News Summary for June 3rd, 2009

Thank you Mexico!!!
++ During his inaugural speech at the International Meeting on Lessons Learned from the Influenza Outbreak, President Felipe Calderón said that even though Mexico was vilified and paid a high price for saying the truth about the pandemic, the decision to be truthful saved thousands of lives. World Health Organization director general Margaret Chan paid tribute to Mexico’s leadership role in the health emergency… She said it was unclear how the influenza pandemic would develop, making it impossible to say when a vaccine against the new virus would be ready. Mirta Roses, head of the Pan-American Health Organization, acknowledged that Argentina had a slow reaction to the influenza threat… She said Argentina was more concerned about elections than about infections…(Comment: Once the WHO declared the AH1N1 influenza a pandemic, it made it impossible for the PRD and the PRI to use the President´s decisions to literally close- down the country as a political liability against the PAN…)

++ Senate speaker Gustavo Enrique Madero, announced that IMSS director Daniel Karam, will appear before Congress on July 16 to speak about the case of the tragic fire in the ABC day care center in Hermosillo that claimed the lives of 48 infants. (Comments: Why wait so long to call for this hearing… Could it have to do with the elections?)

++ IFE council chairman Leonardo Valdés Zurita, said IFE is ready for midterm elections set for Sunday… The IFE chief urged citizens to go to the polls. He also asked parties to respect the campaigning ban now in place…(Comments: I have to admit it is kind of nice not to have to put up with the stupid political ads on TV and radio.)

++ Business leaders said they were confident that once elections are over, parties will concentrate on building the necessary accords to move forward in approving pending structural reforms.

++ Two rubber wheels on an Aviacsa plane were damaged upon landing at the Mexico City airport… No one was hurt…(Comment: Scary stuff…)

++ The Mexican army arrested Fabián Ortega Piñón, lead singer for the “El Halcón de la Sierra” group. The arrest took place in Ensenada, Baja California. Ortega Pinón is accused of being linked to a criminal organization headed by Teodoro García Semental, “El Teo”.