITY -- More than two years after her apprehension, imprisonment, and alleged abuse at the hands of Mexican police, the case of Lydia Cacho, a journalist who gained fame as a crusading activist for women's
and children's rights and for her exposés of pedophile rings in Cancún, still provokes outrage in Mexico. It reminds
a jaded population of the rampant impunity, institutional weakness and
unseemly political alliances that are still openly operating in the
country.
By David Agren
03 Aug 2007 |
World Politics Review Exclusive
GUADALAJARA, Mexico -- A year after losing Mexico's
contested presidential election, Andrés Manuel López Obrador has
largely fallen out of view and it's unclear whether he can stage a
comeback. Ever since forming his "legitimate government" on Nov. 20, 2006,
López Obrador has generally been ignored by the media. He often
campaigns in remote municipalities. Still, it's hard to dismiss López Obrador as a spent force --
especially when 42 percent of respondents in a recent poll
believe the 2006 election was unfair.
By David Agren
28 Jun 2007 |
World Politics Review Exclusive
MEXICO CITY -- An increasing number of Mexicans believe in the legend of Jesus Malverde, a mustachioed bandit from the hills of Sinaloa state that, like Robin Hood, reputedly stole from the rich and gave to the poor until his death by hanging in 1909. Narcotics traffickers claim him as their own and donate heavily to maintain a shrine in Sinaloa, a western state notorious for smuggling activities. Even with narcotics-cartel violence flaring across Mexico, Malverde's legend is growing and seeping into the broader popular culture.
By David Agren
17 May 2007 |
World Politics Review Exclusive
OAXACA, Mexico -- Travelers are gradually returning to Oaxaca after last year's strife, but not
fast enough for many in the tourism sector, which lost an estimated
$800 million in 2006, according to the state hotel association, and
which accounts for 80 percent of the regional economy. Although much of
the graffiti in the centro historico demanding the state governor's resignation has long been painted over, some aren't sure the sense of calm will last. The teachers union whose strike began last year's conflict usually strikes in May.
By David Agren
05 Dec 2006 |
World Politics Review Exclusive
Guadalajara, MEXICO -- The tense situation that appears close to resolution in Oaxaca, Mexico, began in
May with a teachers' strike, a fairly regular event. But with the
unleashing of an authoritarian crackdown the following month on the
striking teachers, it descended into an open revolt against the
governor of one of the Republic's poorest and most corrupt states. The
nearly six months of unrest has left at least 16 people dead and the
state economy in shambles. Outgoing president Fox's failure to resolve the conflict marks an ignoble end to his presidency, many say.
By David Agren
06 Nov 2006 |
World Politics Review Exclusive
GUADALAJARA, Mexico -- Although overshadowed after the July 2 election by Lopez Obrador
-- whose party recently lost an embarrassing gubernatorial vote in
Tabasco, Lopez Obrador's home state -- Felipe Calderon has quietly gone about
acting presidential, enhancing both his image and prospects for success
when he takes office Dec. 1. Uncharismatic but competent, Calderon's qualities could serve Mexico well after six years of uninspired
leadership and a flirtation with populism during its recent election.
Unlike Fox, Calderon might actually deliver change.
By David Agren
01 Nov 2006 |
WPR Blog
Pipe-smoking bandit subcomandante Marcos leveraged unrest in Oaxaca to promote his ailing Zapatista (EZLN) movement.
By David Agren
19 Sep 2006 |
World Politics Review Exclusive
DOLORES HIDALGO, Mexico -- Perhaps hoping to avoid conflict and a
political storm at the Sept. 15 independence celebrations in Mexico
City's Zocalo (main square) -- the usual site of such festivities --
President Vicente Fox bolted for Dolores Hidalgo in his home state of
Guanajuato to deliver the annual grito, a reenactment of parish priest Miguel Hidalgo's call for independence from Spanish rule.
By David Agren
24 Aug 2006 |
World Politics Review Exclusive
MEXICO CITY -- The results of last month's
Mexican election and allegations of fraud so angered Jesus Alberto Nito
Tellez that he left his wholesale business in the central Mexican city
of Celaya three weeks ago and drove to the heart of Mexico City, where
he pitched a tent in a protest camp organized by disgruntled
presidential candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. Despite evidence that the protests are eroding Lopez Obrador's support, and the fact that legal options for compelling a recount have been exhaused, the candidate and his supporters remain.