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An Hour With Mexican Writers Elena Poniatowska and Paco Ignacio
Taibo on the Mexican Elections, the Zapatistas and President
Bush
An Hour With Mexican Writers Elena Poniatowska and
Paco Ignacio Taibo on the Mexican Elections, the Zapatistas
and President Bush
In Mexico, turmoil and confusion continue to surround the
upcoming presidential election. Last week, the Mexican federal
Congress voted to impeach one of the leading candidates from
his job as mayor of Mexico City. The politician ––
Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador –– is now facing arrest
over a minor four-year-old infraction. Once an arrest warrant
is issued, he could lose his political rights and be barred
from running for the presidency. Lopez Obrador has been comfortably
leading opinion polls for next year"s elections to replace
Mexican President Vicente Fox who cannot run again.
Today we look at this and other major issues in Mexico today
with two of the country's best known writers: Elena Poniatowska
is a founder of the newspaper La Jornada and Mexico"s
first feminist magazine, "Fem." She is the first
woman to win the Mexican National Award for Journalism. Paco
Ignacio Taibo is a leading Mexican author. He has written
more than 50 books, including novels, short stories, and essays,
and is particularly known for his detective novels. He recently
completed a novel with Zapaitista leader Subcommandante Marcos.
We also hear a new recording in English by Marcos recorded
in the jungles of Chiapas. [includes rush
transcript]
In Mexico, turmoil and confusion continue to surround the
upcoming presidential election. Last week, the Mexican federal
Congress voted to impeach one of the leading candidates from
his job as mayor of Mexico City.
The politician -- Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador - is now facing
arrest over a minor four-year-old infraction. Once an arrest
warrant is issued, he could lose his political rights and
be barred from running for the presidency. Lopez Obrador has
been comfortably leading opinion polls for next year's elections
to replace Mexican President Vicente Fox who can not run again.
Lopez Obrador has accused Fox of trying to orchestrate his
downfall. He said "They have been using tricks, lies
and misinformation in their campaign to bring me down."
All but one legislator from Fox's party - the National Action
Party - voted for impeaching the mayor.
Last Friday, a federal prosecutor announced that instead
of filing formal charges against Lopez Obrador, he may wait
weeks or months until Mexico"s Supreme Court makes a
separate ruling on the case.
Lopez Obrador has been campaigning on a populist platform
that has been strongly opposed by the business community.
He has called for a more state-supported economy and a renegotiation
of free trade pacts.
Today we will spend much of the hour with two leading figures
in Mexico.
Elena Poniatowska is a founder of the newpaper La Jornada
and Mexico"s first feminist magazine, "Fem."
She is the first woman to win the Mexican National Award for
Journalism. In addition to her work as a journalist, Poniatowska
is an accomplished author. Her latest work, is "La Piel
del Cielo," but she is perhaps best known for her book
"La Noche de Tlatelolco" published in 1971 in which
she compiled testimonies about the Army's massacre of student
activists in Mexico City in 1968. She has been named as one
of three distinguished persons to head the civic resistance
movement against the impeachment of Lopez Obrador.
Paco Ignacio Taibo is a leading Mexican author. He has written
more than 50 books, including novels, short stories, and essays,
and is particularly known for his detective novels. He recently
completed a novel with Zapatista leader Subcomandante Marcos.
- Elena Poniatowska, founder of the newpaper La Jornada
and Mexico's first feminist magazine, "Fem." She
is the first woman to win the Mexican National Award for
Journalism. In addition to her work as a journalist, Poniatowska
is an accomplished author. Her latest work, is "La
Piel del Cielo," but she is perhaps best known for
her book "La Noche de Tlatelolco" published in
1971 in which she compiled testimonies about the Army's
massacre of student activists in Mexico City in 1968. She
has been named as one of three distinguished persons to
head the civic resistance movement against the impeachment
of Lopez Obrador.
- Paco Ignacio Taibo, a leading Mexican author. He has
written more than 50 books, including novels, short stories,
and essays, and is particularly known for his detective
novels. He recently completed a novel with Zapatista leader
Subcomandante Marcos.
- Subcomandate Marcos, excerpt from the new CD "Our
Word Is Our Weapon" (Seven Stories). The CD features
Marcos reading selections from the English edition of his
book "Our Word is Our Weapon."
For a copy of today’s program, call 1 (800) 881 2359.
Our website is www.democracynow.org.
Our email address is mail@democracynow.org.
Democracy Now! is produced by Mike Burke, Sharif Abdel Kouddous,
Ana Nogueira, Elizabeth Press, Jeremy Scahill and Parvez Sharma.
Mike Di Filippo is our engineer.
Thanks also to Uri Galed, Angela Alston, Orlando Richards,
Simba Russeau, Johnny Sender, Rich Kim, Joe Murgio, John Randolph,
Chris Zucker, Karen Ranucci, Denis Moynihan, Eric Rweyemamu,
Jenny Filipazzo and Isis Phillips.
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