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November 3rd, 1999
Since the early days of his political campaign after the Presidency of Mexico, few weeks after Luis Colosio's assassination, Ernesto Zedillo, his former campaign coordinator, claimed he would never say the press or the media what to say and what to shut. But as a president, Zedillo has insinuated the media owners every year they should create a self-imposed code of "Ethics", which would imply censorship. Apart from this, Zedillo, as far as known, hasn't ordered the assassination of journalists in or outside Mexico.
However, in this last political year of his "administration", he seems to have changed his mind: When he was informed about a new propagandistic spot of Vicente Fox, a rightist, liberal oppositionist candidate to the presidency, Zedillo ordered his Secretario de Gobernación (Ministery of Inner Affairs-The Unholy Inquisitor), Diódoro Carrasco, to forbid at any cost its diffussion in the Television Networks. Fox' spot showed how the last five presidentes of Mexico have lied, promissing always good things to the people and leaving the country in a state of growing chaos, misery, and crime. The spot emphasized their slogans and the crushing reality that fell over the people once they took office:
Luis Echeverría, President 1970-76 :"Arriba y Adelante" (Up and Forwards)- His populit economic policies and the infamous corruption of his regime started the economic debacle that is dragging Mexico to unseen, unknown levels of crime, corruption and misery. While his expansionary economic policy caused the highest inflation in Mexico seen by then, his anti-American rhetoric put in trouble most of the mexicans who wanted to make business with United States companies.
José López Portillo, President 1976-82: "La Solución Somos Todos" (The Solution is all of us)- He continued with the populist economic policies of Echeverría. Corruption grew with his office. Due to the lack of American dollars -most of which are said to have flown to private billionary accounts in Switzerland- he declared a moratory in the payment of the external debt. The peso devaluated about 70% and he made a campaign agains the Mexican and foreign businessmen and bankers, whom he guilted of the devaluation. In the last days of his presidency, he comfiscated the banks.
Miguel de la Madrid, President 1982-88- "Renovación Moral" (Moral Renovation)- De la Madrid insinuated the Mexican voter he was going to clean the corruption of Lopez Portillo's regime. He didn't. Au contraire corruption and misery grew during his presidencial period.
Carlos Salinas de Gortari, President 1988-94- "Que hable Mexico" (Let Mexico speak)- Over 300 political oppositionist got murdered during his office.
Ernesto Zedillo, current and repressive President- "Bienestar para tu Familia" (Well-being for your Family)- The most cruel, insulting and dirty lie ever said by a Mexican politician. Zedillo promised the Mexican people their families were going to have "Well-being" if he was elected President. But few days after he took office, the peso devaluated 50%, and one month later it devaluated another 30%. This started a super-inflationary process in the Mexican economy that literally dragged most Mexican families from poverty to misery. Millions of families have gotten broken because the paterfamilias leaves his wife and children to look for a job in the United States as an illegal immigrant. Millions of Mexican families have been victimized by corrupt policemen protected by the State which head is Zedillo. Millions of Mexican families have been deprived of their lands by violent mega-landholders supported by the Mexican Army, which Supreme Commander is Ernesto Zedillo. Millions of Mexican families have been robbed and intimidated by criminals protected by the police which is in turn protected by Zedillo... the Well- being existed only in Zedillo's mind.
Update: The Secretariat of Inner Affairs, the PAN and the media told later the spot was going to be transmitted anyway, but it seems it didn't
Mexican Ombudswoman Fired Because of Recommendation to the President.
After Strange "Accident" in which Husband Dies.

November 10,1999
Mirielle Rocatti, President of the Mexican Human Rights Commission, was removed today by the PRI-dominated Mexican Senate few days after her husband died in an strange road "Accident" in which a wheel ran out from a trayler and went directly against his Suburban.
Mrs. Rocatti and her chaffeur got only lightly injured, but her husband died. Few days later, the Mexican Senate broke the law by issuing a retro-active, anti-constitutional article authorizing it to remove the President of the Mexican Human Rights Commission. And they voted to remove Mrs. Rocatti and appoint Dr. Soberanes, an Opus Dei member, as new President.
This followed a series of "differences" in which Rocatti sent a recommendation to President Zedillo to withdraw the Federal Army from Chiapas because its presence there promoted violations to human rights. Rocatti had also recommended Colonel Jorge Carrillo, Governor of Morelos, to act fast against a group of mutillating kidnappers who kept that state sunk in fear. Carrillo had to resign later because of the demonstrated involvement of his subordinates in the torture and murder of a kidnapper, in the middle of intense accusations of giving protection to that criminal group.
French-Mexican Film Forbidden in Mexico Because of its Political Content
Mexico, November 11-12, 1999
Scheduled for exhibition to open the French Film Festival of Acapulco, Mexico, the French film La Ley de Herodes (Herodes' Law) was forbidden by the Mexican Government lead by Ernesto Zedillo and his party, the PRI. The prohibition paid no respect to the presence of the French Ambassador Bruno DeLayre nor to the President of UNIFRANCE Film International, Daniel Toscan Du Plantier. It didn't pay respect to the international character of Acapulco, a well known touristic center. Damián Alcazar, starring, claimed "There is no longer freedom of speech in Mexico...this picture has been censored because it is a critic movie about a party, the PRI, which has been ruling the country for 70 years. La Ley de Herodes shows how a corrupt politician belongint to the PRI becames Governor of his state using of corruption and abuse of power.
Eduardo Amerena, head of the Mexican Institute of Cinematography (which is under governmental control) explained the picture wasn't to be exhibited "because it doesn't meet formal aspectsfor its exhibition". He didn't say what were those "formal aspects". They were most likely to be certain edition (cuts) according to the despotic opinions and dirty interests of Zedillo and his PRI. "Liberté, liberté!", cried the passionate Spanish actress Victoria Abril rising her arms, surprised, desperate and anguished after these demonstration of brutality and cultural tiranny.
After the surprise,shock and horror this event caused in the Mexican artistic community, the Mexican Government gives permission to project the Film the next night, November 12th. Do you know about other country in the world where artists have to ask for permission to the Government to exhibit a picture with political content? The attitude of the Mexican Government is anti-democratic, anti-freedom, and of a growing authoritarism and repression. Zedillo has even dared to push an American filmmaker, Oliver Stone, by convincing his friend Ricardo Salinas -who ows over 95% of the Mexican theatres and is also a member of the PRI- to forbid the exhibition of Oliver Stone's Nixon.
How long can this go? It seems Zedillo and his PRI think they have permission to break their oaths and break the Mexican law, which forbids the Government to make any kind of censorship. Zedillo is assaying it, testing how much can he do to keep the boot of his party on the people's neck.
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