AP: The director of Mexico's National Water Commission resigned Thursday following an uproar over his family's use of an agency helicopter to reach Mexico City's airport.
David Korenfeld announced his resignation to reporters more than a week after social media filled with photographs, apparently taken by a neighbor on March 29, showing people walking with suitcases to a helicopter marked with the agency's name. Read more.
The MexicoBlog of the Americas Program, a fiscally sponsored program of the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR), is written by Laura Carlsen. I monitor and analyze international press on Mexico, with a focus on security, immigration, human rights and social movements for peace and justice, from a feminist perspective. And sometimes I simply muse.
Showing posts with label transparency. Show all posts
Showing posts with label transparency. Show all posts
Mar 23, 2015
Berlin Must Reveal U.S. 'Blackmail' Over Snowden Asylum
La Jornada (Translated by WorldMeets.Us): According to a report on the electronic portal The Intercept, the U.S. government pressured Germany to help deny information on terrorist plans to its intelligence services if Berlin offered asylum to U.S. computer analyst Edward Snowden, who currently lives as an exile in Russia. Journalist Glenn Greenwald, who has assisted the former Central Intelligence Agency analyst screen and disseminate [classified] documents, said that information was revealed by German Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel. Washington, meanwhile, has denied the accusation and said that the relationship between the two secret services has saved lives.
More than two years after Edward Snowden's first leaks exposed the massive spying programs of the United States which involves among other global actors the German government, data continues to surface revealing the extent and negative implications of the refusal of U.S. diplomacy to accept responsibility in a multipolar international environment that demands transparency. Read more.
More than two years after Edward Snowden's first leaks exposed the massive spying programs of the United States which involves among other global actors the German government, data continues to surface revealing the extent and negative implications of the refusal of U.S. diplomacy to accept responsibility in a multipolar international environment that demands transparency. Read more.
Jun 27, 2013
Mexico Faces Challenges in Tackling Corruption
ABC News
By E. Eduardo Castillo
Associated Press
June 26, 2013
It's a scandal a day in Mexico: an ex-governor sent to jail, another under investigation, mysterious money popping up in senators' bank accounts, politicians passing stacks of bills on YouTube.
Scandals are nothing new to Mexican politics, but the pace of revelations is accelerating as a more robust democracy and social media have emboldened Mexico's watchdogs, who are increasingly trying to bring the officials to justice or at least publicly shame them. And much of the new attention focuses on scandals in states, where the powerful grip of governors often had masked wrongdoing in the past. Read more.
By E. Eduardo Castillo
Associated Press
June 26, 2013
It's a scandal a day in Mexico: an ex-governor sent to jail, another under investigation, mysterious money popping up in senators' bank accounts, politicians passing stacks of bills on YouTube.
Scandals are nothing new to Mexican politics, but the pace of revelations is accelerating as a more robust democracy and social media have emboldened Mexico's watchdogs, who are increasingly trying to bring the officials to justice or at least publicly shame them. And much of the new attention focuses on scandals in states, where the powerful grip of governors often had masked wrongdoing in the past. Read more.
Jun 24, 2013
Official Corruption in Mexico, Once Rarely Exposed, Is Starting to Come to Light
The case of Mr. Granier, who was taken into custody on June 14 at a Mexico City hospital where he is being treated for a heart ailment, is just the latest among several former governors and public officials who have recently found themselves under investigation or facing public scorn. Read more.
Mar 4, 2013
If Mexico wants to launch anti-corruption crusade, there are plenty of officials to go after
Miami Herald
By Tim Johnson
McClatchy Newspapers
Mexico City -- The daughter of the boss of Mexico’s powerful oil workers union made a youthful indiscretion when she went to Europe last year: She posted photos of her lavish odyssey on Facebook.
The images showed Paulina Romero Deschamps touring French chateaus, staying with her three pet English bulldogs in five-star hotels, and living it up like the daughter of a sultan. She noted her fondness for Hermes calfskin Birkin handbags (price tag: $12,000) and praised the rare Spanish Vega Sicilia wines, which can cost nearly $1,000 a bottle.
Romero’s father, Carlos Romero Deschamps, is indeed a sultan of sorts. As head of the 142,000-member state oil workers union since 1996, he controls the purse strings of an important union – and tells its members how to vote. His daughter’s trip sparked a media furor when the photos hit a Mexico City newspaper in May. Paulina’s Facebook page went silent.
Union bosses like Romero are suddenly in the news in Mexico. Last week, authorities arrested Elba Esther Gordillo, head of the national teachers union, and charged her with corruption and organized crime. Mexico’s attorney general accused her of using $200 million in union funds for shopping trips, facelifts and real estate sprees in California. Mexico’s new president, Enrique Pena Nieto, told a national television audience that his 3-month-old government would not abide by the misuse of union funds. Read more.
By Tim Johnson
McClatchy Newspapers
Mexico City -- The daughter of the boss of Mexico’s powerful oil workers union made a youthful indiscretion when she went to Europe last year: She posted photos of her lavish odyssey on Facebook.
The images showed Paulina Romero Deschamps touring French chateaus, staying with her three pet English bulldogs in five-star hotels, and living it up like the daughter of a sultan. She noted her fondness for Hermes calfskin Birkin handbags (price tag: $12,000) and praised the rare Spanish Vega Sicilia wines, which can cost nearly $1,000 a bottle.
Romero’s father, Carlos Romero Deschamps, is indeed a sultan of sorts. As head of the 142,000-member state oil workers union since 1996, he controls the purse strings of an important union – and tells its members how to vote. His daughter’s trip sparked a media furor when the photos hit a Mexico City newspaper in May. Paulina’s Facebook page went silent.
Union bosses like Romero are suddenly in the news in Mexico. Last week, authorities arrested Elba Esther Gordillo, head of the national teachers union, and charged her with corruption and organized crime. Mexico’s attorney general accused her of using $200 million in union funds for shopping trips, facelifts and real estate sprees in California. Mexico’s new president, Enrique Pena Nieto, told a national television audience that his 3-month-old government would not abide by the misuse of union funds. Read more.
Jan 8, 2013
Expansion Of Walmart Stores In Mexico Comes With A High Price: Bribery And Corruption
HuffPost: By Susana G. Baumann
January 2013.
Do you shop at Walmart? Do you have Walmart stocks? Then you better read on.
In Spanish, there is a saying, “Tira la piedra y esconde la mano,” (throw the rock and hide the hand). Walmart business practices follow this motto as shown in the 2012 investigative report of the New York Times related to the bribery activity that allowed for the rapid expansion of Walmart stores in Mexico, the reporting of recent horrific discoveries that followed the blaze and death of 112 workers in Bangladesh, and the amount of lawsuits the company battles every year in the United States.
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. branded as Walmart, is the third largest public corporation and the leading private employer in the world. They operate in 25 countries under 69 different brand names.
For its third quarter earnings in 2012, Walmart reported a profit of $3.63 billion, or $1.08 a share, compared with $3.33 billion, or $0.96 a share, in the same quarter of 2011. Read more.
January 2013.
Do you shop at Walmart? Do you have Walmart stocks? Then you better read on.
In Spanish, there is a saying, “Tira la piedra y esconde la mano,” (throw the rock and hide the hand). Walmart business practices follow this motto as shown in the 2012 investigative report of the New York Times related to the bribery activity that allowed for the rapid expansion of Walmart stores in Mexico, the reporting of recent horrific discoveries that followed the blaze and death of 112 workers in Bangladesh, and the amount of lawsuits the company battles every year in the United States.
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. branded as Walmart, is the third largest public corporation and the leading private employer in the world. They operate in 25 countries under 69 different brand names.
For its third quarter earnings in 2012, Walmart reported a profit of $3.63 billion, or $1.08 a share, compared with $3.33 billion, or $0.96 a share, in the same quarter of 2011. Read more.
Dec 1, 2012
Mexico’s crime wave has left about 25,000 missing, government documents show
Washington Post: by William Booth
November 29, 2012
MEXICO CITY — Mexico’s attorney general has compiled a list showing that more than 25,000 adults and children have gone missing in Mexico in the past six years, according to unpublished government documents.
The data sets, submitted by state prosecutors and vetted by the federal government but never released to the public, chronicle the disappearance of tens of thousands of people in the chaos and violence that have enveloped Mexico during its fight against drug mafias and crime gangs.
Families have been left wondering whether their loved ones are alive or among the more than 100,000 victims of homicides recorded during the presidency of Felipe Calderon, who leaves office Saturday. Read more.
November 29, 2012
MEXICO CITY — Mexico’s attorney general has compiled a list showing that more than 25,000 adults and children have gone missing in Mexico in the past six years, according to unpublished government documents.
The data sets, submitted by state prosecutors and vetted by the federal government but never released to the public, chronicle the disappearance of tens of thousands of people in the chaos and violence that have enveloped Mexico during its fight against drug mafias and crime gangs.
Families have been left wondering whether their loved ones are alive or among the more than 100,000 victims of homicides recorded during the presidency of Felipe Calderon, who leaves office Saturday. Read more.
Nov 20, 2012
Mexico focus on police commanders in CIA shooting
By E. EDUARDO CASTILLO | Associated Press
MEXICO CITY (AP) — In a strange and aggressive attack by Mexican federal police on a U.S. Embassy vehicle that was pumped with 152 bullets, one major question remains: Why?
Mexican investigators are looking for the answer from five police commanders who are accused of ordering 14 officers to lie about what happened on Aug. 24 south of Mexico City, where two CIA officers and a Mexican Navy captain came under heavy fire while travelling in an armored SUV clearly marked by diplomatic plates.
The police officers, who wounded the Americans and face attempted murder charges, initially said they were in uniform and marked cars, and responded to fire from the SUV. But details of the attorney general's investigation released Sunday said they were in plains clothes, unmarked vehicles (including two of their personal cars) and under order at all times from their commanding officers.
"Commanders controlled by whom? Whose instructions were they following?" said one Mexican official with knowledge of the case.
The attorney general's office continues to investigate possible connections between the attack and organized crime, according to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the case. Read more.
MEXICO CITY (AP) — In a strange and aggressive attack by Mexican federal police on a U.S. Embassy vehicle that was pumped with 152 bullets, one major question remains: Why?
Mexican investigators are looking for the answer from five police commanders who are accused of ordering 14 officers to lie about what happened on Aug. 24 south of Mexico City, where two CIA officers and a Mexican Navy captain came under heavy fire while travelling in an armored SUV clearly marked by diplomatic plates.
The police officers, who wounded the Americans and face attempted murder charges, initially said they were in uniform and marked cars, and responded to fire from the SUV. But details of the attorney general's investigation released Sunday said they were in plains clothes, unmarked vehicles (including two of their personal cars) and under order at all times from their commanding officers.
"Commanders controlled by whom? Whose instructions were they following?" said one Mexican official with knowledge of the case.
The attorney general's office continues to investigate possible connections between the attack and organized crime, according to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the case. Read more.
Nov 5, 2012
Calderon’s Pursuit of Developed Nation Status and Why it is Denied
Chivis Martinez, Borderland Beat:
Corruption, The Drugwar, Impunity and Inequality are Primary Factors
While addressing the US Chamber of Commerce last spring, Mexican President Felipe Calderon pitched the strength of the Mexican economy which he says experienced a growth rate of 1.5% CDP per year over the past two decades. It is his position that Mexico should leave the list of developing nations and join the ranks of developed countries. Read more.
Corruption, The Drugwar, Impunity and Inequality are Primary Factors
While addressing the US Chamber of Commerce last spring, Mexican President Felipe Calderon pitched the strength of the Mexican economy which he says experienced a growth rate of 1.5% CDP per year over the past two decades. It is his position that Mexico should leave the list of developing nations and join the ranks of developed countries. Read more.
Sep 3, 2012
Transparency in Mexico: Information doesn't come easily
Christian Science Monitor: In Mexico it can be a long, frustrating pursuit for members of civil society or journalists to get even basic information from the government, despite an institution created to make it easier.
By Lauren Villagran. MEXICO CITY - A decade after Mexico created its Federal Institute for Access to Information (IFAI), civil society has more access to information on the federal government’s activities than ever before.
President-elect Enrique Peña Nieto – whose campaign was marred by accusations of vote buying and corruption – has proposed extending transparency requirements to state and local governments. He is pushing, too, for an anti-corruption panel and a citizen-led agency to oversee government spending.
On Thursday night, Mexico’s seven-member Federal Electoral Tribunal ruled unanimously to dismiss a complaint that this summer's election was marred by fraud, clearing the way for Mr. Peña Nieto to assume the presidency on Dec. 1. Read more.
By Lauren Villagran. MEXICO CITY - A decade after Mexico created its Federal Institute for Access to Information (IFAI), civil society has more access to information on the federal government’s activities than ever before.
President-elect Enrique Peña Nieto – whose campaign was marred by accusations of vote buying and corruption – has proposed extending transparency requirements to state and local governments. He is pushing, too, for an anti-corruption panel and a citizen-led agency to oversee government spending.
On Thursday night, Mexico’s seven-member Federal Electoral Tribunal ruled unanimously to dismiss a complaint that this summer's election was marred by fraud, clearing the way for Mr. Peña Nieto to assume the presidency on Dec. 1. Read more.
Jun 26, 2012
Political Refugee Assange Deserves His Freedom - and Our Nation's Thanks
La Jornada: WorldMeets.Us Translation by Gemma Bouchereau
See Spanish Original.
“It is deplorable, but indicative of the contemporary world disorder, that Swedish legal officials have been suborned to invent allegations of sex crimes in the context of what has been exposed as a Washington revenge and damage control operation, as well as an attempt to suppress transparency, freedom of expression and the release of information carried out by the Australian and his organization.”
EDITORIAL
The unexpected appearance of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange at the Ecuador Embassy in London, his formal request to the Andean country for political asylum, and Quito’s offer to evaluate the request based on the principles of international law and the country’s political tradition of protecting human rights, has dispelled fears that the Australian journalist would be handed over to Sweden in the next few days. It is in Sweden that he faces charges of alleged sexual harassment and rape, which seem a fait accompli given the refusal of the British Supreme Court to reopen the case last week.
Whatever response the Rafael Correa government gives Assange, the existence of a political refugee in contemporary Europe, the legal fury being directed against him by the authorities of two Old World countries, England and Sweden, and the silence of the Western powers in regard to this situation, demonstrates the hypocrisy and moral and political bankruptcy of governments that repeatedly claim to be champions of freedom, transparency, legality and respect for human rights, but instead act as advocates of authoritarianism, defenders of opacity, partisans of the reactionary use of law and the disregard of individual rights. Read more.
See Spanish Original.
“It is deplorable, but indicative of the contemporary world disorder, that Swedish legal officials have been suborned to invent allegations of sex crimes in the context of what has been exposed as a Washington revenge and damage control operation, as well as an attempt to suppress transparency, freedom of expression and the release of information carried out by the Australian and his organization.”
EDITORIAL
The unexpected appearance of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange at the Ecuador Embassy in London, his formal request to the Andean country for political asylum, and Quito’s offer to evaluate the request based on the principles of international law and the country’s political tradition of protecting human rights, has dispelled fears that the Australian journalist would be handed over to Sweden in the next few days. It is in Sweden that he faces charges of alleged sexual harassment and rape, which seem a fait accompli given the refusal of the British Supreme Court to reopen the case last week.
Whatever response the Rafael Correa government gives Assange, the existence of a political refugee in contemporary Europe, the legal fury being directed against him by the authorities of two Old World countries, England and Sweden, and the silence of the Western powers in regard to this situation, demonstrates the hypocrisy and moral and political bankruptcy of governments that repeatedly claim to be champions of freedom, transparency, legality and respect for human rights, but instead act as advocates of authoritarianism, defenders of opacity, partisans of the reactionary use of law and the disregard of individual rights. Read more.
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