Death by Video: Mexico's Election Fraud Is Coming Undone

[cal04]

Video and Audio Evidence, an Outraged Citizenry, and Panic from the White House Are Converging to Make López Obrador the Next Mexican President

A picture saves 70,000 votes: Monday night in Comalcalco, Tabasco.
Photo: D.R. 2006 La Jornada
(snip)
Study this photograph from today’s La Jornada. A campaign truck covered with PAN party logos, slogans, and the faces of three of their candidates – the one in the middle is Calderón – is parked in front of a building. From the balcony of the colonial-style structure shines an illuminated sign with three large letters: I… F… E. Citizens have arrived by foot and by bicycle and have blocked the entrances to the IFE building and the PAN truck. Not all of them appear in the photo, but there are 500 of them and they are hopping mad. Trapped inside are at least ten IFE officials who, according to eyewitnesses, illegally entered the building, brought sealed ballot boxes out into the patio, and began to open them, breaking the official seals. They were seen revising anew the “actas” with the vote tallies and recounting the ballots, without, as the law requires, the presence of representatives from all the political parties. The neighbors sounded the alarm and the electoral delinquents have been caught in the act.

Where are the soldiers of the Mexican Army that supposedly are guarding the ballot boxes at the 300 IFE offices like this one throughout the country? What about the police? The events last night in Comalcalco reveal the ugly truth: the highest authorities of the nation, in their complicity with an obvious electoral fraud, have forfeited their legitimacy and the people have self-organized to fill the power vacuum. They have converted the IFE offices into a prison for white-collar criminals and have seized the PAN truck that, the neighbors believe, was waiting to carry their votes to democracy’s graveyard.

(snip)

Also on Monday, candidate Andrés Manuel López Obrador released a video in which an election official in Salamanca, Guanajuato (the PAN-dominated state that Narco News has compared to Florida in U.S. post-electoral conflicts due to the high concentration of documented irregularities and outright frauds carried out by election officials there) is caught stuffing many ballots into a ballot box. Captured on video, he sports a blue-and-white shirt (PAN’s campaign and logo colors) and has quite the guilty look on his face as he stuffs one ballot after another into the box. In the Salamanca district, IFE reported that Calderón received 93,062 votes to 23,278 for Obrador. The video – so newsworthy that even pro-PAN TV Azteca broadcast it yesterday – has further fueled the public anger; an image worth a thousand words and a to-be-determined part of seventy thousand votes. (As soon as someone gets it online, Narco News will link to it; in the meantime, here is a photo of the perp caught in the act.)

Video, audio and photographic evidence of election fraud surges daily. It is the dominant news story in Mexico. Obrador released a similar video of election officials in PAN-controlled Querétaro changing the vote tallies to create more votes for its candidate. The PAN does not deny the facts. It simply claims that those cases amounted to normal, allowed, functions by election officials. The public temper rises with every such justification.



IFE Official in the PAN-stronghold of Salamanca, Guanajuato, caught on video tape, stuffs a ballot box.
Photo: D.R. 2006 La Jornada




more
Al Giordano
http://www.narconews.com/Issue42/article1972.html

[lonestarnot]

1. OH FUCK! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU FOR THIS NEWS!

I'D KISS YOUR SWEET ASS IF I COULD!

[The Backlash Cometh]

18. I want to see the video on Crooks and Liars.

[lonestarnot]

30. waiting and watching for it!

[gasperc]

88. Great great post

it's coming undone and Palast is on it

[lonestarnot]

2. Error: You've already recommended that thread.

[Catrina]

65. I get that too, but it will register anyway. Are you using IE?

I thought it wasn't registering, but it does. I think it's IE because if I use Firefox, it doesn't happen.

This is incredible news ~ how did they get the video? Were they so arrogant that they didn't care? Thank God they have actual evidence this time.

I can't wait to tell all those who said the Conspiracy Theorists (re election fraud) were at it again.

How about we insist on video taping all elections from now on? Don't they forbid that here?

:applause: :applause: :applause: for the Mexican people!

[lonestarnot]

77. They have an easier task, our vote flipping evidence requires

more than a video camera. It requires faithful hardworking people like bradblog! and all the crews at DU, KOS, Huffington, Crooksnliars, you know the crews.

[Gregorian]

3. Hip hip hooray!

Stop the fascists!

[havocmom]

4. Show the Americans: Democracy is NOT a spectator sport.

Not something bought by the blood of patriots long ago.

It has to be guarded and defended every day. Some days, it has to be fought for.

[lonestarnot]

5. And fought hard! I hope they kick the shit out of the theives!

[global1]

22. If This Mexican Election Is Turned Around And The Righties Outed....

perhaps the fence that we are building on the border is to keep us from escaping to Mexico.

[Selatius]

46. You mean it becomes our own Berlin Wall? A frightening thought.

"It could never happen here."

[havocmom]

53. I dunno, the way US media fails to report what is really going on

makes me feel like we are living behind an iron curtain

[Pathwalker]

6. Kicking for Democracy!

:kick:

[jsamuel]

7. thanks for the update

[gordianot]

8. It appears Democracy means more in Mexico than to northern neighbors.

[jsamuel]

9. We should all be armed with camera's on election day here in the US too

I don't know why we don't... why not?

[Marr]

10. Ha! Looks like their "make the vote close" tactic is about to bite them

right in the ass. Prove a few instances of fraud in this situation and the election reverses.

Hahaha.

[Lasher]

11. I send thee to the greatest page

Seems like a lot of stupid people are not even trying to cover up their crimes.

On edit:

The bigger problem for George W. Bush than that of who is president of Mexico is that of who is president of the United States. The exploding story of massive electoral fraud in Mexico next-door is having an unintended consequence: It is awakening historic memory of the electoral frauds carried out to make Bush president up North.

[Hubert Flottz]

84. Bush thinks that Manual Labor is the president of Mexico.

And that all the way in is a Motel.

[wherewingstakedream]

12. Viva Obrador! Viva Democracy!

You just made my night,week ,month, year! Thanks so much for posting this cal04! :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce:

[mnhtnbb]

13. Hey America! You great democracy. See how it's done?

[bleever]

14. Error: lonestarnot has already recommended that thread

multiple times, like bleever wants to.

[lonestarnot]

15. Check out bradblog! CHECK IT OUT! OMG!

[Sadie5]

17. Meanwhile, back at the White House

What do you think Bush is doing about the possibility that his puppet may very well not get in office and, all of those lucrative oil contracts could <GASP> go to the poor Mexican people to make their lives better.

[bleever]

24. See Tony Snow's daily briefing, for starters,

as the WH tries to pre-emptively confer legitimacy on their choice, and belittle the concerns of Obrador as being pathetic sore loserism.

[cal04]

25. from the bottom of the article

Bush Backpedals from Calderón

Still more bad news for Calderón and those who seek to impose him in a fraudulent presidency arrived on Monday. It came from Washington, DC, during a White House press briefing by Tony Snow, press secretary for George W. Bush.

It’s no secret that the Bush administration has rooted for Calderón, the right-winger in the Mexican contest. The U.S. president even called Calderón to congratulate him last week. The best evidence that political reality has changed in few days is how the White House is suddenly hanging Calderón out to dry. Part of the story is that Calderón, in a political maneuver designed to mask the volatile fact that he has been Bush’s boy all along, issued a statement last week – after Bush called him – that postured to be against the construction of a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. At Monday’s White House press briefing, reporters asked the Bush press secretary for a response. In the transcript, the reporters’ questions are indicated by the letter Q, and the White House press secretary’s responses by the words “Mr. Snow”:

Q All right, then what do you think—or what does the administration say about a foreign politician denouncing domestic legislation in the United States, and particularly Calderon’s denunciation of stronger border security and an extended fence?

MR. SNOW: Last time I checked, Calderon did not have any official authority over the activities of the United States government.

Q Can I follow up on that?

MR. SNOW: Yes, very quickly. Sure.

Q The call the President made to Calderon to congratulate him, that means that the U.S. government already recognized him as the President-elect of Mexico? Can you explain what —

MR. SNOW: Well, I believe the electoral commission had, in fact, declared him President. And according to the laws of Mexico, at this point, he is President. Should there be a recount, should there be another adjustment, should there be a change, then the President will acknowledge that, as well—Mexico, obviously having the ability to decide who, as a result of transparent elections, is the President of the country.

It is newsworthy to note that the White House press secretary is confused on certain facts. The president of Mexico today and through December 1 is Vicente Fox, not Calderón, who is not even president-elect. The IFE – “the electoral commission” referred to by Snow – does not have the legal authority to declare the winner. That power, under the Mexican Constitution, is reserved for the Trife electoral tribunal, which has so far remained mum, awaiting the legal challenges and documentation to be able to rule on them.

the rest is at the bottom of the article

[lonestarnot]

33. Wonder if they are also waiting for the riots to blow over when this hits

the public?

[lonestarnot]

31. I hope the motherfucker drops dead along with dick's pace maker!

[Czolgosz]

16. I hope Mexico loves and protects its democracy better than we do (k & r)

[Mr_Spock]

19. This is serious business

I hope they are able to work this out without violence.

[lonestarnot]

34. Nope! Someone needs their ass kicked!

[Mr_Spock]

37. Violence is the answer?

I was suggesting that the RW dude should step aside.

[lonestarnot]

38. Yes Democracy is worth fighting for, follow the example of the founders

of this great nation!

[Mr_Spock]

40. lol - you're fired up over this

I agree about fighting for what is right - "live free or die" is my states motto and I agree with it in the purest sense.

Are you really saying that we should promote violence in Mexico?

[lonestarnot]

43. Any place some motherfucker steals an election! ANY PLACE!

[Selatius]

50. There are only two things that would cause me to pick up arms

1) To protect the Bill of Rights
2) To protect family and home

If blatent evidence so insurmountable and unavoidable emerges during, say, the 2006 or 2008 US elections that the election was rigged, that votes were intentionally miscounted or destroyed, I'm going to take to the streets and press the issue with the authorities, and if they refuse to listen to any peaceful pleas to address our grievances, there is nothing left but violent solutions.

[lonestarnot]

76. I'm going to revolt if it's a revolution of 1 if it goes down as you

indicated "that the election was rigged, that votes were intentionally miscounted or destroyed, I'm going to take to the streets and press the issue with the authorities, and if they refuse to listen to any peaceful pleas to address our grievances."

[Joe Chi Minh]

102. What do you mean by "in it's purest sense", Mr Spock?

It sounds like you mean unsullied by actually being prepared to live up to the motto.

[Mr_Spock]

107. I was saying exactly the opposite.

I am saying that is reserved for my freedom, not Mexico's!

It is cute seeing folks finally ready to truly "live free or die" as I've been saying periodically here on DU.

[bleever]

20. This is a problem with franchising a business.

You think you've got the system set up and dialed in, and you try to expand it into an area with a different culture, and they have other considerations that you hadn't taken into account.

This is especially important when franchising a CRIME.


:rofl:

[Nothing Without Hope]

21. The Mexicans show the US how to save their democracy

K & R

Let's hope the US Democrats, the independents and all remaining honest Republicans take note and stop the next massive fraud in this country before it inevitably happens.

[RagAss]

51. It's up to us...Repubs don't shit until Karl Rove tells them to....

[Up2Late]

23. This is seriously screwed up...

...here's to hoping they get rid of this guy. :beer:

[Swamp Rat]

26. HOLY SHIIIIIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:kick:

:kick:

:kick:

:kick:

:kick:

:kick:

[in_cog_ni_to]

27. OMG! He's stuffing the ballot box??

He's been caught in the act!!!! REVOTE!!!! K & R!

[Ghost in the Machine]

28. I guess one more recommend can't hurt anything...

[DesertRat]

36. that is a very disturbing picture

It looks like a wax baby. And Darth Cheney hovering behind it. :scared:

[renate]

80. it makes me sad to see an innocent baby born into that family

:cry:

[Catherine Vincent]

29. Oh wow!

If that's not proof, I don't know what is. They figured they could get away with it since it worked so well in the U.S. recently.

[Rainscents]

32. Mexican people don't put up with fraud very lightly...

They will demand for recounts and they'll get it! They know how to take it street and they will NOT conceal until they get it!!! Go People of Mexico!!!:kick: :kick: :kick:

[oasis]

39. They refuse to play that old time "banana republic" game. It's a new day

for latin America.

[lonestarnot]

48. Now what about America?

[Rainscents]

54. Americans?

We are too busy going to malls to worry about election fraud. :sarcasm:

[oasis]

68. The "23 percenters plague" has swept the land. No quick cure for that.

BTW, I checked out the link you provided on Rove. He sued Dick Thornsburg eh?

So much for the GOPeeps ranting about there being "too much litigation in America."

[lyonn]

57. Looks like Venezuela started something!

[DesertRat]

35. Wow, caught red handed!

:wow:

[proud patriot]

41. Impressive

[jsamuel]

42. POSTED AT DAILYKOS

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/7/12/0026/20568

[lonestarnot]

44. Thanks jsamuel!

[lonestarnot]

45. I went there and voted!

[cal04]

49. that's great thanks jsamuel. I've been reading Al's site

since the Venezuelan vote. I hope they watch that election closely too

[ProgressiveEconomist]

111. Thanx 4 the link

[lonestarnot]

47. Undamndone!

[FredStembottom]

52. I dismissed the idea that Lopez Obrador could become president

since the first article I read about this election months ago.

Just won't be allowed to happen and someday we would read how "we" did the rigging that would make the actual will of the Mexican people irrelevant.

I feel _slightly_ less confident of my prediction tonight - the Mexican people are a factor I hadn't taken into account. I am too used to the American fat, fed and flopped in folding chair model of citizenship.

Silly me!

[LSK]

56. you are partially correct

"We" have the same cast of characters down there trying to "run" the election. I heard on Randi Rhodes show today that Dick Morris is down there telling everyone to ignore the exit polls. Bush at one point said it was over.

Greg Palast is down there too: http://www.gregpalast.com/it-aint-over-til-its-over

[lonestarnot]

69. Yes silly you.

[LSK]

55. K&R

[mirandapriestly]

58. This is such good news!

I was almost as angry about the mexican election as ours because I knew it had been done with help by *Co. I wish Americans were as up in arms as they were.

[sonias]

59. I hope it does unravel

Because we need to have a nearby country show us how to challenge county election theft. We're going to need it this November.

Sonia

[AntiFascist]

60. Shades of Florida AND Ohio!

All the caca is hitting the fan at once!

[Pandora01]

61. Patience

What did you expect for the first truly democratic elections ever held?
Before the President would point 'el dedo' ( the finger, no not the middle one) and choose his successor. Perfunctory elections would be held but the new Prez was already chosen.

It will sort itself out. I lived there for many years working for a NGO.

[IndyOp]

89. Welcome to DU Pandora! The first truly

democratic elections ever held in Mexico? I think they were allowed, because the ruling party believed that they had everything under control for a steal. Let the people believe they elected the ruler and they will put up with terrible situaations. Does that sound like a reasonable possibility to you?

I pray it will sort itself out...

:hi:

[AntiFascist]

100. If it were "truly democratic" and the vote was that close....

shouldn't they allow a manual recount? San Diego (in the Busby/Bilbray election) and Mexico seem to be setting some sort of precedent by resisting recounts in what are otherwise close and clearly corruptable conditions.

[Pooka Fey]

62. HAH! Thank you Mexico !! That's how to bitch-slap 'The New World Order'

:bounce::bounce::bounce:
Although every time I read about how much progress Obrador is making against these pigs, I get freshly pissed at Kerry for his November 2004 'Cut and Run' performance.

[McCamy Taylor]

63. Wow! That is a democracy!

[lonestarnot]

64. kick!

[drfresh]

66. Hell yeah! I'll have my video camera on election day here

To make sure no GOP shenanigans will be going on. Or if they are, we'll have video.

[lonestarnot]

70. Video is not going to catch a vote flip!

[Ammonium]

78. hm...

Do you know if you can take a video camera with you to the polls?

[Pachamama]

67. On election day this November, we all need to be watching our polls and

paying close attention to what is going on because I have a bad, bad feeling that what is happening in Mexico is going to be nothing compared to what we will be seeing here.... :eyes:

[lonestarnot]

71. Oh those eyes, and that attittude...

Why have you given up?

[Pachamama]

72. Me give up? Never....

I am preparing myself mentally and energetically for what is coming....

I'm a lover and a fighter.... :hi: I love my country, the constitution, democracy and honest elections! And I don't put anything past the mofos that I think will try the same here in the US in November...

[lonestarnot]

73. Whewwww, you had me worried there for a moment.

:hug:

[katinmn]

81. I, too, fully expect widespread fraud and voter suppression

This time, we have to do better than '04.

[cal04]

74. from People's Daily Online

(snip)
In one video, three people appeared to be opening packets of votes, allegedly in a basement in Comalcalco, in the southeastern state of Tabasco. Such an action is illegal in Mexico, unless the packets are opened at the request of an electoral judge.

Another video, recorded in Zacapoaxtla, in the central Mexico state of Puebla, showed an apparent attempt to obstruct the vote count.

(snip)
Obrador said that electoral authorities had counted many votes for him as null.

He added that there had been vote-buying and that diplomats had lobbied foreign governments to recognize Calderon before the Federal Electoral Tribunal gave its final verdict.


http://english.people.com.cn/200607/12/eng20060712_282321.html

[lonestarnot]

75. EU observers....hmmmmf.

[cal04]

79. López Obrador march questioned

(snip)
Abandoning jobs, homes and families to walk for weeks to protest a presidential election might seem nuts to Americans.

But to many Mexicans, particularly those here in the poor southern states, where there is a tradition of protest and civil disobedience, it's a just cause. They think Americans' trust in the U.S. government is crazy.

Ask them, and there is venom in their voice when speaking of their government.

"The government is corrupt and always deceives the people, especially the poor people," said Aurelia Luria, 58, who works for the state education commission and is participating in a strike that has gone on for 45 days. "Presidents and governors, they want it all for themselves."

http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/mexico/stories/MYSA071206.09A.amlo.17fb463.html

[IndyOp]

90. They think Americans' trust in the U.S. government is crazy.

Yes!! Yes!! By Golly I Think They've Got It!

:applause: :applause:

[liberalla]

108. Great thread! I haven't been near a computer in 3 days and

am thrilled to see this news.

Wake up, America! Watch and learn!

This is a "How-to Manual" to protest and verify our own election results in November.

Mexico's Election Fraud Is Coming Undone
Beautiful Headline! Let it be so.

[katinmn]

82. 95th nom. :-)

[tlsmith1963]

83. Yesterday...

...someone at work was discussing the Mexican election, most likely a Republican. He said that he was glad that "weirdo" Obrador wasn't elected, & his supporters should just accept the fact that he lost. When will these conservatives ever learn that elections are stolen all over the world, even here in the US? And the anti-immigrant people in the US should be for Obrador because if he helps the poor, they will stop coming to the US. Do you really think Calderon would help the poor? Not very likely.

Tammy

[paparush]

85. So, How do we apply this lesson to the upcoming US elections?

Do you think 'Murkins will take things this seriously? Are americans willing to grab the process by the throat and throttle it?

I know we are willing to stand in LONG lines for hours in order to cast a vote, but are we willing to FIGHT to make sure that vote gets counted (correctly)?

[personman]

86. Video of ballot stuffing was just on Democracy Now

Greg Palast is talking about how they stole it.

[lonestarnot]

94. Do you have a link?

[malaise]

87. Here's another report

http://70.103.140.131/~cohaorg/?p=196

[Fermezlabush]

91. Mexico, Ukraine, Romania - how many places need to teach us?

Mind you, there was plenty of video of Ohio fraud as well. Michael Moore? Are you there?

[Gregorian]

92. What if Kerry or Gore had called people into the streets?

Worst case. Let's just say the opposition party had them jailed. OK, now Kerry's in jail. Then what? Does anyone thing he'd stay there for long? And would not that have brought attention to the fraudulent election? And then what would have happened?


I say we play mean, MEAN, from now on out. Fear not, fear.

[LincolnMcGrath]

93. Shhh.....still keeping the powder dry!

[lonestarnot]

96. Dave Chappelle, "What!!!#@#$#@#$?"

[robertpaulsen]

95. Oh God! K & R this to the top, baby! Spread the truth!

:kick:

[myrna minx]

97. Wow. I kick for the truth.

:kick:

[DinahMoeHum]

98. Just like in Italy, the right-wing will be taken out kicking and screaming

and playing victim.

Remember, Berlusconi tried every trick in the book to keep his PM job.

Keep fighting, Mexicans, and set the example for us.

:evilfrown:

[ooglymoogly]

99. if there are any journalists left in the world this story belongs

on the front page of every newspaper in the world. k&n

[lonestarnot]

101. kick

[bluestateguy]

103. This isn't getting a lot of US media attention

I think the Ukranian elections got more coverage at this stage.

[Kurovski]

104. K&R!! (nt)

[Acadia Blue]

105. The US media does not want to remind us about our own stolen election

[annabanana]

106. fantastic! HEY KEITH!. . . .

What kind of noise will it take to get this on corpomedia?

[WillyT]

109. K & R !!!

:kick:

[burythehatchet]

110. Its SOOOO much easier with optical scanners

[AzDar]

112. Kick (for those everywhere who still believe in Democracy..)