I'd like to preface this diary by stating that abortion should be rare and safe.
Regrettably, working- and middle-class women in Mexico City do not have a safe option to interrupt their pregnancies. While wealthy can either surreptitiously frequent a safe clinic/hospital or hop on a flight to Houston, disenfranchised women can't. They have to resort to back alley locales of considerable disrepute and suffer the consequences.
In light of this, center-left PRD legislators in Mexico City have drafted a bill that would enable a woman to legally interrupt her pregnancy within the first 12 weeks in Mexico City.
Predictably, the PAN (RightWing political party) and its allies in the Catholic Church have vowed to fight this attempt to usher Mexico into Modernity.
What exactly does the PRD hope to accomplish with the bill's passage? It wishes to eliminate the thousands of deaths which occur every year as a result of unsafe abortions.
Ricardo Aleman, a rabid Right-Wing columnist who abhors the PRD, cites the following figures regarding the number of illicit abortions which take place in Mexico every year. His number: about one million. Thousands of deaths from complications result from the procedures.
Here are Aleman's numbers. First, in Spanish, than my translation.
http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/...
En México se practican según estimaciones oficiales un millón de abortos clandestinos de los cuales también se estima que mueren por lo menos 10% de las mujeres que se lo practican, todo ello en medio de un mercado negro de abortos que se realizan en condiciones de salubridad confiable sólo para las familias pudientes capaces de desembolsar cifras millonarias, mientras que las familias de escasos recursos son víctimas de verdaderos mercenarios. Es decir, en la práctica se penaliza la pobreza.
Roughly translated....
In Mexico, according to official estimates, one million illicit abortions are performed annually, and 10% of the women die from complications arising from them, all in an environment where the affluent have the option to undergo the procedure in a safe setting, while those with less resources are victims of callous mercenaries. Effectively, the poor are punished for being poor.
How has the Church and PAN reacted to the PRD's attempt to usher Mexico into the 21st century?
The Mexican archbishop threatened doctors and nurses with violence.
http://www.eclesiales.org/...
"Si esta ley se impone habrá violencia para los médicos, para las enfermeras y para todos aquellos que se vean obligados a ejercer este reclamo de algunos, a terminar la vida antes de que nazcan"
Roughly translated....
"If this law is passed, there will be violence against the doctors, against the nurses, and against all those that help carry out this lament of a few, that of terminating a life before its born"
A RightWing PAN-supported organization has also jumped into the fray. Jorge Serrano Limon, president of ProVida, initiated a media campaign against the PRD. ProVida sent a letter to Mexico City Mayor, Marcelo Ebrard, in which Serrano holds him responsible for the "sea of blood" that the bill's passage would ensure. Here's a note on the letter.
http://www.yucatan.com.mx/...
Nueva campaña por la vida
Piden al gobierno capitalino que no traicione al elector
MÉXICO (EFE).— El Comité Nacional Provida envió ayer una carta al jefe de gobierno del Distrito Federal, Marcelo Ebrard Casaubón, en la que le advierte que legalizar el aborto es una "traición" a los ciudadanos capitalinos y un camino de "injusticia, violencia, muerte y destrucción".
El presidente de esa organización, Jorge Serrano Limón, aseveró que si la Asamblea Legislativa del Distrito Federal decide despenalizar completamente el aborto, permitido actualmente sólo en casos excepcionales, se tratará de "una ley de sangre".
Se derramará la "sangre de miles de bebés que van a ser brutalmente asesinados por una ley criminal" y "esas vidas serán responsabilidad de Ebrard y los asambleístas", indicó Serrano Limón en una conferencia de prensa en la que dio a conocer la misiva que dirige a las autoridades.
Roughly translated....
New campaign for life
Provida asks the Mayor not to betray his constituents
The Provida National Committee yesterday sent a letter to the Mayor of Mexico City, Marcelo Ebrard, in which it warns him that legalizing abortion is a "betrayal" to the residents of the city, and the path to "injustice, violence, death and destruction."
The President of that organization, Jorge Serrano Limon, warned that, if the local legislature decides to completely decriminalize abortion (the proposed law would only decriminalize abortion during the first 12 weeks - PatriciaVa), it would be tantamount to "a law of blood."
You would see the flow blood from thousands of babies that will be brutally assassinated, and those deaths will be the responsibility of Ebrard and his lawmakers", indicated Serrano Limon during a press conference where he presented the letter he was sending to Ebrard.
I recall that Serrano Limon used taxpayer funds to purchase thongs and frequent gentleman's clubs. Those ProLifers, the same mindset, whether of GOP or PAN extraction.
http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/...
BY KELLY ARTHUR GARRETT/The Herald Mexico
El Universal
April 06, 2006
A recently dormant but potentially explosive political scandal stirred back to life Wednesday when a coalition of six non-governmental organizations reloaded its campaign to force Congress and the Fox administration to look deeper into an unusual public funds transfer that shifted 33 million pesos earmarked for AIDS prevention to the ultraconservative anti-abortion group Provida.
(........)
Provida, which opposes condom use and advocates abstinence-only AIDS prevention strategies, was since charged with using the money for administrative rather than health-related costs, along with other "misuse of funds" offenses. The Public Function Secretariat fined its then-director, Jorge Serrano Limón, more than 13 million pesos.
But Pazos has so far escaped even an investigation in the Chamber of Deputies, though an ASF report found that he acted outside his jurisdiction by rerouting the money to Provida. The PAN, voting in a solid bloc, has been able to kill attempts to launch an inquiry.
So, having determined that Serrano Limon would have been incarcerated for fraudulently misappropriating public funds if he were a resident of the US, and that he owes his liberty to Mexico's RightWing Party and Calderon, let's examine the thrust of his words: That Marcelo Ebrard and other liberal politicians would be turning their backs on Mexico City residents if they decriminalize the interruption of a pregnancy during the first 12 weeks.
How do the residents of Mexico City feel? What do the polls indicate? According to Reforma (a newspaper whose editorial board makes the Wall Street Journal's look moderate), 59% of Mexico City residents favor the PRD-sponsored law. Another poll by Milenio indicates that 72% support the PRD bill.
http://deportes.eluniversal.com/...
Dos encuestas apoyan el aborto en la capital mexicana
México.- Dos encuestas difundidas hoy por diarios mexicanos revelaron que la mayor parte de los habitantes del Distrito Federal (DF), en especial las mujeres, está de acuerdo con la despenalización del aborto, un proyecto que analiza la Asamblea Legislativa capitalina.
El diario "Reforma" señala tras realizar una encuesta telefónica entre 644 personas que el 53 por ciento de los habitantes de Ciudad de México está de acuerdo con la despenalización, frente a un 42 por ciento que se dice contrario a ella, reseñó Efe.
Además, el 59 por ciento considera que el proyecto de ley en el DF debe ser aprobado, frente a un 36 por ciento que lo rechaza.
....Por otra parte, la casa de encuestas que dirige María de las Heras dio a conocer en el diario "Milenio" otra encuesta donde el 72 por ciento de las mujeres apoya la despenalización del aborto.
With public opinion against them, Calderon, the PAN, and the Mexican Right resort to extreme measures. They recently began a media campaign which includes the recruitment of little girls carrying baby dolls covered with blood.
http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/...
Una niña sostenía una maqueta que exhibía una cuchillo con la leyenda "aborto" que atravesaba por el pecho a un muñeco ensangrentado, donde además se leía una consigna contra el partido del sol azteca "asesino PRD, asesino PRD".
Roughly translated....
A little girl carried a model of a baby with a knife, and the inscription, "abortion" across the bloody baby's chest. Moreover, on her person, you could read the slogans against the PRD, "Assassins PRD, Assassins PRD."
Where have the PAN and the Mexican Catholic Church found the modus operandi for their media campaign? Look no further than Dick Morris, who orchestrated the SwiftBoat campaign against AMLO from the Four Seasons last year.
Recently, Morris participated in a Mexico Election Roundtable held in Miami.
http://photos1.blogger.com/...
When questioned about his role in the recent elections, he responded that a non-disclosure agreement with Calderon and the PAN prevented him from commenting.
http://mx.invertia.com/...
El pasado 10 de marzo, REFORMA reveló que el consultor estadounidense Dick Morris firmó un contrato de confidencialidad con la Presidencia de México que le impide hablar de la estrategia del PAN en los comicios del 2006 y las políticas públicas vigentes.
El anuncio fue realizado por el propio Morris durante el foro "Campañas presidenciales exitosas", donde estaba anunciada la participación del publicista para hablar sobre la asesoría que brindó a Calderón durante la campaña presidencial.
Roughly translated....
On March 10, Reforma reported that the US political strategist, Dick Morris, had signed a confidentiality agreement with the Presidency of Mexico that prevented him from commenting on the strategy that PAN used in the last election cycle, as well as its current public policy strategy.
The announcement was made by Dick Morris himself during the event, "Successful Presidential Campaigns", where he was expected to comment on the strategic advice he provided Calderon during the presidential campaign.
Not all Mexicans are fooled by the PAN's attempt to impose 18th century mores on the country. A few weeks ago, thousands of scholarship students brought together by the Telmex Foundation showed the fraudulently-selected Calderon just what they thought of him. Below you can find Reforma's account of Calderon's speech to the students. It should be noted that Reforma provided the most complementary newspaper account of the event, but even it couldn't avoid reporting the news, as Televisa and Azteca (TV broadcast networks) virtually did.
http://www.reforma.com/...
Los abucheos y gritos aislados, como "espurio, mentiroso, pelele y ladrón", no cesaron durante todo su discurso, lo que provocó que sus simpatizantes elevaran el volumen de sus aplausos y corearan el nombre de "Felipe-Felipe".
(....)
Finalmente, Calderón evitó recorrer nuevamente el pasillo por el que había bajado hasta el escenario del Auditorio Nacional; se despidió sólo de los jóvenes que ocupaban las primeras filas, y salió por uno de los costados.
Roughly translated....
The isolated boos and jeers, like "spurious one, liar, pelele and thief", did not cease during the entire speech, which resulted in his supporters raising the volume of their applause, and shouting, "Felipe - Felipe".
(....)
Finally, Calderon did not exit the same way he arrived to the stage. He waved to a few supporters in the front row, and proceeded to depart the auditorium through a side exit.
The PRD has announced that it will pass the prochoice bill by the end of the month. We should note that the PAN has already vowed to challenge its constitutionality, and a Supreme Court justice has "volunteered" that he would not be surprised if it wound up being decided by the High Court.
This should concern us. The Mexican Court system, as any center-left Mexican can tell you, is stacked against centrists and progressives. A couple of years ago, the president of the Supreme Court (who makes over US$ 650K a year, but that's another diary) spoke out in favor of the impeachment of centrist AMLO, and the president of the Electoral Court, Ugalde, had Calderon serve as a witness at his wedding.
Once the Supreme Court takes the case, I do not believe it will be upheld, regrettably. But in challenging the law, the PAN and Calderon will cement their places as reactionaries who want nothing more than a Mexico of the 18th century.
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Please note that this diary is a LatinoKos diary, and, as such, is open to and encourages any comments having to do with Latin America. Perhaps some of you would like to comment on the PAN/PRI's recent fast-track passage of a law that privatized the pensions of government workers. Under the old system, government workers were guaranteed a pension of at least 4 minimum salaries, a trifle, but much more than the 2 minimum salaries they will now have. And please don't buy the RightWing propaganda from those who claim that the Mexican pension system was not sustainable. In a country where no one pays capital gains taxes, and the top marginal rate is 27%, the government could always have raised more funds.