Spain defends former PM against meddling charges by Mexico

[Judi Lynn]

Spain defends former PM against meddling charges by Mexico

www.chinaview.cn 2006-02-25 12:51:18


MADRID, Feb. 24 (Xinhuanet) -- The Spanish government said on Friday it would back former Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar involved in a recent spat with the Mexican government.

The former Spanish prime minister has been accused of interfering in Mexico's political matters and breaking the country's election laws after he publicly endorsed a presidential candidate there.

Spain's Deputy Prime Minister Maria Teresa Fernandez de la Vegasaid Spain "defends, has defended and has supported Mr Aznar against the Mexican authorities" through its foreign ministry.

At a gathering during his visit to Mexico earlier in the week, Aznar praised the accomplishments of Felipe Calderon, the candidate for the ruling center-right National Action Party and expressed the hope Calderon would win the July 2 presidential election.
(snip/...)

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2006-02/25/content_4226003.htm

[Peace Patriot]

1. You got it, Judi! GREAT photoshopping!

Imagine if Tony Blair had come over here, in 2004, and told Americans to vote for Bush. Former imperial owners and oppressors, telling you how to vote. Blair did everything short of endorsing Bush outright, but he didn't dare say it--because it would be such an outrage. That's how the Mexicans feel. And Mexico furthermore has a law against it! No meddling by foreigners. An understandable law that exists in most countries in some form (such as no foreign campaign contributions).

Zapatero's leftist government in Spain pretty much had to act to protect Aznar from being deported from Mexico--is how I read this. That would be an indignity that most governments would try to prevent. But Aznar is a fascist asshole--in league with fascist assholes around the globe, including Bush--and SHOULD HAVE BEEN deported! That would have been a beautiful expression of the leftist revolution that is sweeping Latin America: No to imperialism! No to the US/World Bank and its toadies and yes-men! No more! No more! U.S. death squads, and assassinations, and support of dictators, and infliction of sweatshops, and resource extraction, and transnational corporate bullying, and the whole stinking history of the destruction of democracy in Latin America, and rule by the US and by the rich, is OVER!

The revolution is moving north--from Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Venezuela and Bolivia (and soon Peru) right up into Mexico. They just elected the first indigenous president of Bolivia, Evo Morales. They just elected the first woman--socialist Michele Bathelet, who was tortured by Pinochet--as president of Chile. They have a former steelworker as president of Brazil, who led the third world countries' rebellion against the WTO in Cancun. They've elected and re-elected Hugo Chavez in Venezuela, despite every effort of the Bush junta to oust him, including a failed US-backed coup. And they're going to elect the leftist mayor of Mexico City, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, as president of Mexico this year.

Amazing. Toadies like Aznar can retire and go live on the Armstrong Ranch (and go hunting with Dick Cheney). On second thought, let's put them on a Mars Explorer and let them go colonize THAT.

It's over!

And the U.S. is next for the revolution! (--a harder nut to crack, what with Diebold and ES&S, but maybe we can get the OAS and the Carter Center to come help us achieve TRANSPARENT elections here, too. Transparent elections = good, leftist government, peace, justice, fairness, honesty. Non-transparent elections = Bush, war, torture, lies, massive thievery by the rich. It's a no-brainer, really.)

We're going to hunker down and do it! Just like the Latin Americans! We're going to have good government here, too!

:toast: :woohoo: :thumbsup: :woohoo: :toast:

[Kagemusha]

2. If John Major had done it who'd have cared.

Aznar isn't prime minister of Spain anymore.

[Peace Patriot]

5. True, Aznar isn't now, but he recently was, and PMs and Presidents

carry their former status with them always, and everywhere, an ambassadors for their country. It would have been yet more irregular and condescending if current PM Zapatero had done it (which he wouldn't have), but it is still an insult and an interference--ESPECIALLY because of the former colonial relationship (and also in cases of big powers/small countries). John Major would not likely do such a thing, but if he did, it WOULD be considered insulting, and it WOULD be noticed--BECAUSE he is a former PM (and that would be true even if he was just a lowly MP). Mexico happens to have a law against it as well. To me, it just speaks of Aznar's toadyism. He's a Bush junta/corporate tool--and he acts like it. It'll probably win votes for Lopez Obrador, though! That's the good part. Mexico--and virtually all of Latin America, and Spain itself--have gone leftist, and are standing up to the corporate exploiters and warmongers and their shills.

[Kagemusha]

6. You have points here but, normally, there's free speech for this

Mexico does have laws against this, yeah. Paranoid as they may seem to some. And fine. Because I do not dispute Aznar acts like a toady over a lot of things. But just because you can write a law against "insulting foreign interference" doesn't mean it's a 100% right thing to pursue either. Especially for a retired politician whose word means nothing.

[Judi Lynn]

3. Aznar remark is being probed

Aznar remark is being probed

Wire services
El Universal
February 23, 2006

The government is investigating whether former Spanish Prime Minister José María Aznar violated Mexican law when he publicly expressed hope that ruling-party candidate Felipe Calderón would win the July 2 presidential election, officials announced Wednesday.

Speaking at the headquarters of President Vicente Fox´s National Action Party (PAN) on Tuesday, Aznar praised the accomplishments of the 43-year-old Calderón, a former energy secretary.

"Yes, I´m also here to say that I hope and wish that Felipe Calderón will be the new president of Mexico," he said, "for the well-being of all Mexicans and for the well-being of the country."

At his daily briefing with reporters on Wednesday, Fox spokesman Rubén Aguilar noted that foreigners living or traveling here aren´t allowed to talk publicly about Mexican politics. He said the Interior Secretariat was investigating Aznar´s comments.

"The letter of our laws does not allow a foreigner to make these kinds of statements, the kind that he made yesterday," Aguilar said.
(snip)

"If there was a violation of Mexican law ... he will be summoned by Interior Secretary (Carlos) Abascal today so that he can be informed of Mexican law, which he surely was unaware of," Aguilar said.

Beyond a dressing-down by Fox´s top Cabinet member, it was unclear whether Aznar would face any punishment. Aguilar refused to say if the former prime minister could be deported and ducked questions about whether he would be welcomed back to Mexico.

Article 33 of the Constitution states that foreigners "cannot, under any circumstances, interfere with the internal politics of Mexico." Violators face immediate deportation if officials determine that their presence here is "inconvenient for the country."
(snip/...)

http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/miami/17120.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Considering Aznar's remarks conflict with Mexican law, it should be just fine if Mexico attends to Mexico's business in reminding him to butt out.

[goforit]

4. Anzar doing a little dirty business for Poppy bush in Mexico?