By Raoul Lowery Contreras
Mexicans were right when they rejected Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador’s campaign for president in 2006. Mexicans were wrong when they elected him President three years ago.
In a time of ubiquitous pandemic-fighting masks for all, Lopez Obrador has ripped his mask of “honesty and anti-corruption” from his persona for all to see.
He is a dictator-wannabe who has issued a decree that prohibits the Mexican people from knowing how their hard earned money is being spent on Lopez Obrador’s pet infrastructure projects and to whom the secret contracts are gifted and to the treasure that is being transferred to Lopez Obrador’s buddies and relatives.
The decree requires that public agencies must approve federal permits for public projects within five days and if that doesn’t happen, the project is deemed to be approved automatically. Moreover, federal permits override any local and state regulations and laws.
Citizens, local and state public agencies and associations are prohibited from legal actions such as injunctions and “amparos” (a peculiar Mexican court order that prohibits any activity from proceeding).
The decree affects a wide range of economic and governmental activities. All transportation projects such as Lopez Obrador’s pet project the 1500 kilometer polluting diesel “Maya Train” is included as is the new oil refinery he commenced when sworn in as President in his home state of Tabasco. The new airport being constructed by the Mexican Army miles from Mexico City is included despite Lopez Obrador’s promise that the contracts and construction of the airport would be fully transparent.
It should be remembered that he single handedly closed down the half-completed award winning Mexico City airport when he became President. That cost Mexico billions of dollars plus the billions he is spending to build another new airport miles north of the city.
The airport project was given to the Mexican Army to construct despite it having no experience in large-project construction. All details of budgeting, construction and the people involved are protected from public view by the decree.
Is it any wonder the highest Mexican Army General made a public announcement that he personally and professionally supports Lopez Obrador’s political means and ways. In a word, he supports Lopez Obrador’s politics the President calls Mexico’s “Fourth Transformation.”
That previous “Transformations” are defined by Lopez Obrador as the Spanish Conquest of Mexico (for which he demands an apology from Spain); the 1810 revolt against Spain and the 1910 revolt against Porfirio Diaz’s dictatorship. Lopez Obrador defines his presidency as the “Fourth Transformation.”
One wonders how many Swiss bank accounts the general has and how many “pieces of silver” are in them. One also wonders why a high ranking general feels free to take a political position generals haven’t done since the early 1940’s.
From now on, under this president, any federal contract let by the federal government will be secret. No one will be able to ask how much a contract is for or who received a non-bid contract.
Local towns and Indian tribes will not be able to go to court to legally challenge any project they feel disrupts their town or village or violates laws and policies. All projects the federal government announces must be approved within five days by regulators and agencies or the project will be automatically considered approved. No litigation is allowed under the decree to halt or examine the project.
No government agency or its personnel or directors are allowed to question the project while it is under consideration even if the agency is legally “independent” such as the National Competitive Agency. No court is allowed to handle a case seeking information on the project or how it is being financed.
The decree was published in the national journal on a Monday evening and became effective 12 hours later on Tuesday.
Was the Chamber of Deputies or the Mexican senate involved in any way with the decree? No.
President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, the self-proclaimed and appointed “Knight in Shining Armor” to be the truly honest and non-corrupt leader of the “Fourth Transformation” of Mexico has exposed himself to be a wannabe dictator like his friends that run Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua and tried to run the U.S. from 2017 to January 20, 2021. ###
Raoul Lowery Contreras is a United States Marine veteran, political consultant and the author of “The Armenian Lobby & American Foreign Policy,” “The Mexican Border: Immigration, War and a Trillion Dollars in Trade.” And, “A Hispanic View of President Donald J. Trump.” He hosts the Contreras Report on Youtube and Facebook…