On the eve of 2024…

The sad spectacle of Mexican politics on the eve of the 2024 presidential elections is truly disappointing. The anticipated campaigns of all parties and coalitions, as well as the painful performance of the candidates to represent the different political forces of Mexico in the electoral contest and his excessive desire for power without a platform or commitment to the country, are a clear example of what awaits us for next year. Coupled with this is the lack of ethics and intellectual dishonesty of the commentocracy on both sides of the ideological spectrum.

The poverty of the proposals to represent the opposition is notable. The size of those who aspire to lead an alternative project to that of the Fourth Transformation (4T), or rather, to that of Andrés Manuel López Obrador, is tiny. Among all of them, there is no one, and it seems that the “charge” by Xóchitl Gálvez has turned out to be a total botch. This, despite the large resources apparently spent by its elitist and reckless architects, who have unsuccessfully endeavored to try to make this upstart character shine through a strong public relations campaign, even internationally.

recently in the newspaper The Washington Posta painful text appears [“en modo Rosa de Guadalupe” como alguien comentó en su cuenta de X] signed by columnist David Ignatius and entitled “Why is AMLO worried about a outsider? She’s funny, profane—and inspiring.” Nothing more out of reality than that complete text. I don’t think AMLO is worried if Gálvez were to lead the opposition project, quite the contrary.

In Ignatius’s text, the lack of knowledge of the Mexican reality and the ignorant arrogance on the part of the international elite and anti-AMLO or anti-4T commentators abroad are clearly appreciated. He really calls attention to how such an influential newspaper publishes such a biased opinion, so puerile and so wrong. But hey, either way, their “inspirational” candidate seems deflated and more than laughs at how funny she is, makes them laugh at her profane aspiration that seems out of place.

Thus, the Broad Front for Mexico does not stop stumbling, placing uncomfortable figures with an unfortunate past or unfortunate political career at the center of its work, such as congressman Gabriel Quadri; the former foreign minister, former Secretary of the Treasury and one of the architects of Fobaproa, José Ángel Gurría; or the much discredited ex-governor of Tamaulipas, Francisco Javier García Cabeza de Vaca, whom they designate (although it seems a mockery) as coordinator on security issues.

The multiple blunders and misfortunes of the opposition are unfortunately not accompanied by light on the other side of the political spectrum. The aspirants to coordinate the defense (or deepening as they call it) of the 4T are also, as is popularly said, “to cry”. Of the lesser figures with a grotesque opportunistic aspiration to negotiate support or heat up the contest—such as the former governor of Chiapas, Manuel Velasco, the deputy Fernández Noroña, or the former governor of Zacatecas, Ricardo Monreal—better not to mention. And of the three applicants with real possibilities to successfully compete in the survey, not one is made. What is worrisome is their very poor performance, their lack of charisma and character, their frivolity and the enormous doubts that they generate among society due to their actions.

For example, the lambiscona and arrogant attitude of someone who calls himself a close friend of the president leaves much to be desired. Far from any rumor (unfounded or not) of “bedroom”, there is an aspiration anchored in the political opportunism of someone who hangs on to a supposed friendship with the current president of Mexico. The lackluster passage of the candidate for the Ministry of the Interior—or rather his gray performance—and the doubts regarding the origin of the resources for his anticipated pre-campaign, as well as his non-existent charisma and empathy with the people, make Adán Augusto López Hernández a relatively obscure candidate and unpopular with the general population.

Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, the former head of government of Mexico City, seems to be the leading candidate to date to lead the work to deepen the “transformation” at the end of López Obrador’s six-year term. But unfortunately, when thinking about her, some concepts come to mind such as: finger, loaded and carry. For many, it is apparent that Dr. Sheinbaum is the president’s favorite and is favored by the party that he himself formed, as recently pointed out by former Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard, who asks the Morena leadership not to interfere in the contest loading the dice to support the former head of government.

But the perception of favoritism and a charge towards Claudia Sheinbaum does not seem entirely unreasonable. I myself witnessed a very unfortunate event this past Tuesday, August 15, near Parque La Bombilla where Claudia held an “Informative Assembly” that was filmed and presented on social networks as a complete success with an apparently large group of supporters—who It is surprising that they gathered spontaneously due to the very limited charisma and lack of interest generated by the applicant among important sectors of the population, especially in some areas of Mexico City.

Well, that Tuesday, August 15, I was driving through the streets surrounding Parque la Bombilla on the way to my Mexican residence and at one point I had to get off because it was impossible to drive to the park. I then discovered “dozens” of vehicles (from which people were coming down) blocking streets with their arrival and some closed streets, which unhinged that part of the city for a few hours. Most of the vehicles were small passenger trucks and the colloquially called “peseras” that transported (carried?) A very large group of people to the park where Claudia Sheinbaum would have her event. All this seemed a vile carry; some people were even dressed in icing and brought little flags or cardboard. Who would have paid to mobilize so many people and rented so many small trucks to take them to listen to Claudia in her assembly and let them be photographed and filmed? How much will the number have cost? What else was offered to them and what else was behind it?

I can say that all this caused me and the neighbors of the place a very bad taste in the mouth. The foregoing coincides with the statements made by Marcelo Ebrard, who unfortunately has also had a very poor performance in this early pre-campaign. In part of a thread on the X social network entitled “Marcelo’s Landslide”, Luis Guillermo Hernández describes the former foreign minister like this; “Erratic, @m_ebrard wasted valuable time on stupidity and frivolity: milking cows, dancing quebradita, vacationing with his wife, playing DJ… The Statesman became a tiktoker ruco… ridiculous.” Sad enough, but more than one agreed with this harsh description.

And in reference to the three leaders in the survey, the great journalist Julio Astillero recently carried out a very critical, balanced and accurate analysis on his channel that is well worth reviewing. Although he makes critical remarks about the three contenders to head the supposed deepening of Q4, I’ll stick with the next phrase that I think has the best chance of emerging victorious in the poll, Claudia Sheinbaum. I am concerned about what I perceive and that I fully share with Astillero. Sheinbaum, the apparent leader and on which there could be a charge in order to favor it from different spaces, as Julio says: “it is filling up with characters related to Calderonism, with the most corrupt PRI, and with very bad Morenismo quality”.

This being the case, and plus what is accumulating in the coming months, a dark future is perceived for Mexico in 2024.