According to the political writer Pedro Echeverría V[1], Carlos Salinas de Gortari, a “known thief and assassin” came for a press opportunity in Oaxaca to aid the PRI governor. By coincidence López Obrador was in the midst of his weeks-long tour of the poorest Oaxaca towns.

Actually, Echeverria says, Salinas comes to remind the PRI politicos that he was their major promoter, permitting them to obtain positions that let them get rich.

The press celebrated him, along with Televisa, as he has begun to promote “the doll” Peña Nieto for the Presidency. (Noticias calls peña Nieto “the puppy”. )

“Urgent” bulletins flying over the internet warn of the governor’s plan to incite a violent showdown around Monday July 23, of the Guelaguetza, now being referred to as the “guerraguetza.”

The facts we observe on the ground:

• military or state police (dark blue uniforms) occupying Fortin are practicing military exercises.
• the zocalo is heavily occupied by PRI vendors, Noticias says 700 puestos.
• Noticias says outlying roads are all blocked with military checkpoints through which no-one “suspicious” can pass.
• The governor is bussing in people from the rural areas (paying them to attend the commercial Guelaguetza),  and advising government employees to not bring their children.
• the APPO, the teachers, the civil society organizations and even Dr. Bertha Muños are sending messages warning of the government’s intention to provoke an excuse for military crackdown.
• the teachers assembly scheduled for Saturday afternoon has been cancelled to avoid further arbitrary arrests (I gather at least two “leaders” have been arrested and warrants are out).

Here’s a note for comic relief: Section 59 of the teachers union has established a plantón in front of Government House in Santa María Coyotepec to demand a dialogue with the the governor, Ulises Ruiz. They want URO to attend to several of their educational demands. These demands are a direct result of taking over schools and classrooms without the normal administrative support system.

You may recall that Section 59 was a break-away group whose coming into existence was promoted and supported by URO, as a tool to fracture the Teachers Union Section 22, which had about 70,000 members when it began its 2006 strike. Section 59 peeled off maybe 2,000-5,000 of them. It was also supported and ratified by the dragon lady president of the national Teachers Union, Elba Esther Gordillo, who apparently now sells her favors to the PAN, having recently dropped the PRI as it collapses.

It seems that the Section 59 members are not reaping their just rewards. Or maybe they are.