The choice was to do nothing, or join the PT — Partido de Trabajadores, the Workers’ Party, which I did. I really don’t like the PT. On paper the party has good principles, but it doesn’t work among the people. Still, it’s part of the Morena coalition.
Sounds like “business as usual” in Jalisco’s elections.
Unfortunately, yes. And the politicians are using the old tools of corruption: bribes, extra ballots in the box.
And then there are the cartels. Local PRI officials had deals with them, sometimes getting the cartels to do their dirty work. Those who oppose the political bosses face intimidation and worse. I know I am going to have to watch my back.
After this experience, do you still support Morena? What is your “Mexican dream”?
Old habits and power structures never beak easy, especially when those habits and power structures have cartels enforcing their line. Our goal now: to recover Morena for the people. The party needs to improve its internal democracy and to encourage its members to participate. People are mad about what happened in Jalisco — and they’re ready to organize! I remain a Morena supporter. It is still our best hope to break the power of the elites and have a government for the little people.
But we don’t build people’s power just through elections. I’m helping start an organization to provide assistance to workers and small businesses and a program for youth to develop their political skills. The main thing? To seed hope, to provide tools for change.
My dream, and the dream of most Mexicans, remains a 4th transformation as promised by AMLO, where ordinary people can live comfortably and peacefully and not have to leave home to work in the US. The American dream is about individual success. The Mexican dream is about the success of the whole country. I want to add my grain of sand for México’s future.