How much political will does President Enrique Peña Nieto have in defending members of his own Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) from ferocious political attacks?
Not much, if we go by the apparent fate of at least three outgoing PRI governors, who are now confronting fierce attacks from political foes who want to broil them well done as “an example” to elected officials who have gone crooked while in power.
The most resounding of these cases in current Mexican politics is that the PRI has decided to strip current Veracruz State Gov. Javier Duarte of his party membership due to the voluminous file of corruption charges against him.
The announcement was first made by current PRI president Enrique Ochoa and sealed with a statement made by the leader of PRI senators, Emilio Gamboa, who on Monday issued a statement on Gov. Duarte:
“The party is not going to allow corruption from him or anyone else,” Gamboa tweeted.
The message is clear to Duarte — never mind the other corrupt PRI governors — that he is being “crucified” and that President Enrique Peña Nieto — God for all PRI members — has forsaken him.
In fact on Tuesday Duarte opted to claim that he’s now devoting himself to serving the remainder of his mandate as governor which ends on Nov. 30.
“I’m staying clear out of politicking,” he said, as he’s being sued for outright thievery during his administration by incoming governor Miguel Ángel Yunes Linares, who is preparing a “political trial” for Duarte.
But the first stone of stripping him of PRI membership has been cast at least in intent. It’s been the case in previous years that these are cases that make a lot of noise while the alleged culprit is still in power and totally forgotten the moment they step down.
Other cases of governors with a pending trial for misgovernment and corruption are Cesar Duarte of Chihuahua and Rogelio Borge of Quintana Roo whose cases at PRI are under consideration for also being stripped of their membership. That, however, has not yet happened so let’s not jump the gun.
In some cases, governors have gone to jail — or been held in prison while on trial — as is the case of Andrés Granier of Tabasco on trial for embezzlement. Also pending are the trials of Rogelio Medina of the state of Nuevo León and Guillermo Padrés of Sonora, the latter one being an exception as he belongs to the National Action Party (PAN) — which now disowns him.
The list of PRI governors who have been accused of corruption is a lot longer and those mentioned above are the most recent cases.
Not mentioned is the case of former Coahuila Gov. Humberto Moreira, who left behind a brutal 36 billion peso ($1.9 billion) debt to the state and the PRI. He created the debt during the first months of President Peña Nieto’s campaign, pumping money into it.
Incidentally, Humberto Moreira’s successor as governor in Coahuila, his brother Rubén is now under fire, charged with “phantom purchases” worth billions and local politicians are already calling for his separation from the governorship to allow a clean audit investigation. Rubén Moreira stands accused of the obvious, which is covering up for his brother’s alleged fraud.
Talk about cronyism in the PRI!
Now, the point being is how much President Peña Nieto can stick his hands in the fire for the allegedly crooked governors who have “stolen” under his federal aegis?
Don’t expect much. President Peña has stated that it is not for the president to go after corrupt governors, as that duty belongs to the people of the state they governed.
But even if he had the will to do it, the customary path is for the accused corrupt official there will be a monkey trial to make noise for as long as necessary, and then forgive and forget.
This is not a denouncement; it’s the traditional PRI system in motion, for as long as it can keep its “forgive and forget “cover up system going on.
