The story behind Peña's “miscount”

The story behind Peña's “

miscount

”

In private, Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto makes light of his viral phrase “we land in one minute, no, less, in five.” The Head of State invited yesterday senator Ernesto Cordero – who accompanied him to the closing ceremony of the 108 General Assembly of the Mexican Institute of Social Security (IMSS) in Aguascalientes – to the back of the presidential plane to give him the full tour of the aircraft. There, the President pointed to the one responsible for uploading the meme and began to laugh. According to Peña Nieto, the day this bullying originated in social networks he went to the cabin of the members of the press. There, he had a quick conversation about the condition of the families of the journalists after the September 19 earthquake. Peña Nieto remembered they were minutes away from landing at the Aerial Base of Ixtepec, Oaxaca. “We are landing in 10,” said one of the journalists and the President replied “No, we land in one minute,” but then, almost simultaneously, another journalist said “We land in 10” and the President immediately answered: “No, less, in five”. The exchange was swift and the voices of the journalists weren't caught by either the cameras or the microphones, reason why upon listening to the video, it gives the impression the President "miscounted". Today, Peña Nieto laughs when someone brings out the “no, less, in five” which went viral on social networks.

Parties lock-in

Our sources say that prior to the elections, the political parties forming the Citizen's Front for Mexico will hold a lock-in this weekend to define the candidacies, approve coalition agreements and even discuss the approval of credit loans for the upcoming elections. We're told the National Action Party (PAN) will hold its meeting this Saturday and Sunday to approve the coalition, electoral platform, and a loan. This weekend, the Citizen's Movement Party (MC) will go all in to discuss and approve the presidential candidacy for 2018 and the succession of its national leadership, as well as to sign the coalition with the Democratic Revolution Party (PRD) and the PAN. Meanwhile, the PRD, according to our sources, will approve on Sunday its open calls for federal posts and its coalition with the MC. Once all their internal matters are settled, the three parties will begin a critical stage for the Front: agree on the method to select the presidential candidate and the candidate to Mayor of Mexico City. For the presidency, in case there is a method which pleases them all and as long as there's no hand-picking, the fight will probably be among three contenders: Ricardo Anaya, Miguel Ángel Mancera, and Rafael Moreno Valle .

MORENA and the future of Monreal

Another who'll also be active during this Revolutionary holiday is Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) , who will present his Development plan 2018-2024 at the National Auditorium. Prior to this, the far-left National Regeneration Party (MORENA) will hold its National Meeting on Sunday to talk about candidacies and it is expected to know then whether the head of the Cuauhtémoc borough, Ricardo Monreal , will play a key role in the party or the campaign of Andrés Manuel, or whether Mr. Ricardo will leave the ranks of the MORENA.

The "bros" of the Senate drift apart

In the Senate, we've been told, it's more than evident that the “bros” are drifting apart. In the last days, there's been a rift between the president of the Senate, Ernesto Cordero (National Action Party) and his “bro”, the political vice-coordinator of the Labor Party (PT), Miguel Barbosa . Our sources say that one of the causes for the estrangement is that Mr. Miguel has publicly questioned the way Cordero presides over the meetings and has reproached his closeness, together with that of all the rebels of the PAN, to the leader of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) Emilio Gamboa . Within the circle of the PAN member, they have even seen the hand of Barbosa behind the actions which have hindered the meetings, where, unsuccessfully, they have been trying to approve the open call to elect the new electoral prosecutor. Some of their colleagues have said they hope both senators stop fighting because they're starting to act like blood brothers.

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