SUMMARY
Reforming the INE: Oligopoly, Ties to Somos, and Zero Cover-ups
«Perhaps they said, ‘Don’t touch the INE,’ to protect this entire
electoral mafia that was built with their help,» President Claudia
Sheinbaum said. She criticized former National Electoral Institute
(INE) president Lorenzo Córdova for recognizing and maintaining the
oligopoly for nine years without breaking up the concentration of
power, and pointed to transactions totalling more than 2 billion pesos
(US$110 million). Sheinbaum maintained that the Hernández Casillas
brothers were groomed by a former Center for Investigation and
National Security (CISEN) official linked to the new political party
Somos, rejected the claim that the contractors were unknown, and
questioned the organization’s attempts to distance itself from the
scandal. The President also recalled Edmundo Jacobo’s 15-year stint in
the INE and his reluctance to step down from his post.
Sheinbaum noted that the 2014 Pact for Mexico empowered 11 INE board
members to appoint state electoral authorities and called for an
investigation into a business network with ties to the Ministry of the
Interior. She called for audits, transparent contracting, and lower
costs leading up to 2027, leaving the Federal Superior Audit
Department (ASF) and the state attorney general’s offices responsible
for defining legal actions. The President also announced a decree to
strengthen Talleres Gráficos, with university oversight and
participation. In response to Somos’s demands, she stated that «I
stand by my words. I maintain them. Because I have proof of everything.»
Fox Confirms Interference Against AMLO in 2006; the PAN Now Distances Itself
«When we denounced the fraud in 2006, they called us crazy,» the
President recalled. She maintained that Fox validated the movement by
acknowledging his intervention in favor of Felipe Calderón’s
presidential bid and highlighted the PAN’s distancing itself from him
following his statements. Sheinbaum defended the «vote-by-vote»
recount and criticized the actions of the Federal Electoral Institute
(IFE) and the Electoral Tribunal. She questioned talk of the «greatest
electoral crisis» while omitting 2006 and the vote-buying in 2012.
Voces Vivas and Original: Pride in Our Roots and Dignified Artisanal Work
«Voces Vivas,» a concert featuring 1,000 children and young people
performing in 17 indigenous languages, took place on November 7 in the
Zócalo, and «Original,» a textile and artisanal arts fair with 580
creators, was held from November 12 to 15 at Los Pinos. Both events
celebrate and honor Mexico’s culture.
