Pubdate: Wed, 20 May 2009
Source: Wall Street Journal (US)
Copyright: 2009 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
Contact:  http://www.wsj.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/487
Author: Jose De Cordoba
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/topic/Mexico
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/people/Felipe+Calderon

DRUGS GRAB MEXICAN POLITICAL SPOTLIGHT

MEXICO CITY -- Revelations that army troops confiscated 14.5 tons of
marijuana at a warehouse belonging to the brother of a prominent
Mexican senator have heightened feuding in an election season that has
been shaken by claims that drug barons have infiltrated the political
establishment. Authorities said the seizure, which took place in
January and was reported by the Reforma newspaper Monday, happened at
a chili-drying facility owned by Candido Monreal, the brother of Sen.
Ricardo Monreal. Their brother David, the mayor of Fresnillo, where
the warehouse is situated, said Tuesday that the marijuana had been
"planted" by his political enemies.

David Monreal is running with the left-wing Workers' Party for
governor of the state, Zacatecas, in elections next year. Asked how it
was possible to slip in tons of marijuana, Mr. Monreal said, "I think
in trucks. I don't know what they used, but it's very simple for 
those who are in
power and for delinquents to do that kind of thing."

Sen. Ricardo Monreal said his family was the victim of "dirty tricks" 
by Zacatecas
Gov. Amalia Garcia and her daughter, Sen. Claudia Corichi, both of
whom are political rivals to the Monreals among Mexico's fractured
left-wing parties. Gov. Garcia couldn't be reached to comment.

Ms. Corichi said the Monreals' allegations were "a smokescreen" to
cover up the marijuana bust. No charges have been filed in the case
because the investigation is ongoing, according to the Attorney
General's Office.

The drug trade has emerged as a major issue ahead of midterm elections
in July. President Felipe Calderon hopes to win a working legislative
majority to push through economic overhauls and continue a crackdown
against drug gangs. Mr. Calderon's party has run campaign
advertisements accusing the former ruling Institutional Revolutionary
Party of having been in league with drug traffickers during the seven
decades the party ruled Mexico. With Mexico in a deep recession,
analysts say voters can be expected to punish Mr. Calderon's
conservative National Action Party at the polls, giving the advantage
to the PRI.

Recent allegations against the PRI haven't come only from outside the
party. Last week, former President Miguel de la Madrid of the PRI, who
was in power from 1982 to 1988, said in a radio interview he regretted
choosing Carlos Salinas as his successor because Mr. Salinas was
corrupt and his brother Raul had ties to drug traffickers.

Within hours of the broadcast, after being visited by top PRI
legislators, Mr. de la Madrid issued a statement that he had misspoken
because he was old and infirm.

Both Salinas brothers denied the allegations. Many Mexicans see Raul
Salinas as a symbol of PRI corruption because of such allegations. He
spent a decade in prison on a murder conviction before it was
overturned and he was released in 2005.

For many Mexicans, Raul Salinas remains an icon of past PRI
corruption. Raul Salinas was arrested in 1995 and spent a decade in
prison on charges he murdered his former brother in law, a political
rival, before his conviction was overturned on appeal and he was freed
in 2005. Authorities in Switzerland and France froze more than $115
million in bank accounts in 1995 belonging to Mr. Salinas, on
suspicion the money belonged to drug traffickers. But Swiss
prosecutors were unable to prove the money came from drug traffickers
and later returned it to the Mexican government. Mr. Calderon's party
has suffered its own setbacks.

This past week, federal investigators detained the former top security
official in Morelos state, as well as the former police chief of the
state capital, Cuernavaca, to question them about alleged ties to drug
gangs.

The officials couldn't be reached for comment.

Morelos is run by the National Action Party. The marijuana scandal
isn't the first time charges of drug trafficking have affected Ricardo
Monreal's career.

In 1998, PRI party elders and top government officials barred him from
running for governor because of allegations his brothers were involved
in drug trafficking. Mr. Monreal quit the party and went on to win the
governorship of Zacatecas for the leftist Party of the Democratic Revolution.

On Monday, Mr. Monreal referred to those past allegations, which he
denied: "They already tried to do this to my family 10 years ago, and
are now trying to do this again."
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake