By Jerry Davis, Author of Life In Mexico | Amazon Kindle
The election of 2006, a contest between Felipe Calderon and Andrés Lopez Obrador, was marred by irregularities, not a big surprise, but it was an improvement over the past.
Years ago when the PRI party enjoyed total control a popular joke was that the United States was much more advanced technologically than Mexico but Mexico was far in advance of its neighbor when it came to elections. In “el Norte” the results were known in a matter of hours but here they were known months in advance, when campaigning started.
In 2006 Calderòn’s election was recognized by the courts, business, the media, the upper classes and foreign governments. Lopez Obrador’s election was supported by the poorer classes whom he had promised to aid and over a million of them raised their hands in support when a meeting of delegates met in the main square of Mexico City and inaugurated him as president of the republic.
Nine days later Calderòn was inaugurated in the official ceremony.
It was a mess. In Mexico City the so called “legitimate” president set up a campsite for protestors that effectively divided the city down the middle. If you lived on one side and your children’s school was on the other, or your work on the other, if you were a delivery person or taxi driver you were stuck because it was difficult to cross the line of protesters.
One taxi driver said to us, “If I had only realized what that ___ ___ fool was going to do I never, never would have voted for that SOB. I am on the verge of losing my taxi”.
Many, many people were affected.
José, my mother-in-law’s driver, occasionally spent the night at the camp because not only did he avoid a two-hour commute but received supper, a place to sleep, breakfast and some cash to put in his pocket.
Calderon’s administration made a bad situation worse.
Eventually the “legitimate” president abandoned his campsite, years later was elected and is now our president. Our one and only. His election was not contested.
In the United States the problem of two presidents would not have happened because we have a court…
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