AMLO’s long tradition of asking people for money

A review of the collective financing mechanisms promoted by the former president, between citizen participation and unanswered questions.

When the State passes the tray

Andrés Manuel López Obrador has a political specialty that few dispute with him: the ability to reach out and ask people for money directly. It’s not something new. It is a pattern that has marked his career, from candidate to former president reappearing on the scene.

Their argument is always the same: priority projects that require the direct participation of society. Sounds nice, right? Democracy with a wallet.

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The trust that aroused suspicion

One of the most emblematic cases was the trust “For the rest”, created after the 2017 earthquake. The idea was to help victims. Laudable. The problem came when the INE investigated cash deposits whose origin was not clear.

The Electoral Tribunal revoked the fines, but the doubt about that money was never completely dispelled.

It’s those kinds of details that make noise. Cash, opaque origin, and then a judicial resolution that clears the file but not the suspicions.

The plane that no one won (and ended up in Asia)

Then came the big show: the presidential plane raffle in 2020. A Boeing 787 converted into a jackpot to eliminate an “excessive expense.” Nearly 2 billion pesos were raised in tickets sold throughout the country.

But here’s the funny thing: no ordinary citizen won the plane. It ended up being sold to Tajikistan in 2023 for 1,658 million. Where was the difference? According to the government, it was destined for hospitals.

Budget analysis organizations pointed out that these funds only covered part of what was promised.

Again. The big promise, the partial execution, and the accounts that never fully close. It’s institutional déjà vu.

The most interesting thing is not what was done, but what this method reveals: a constant appeal to the citizen’s pocket to replace or complement what should be a clear and audited state function. Every time the tray is passed, the uncomfortable question remains: Was it really necessary, or just more convenient?

Memory is short, but patterns are long. And this, friends, is one of the most persistent.

Four young Tlaxcalans missing in Veracruz are rescued

Joint operation manages to locate the victims of a false job offer alive.

The rescue operation

Four young people from Tlaxcala, reported missing after responding to a job offer, were located alive in the municipality of Acultzingo, Veracruz. The search activated a joint operation involving state police, the Mexican Army and the National Guard.

The group’s last known location was a point in Acultzingo. They were traveling in a white pickup truck, accompanied by a gray vehicle. They lost communication with their families when they were on their way to work, which triggered the complaint and its spread on social networks.

An anonymous call allowed authorities to locate the exact location. Elements of the State Police, National Guard, Municipal Police and Civil Protection of Acultzingo moved to the scene and found the young people, who were placed under protection.

Return to Tlaxcala

The four rescued received care in the Acultzingo Municipal DIF System. The authorities confirmed that they were in good health. Subsequently, the necessary steps were taken to facilitate his return to the state of Tlaxcala.

No arrests or clashes were reported during the operation. Investigations continue to clarify the facts and find those responsible for the false job offer that led to the disappearance.

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Mazatlán removes eight cubic meters of garbage during a cleaning day

Eight cubic meters of waste collected in the 41st edition of the program.

Cleaning day in Mazatlán

CULIACÁN, Sin.— Eight cubic meters of garbage, debris and branches were removed in a new day of cleaning beaches, parks and streets in the port of Mazatlán. The equivalent of 160 bags of waste left a renewed face in an area with a high tourist flow.

The 41st edition of the “Mazatlán I love you clean” program brought together municipal officials, hotel employees and volunteer environmentalists. The Beach Administrator was in charge of the coastal strip of Paseo de Olas Altas, where she collected forty bags to improve environmental conditions.

In the Villa Galaxia subdivision, staff from Public Services and the Drinking Water Board accumulated 120 sacks with disused furniture, leaves, debris and garbage. In addition, parks were cleaned, water leaks were repaired, and service modules were installed to quickly resolve neighborhood complaints.

The initiative not only seeks to improve the image of the port, but also to encourage citizen participation in environmental actions that benefit the community and tourists who visit Mazatlán.

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PRI urges to reinforce prevention in the face of intense rains

PRI senators ask to reinforce warning and preparation for the heavy rain season.

Call from the PRI due to risks of heavy rains

PRI senators requested to strengthen prevention, monitoring and dissemination of early warning actions to face possible emergencies due to heavy rains. The request arises after the failures of federal Civil Protection during Hurricane Otis in Acapulco, where the population and tourists were not adequately alerted.

The point of agreement, published in the Gazette of July 22, is based on forecasts from the National Meteorological Service (SMN) of Conagua. For the next few days, the interaction of the Mexican monsoon, low pressure channels, humidity from the Pacific, Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea is expected, in addition to the possible development of cyclonic systems.

These conditions, they warn, will favor intense rains with electric shocks, gusts of wind and high waves. The risk includes urban flooding, overflowing of rivers and streams, landslides in mountainous areas, severe flooding, falling trees and interruptions in communication routes.

Concrete actions requested

The PRI group requests that the National Civil Protection Coordination (CNPC), together with state and municipal authorities with heavy rain forecast, reinforce the identification of vulnerable areas, cleaning of channels, sewers and drainage systems. They also request to enable temporary shelters when necessary and disseminate self-protection measures.

In addition, they propose that the Ministry of Infrastructure, Communications and Transportation intensify the supervision and preventive maintenance of highways, bridges and federal roads susceptible to damage due to rain, floods, landslides or landslides.

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