Ecologist Green Party of Mexico
Encyclopedia
The Ecologist Green Party of Mexico ( known by the abbreviation PVEM or PVE) is one of the six political parties to have representation in the Mexican
Congress
. The party's congressional strength currently stands at 17 deputies
(out of 500) and five senators
(out of 128).
(PAN) to create the "Alliance for Change" (Alianza por el Cambio).
It was this PAN/PVEM alliance that carried Vicente Fox Quesada to his presidential victory. In the senatorial elections
of the same date, the party won 5 out of 128 seats in the Senate of Mexico
as part of the Alliance for Change.
races in the important states of México
and Nuevo León
), the PVEM has allied itself more frequently with the Institutional Revolutionary Party
(PRI). In this alliance it won at the last legislative elections
, 17 out of 500 seats in the Chamber of Deputies
.
Over the same period the party's support has dwindled amidst accusations of corruption, nepotism, and breaches of Mexican electoral law.
Since securing its registration as a political party on 9 February 1991, it has been run by a single family:
its first president was Jorge González Torres
(a public official and former member of the PRI), who was succeeded by his son, Jorge Emilio González Martínez (currently a senator
and nicknamed El Niño Verde, or "The Green Boy").
On 3 September 2003 Mexico's top electoral court ruled that its statutes were in violation of the Constitution in that they allowed a restricted inner circle of members to select all the party's candidates and officials.
Shortly after, on 10 October 2003, the Federal Electoral Institute imposed a multi-million dollar fine on the PVEM for campaign finance offenses during the 2000 presidential race.
A further scandal (one of the so-called "videoscandals
") engulfed the party in the last week of February 2004 when a video was released in which Jorge Emilio González Martínez was recorded being offered
and, while his reaction is open to interpretation, certainly not vociferously rejecting a bribe in the amount of US$2 million.
According to the video, the funds were being made available by two foulmouthed businessmen in exchange for his assistance in facilitating land use permits for a real estate development near the Caribbean resort of Cancún
.
(The municipality of Benito Juárez
, in which Cancún is located, is currently governed by a PVEM mayor.)
as its candidate to the 2006 presidential election
, though he resigned on December 5 when the PVEM allied with the PRI. The candidate for both parties was Roberto Madrazo
.
In the 2006 legislative elections the party won 17 out of 500 seats in the Chamber of Deputies
and 4 out of 128 Senators
.
in Mexico. As a consequence, the European Green Party
withdrew its recognition of the PVEM as a legitimate Green party.
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
Congress
Congress of Mexico
The Congress of the Union is the legislative branch of the Mexican government...
. The party's congressional strength currently stands at 17 deputies
Chamber of Deputies of Mexico
The Chamber of Deputies is the lower house of the Congress of the Union, Mexico's bicameral legislature. The structure and responsibilities of both chambers of Congress are defined in Articles 50 to 70 of the current constitution.-Composition:The Chamber of Deputies is composed of one federal...
(out of 500) and five senators
Senate of Mexico
The Senate of the Republic, constitutionally Chamber of Senators of the Honorable Congress of the Union After a series of reforms during the 1990s, it is now made up of 128 senators:...
(out of 128).
Elections 2000
In the general election of 2000 it allied itself with the National Action PartyNational Action Party (Mexico)
The National Action Party , is one of the three main political parties in Mexico. The party's political platform is generally considered Centre-Right in the Mexican political spectrum. Since 2000, the President of Mexico has been a member of this party; both houses have PAN pluralities, but the...
(PAN) to create the "Alliance for Change" (Alianza por el Cambio).
It was this PAN/PVEM alliance that carried Vicente Fox Quesada to his presidential victory. In the senatorial elections
Mexican general election, 2000
General elections were held in Mexico on 6 July 2000. The presidential elections were won by Vicente Fox of the Alliance for Change, who received 43.4% of the vote, the first time the opposition had won an election since the Mexican Revolution...
of the same date, the party won 5 out of 128 seats in the Senate of Mexico
Senate of Mexico
The Senate of the Republic, constitutionally Chamber of Senators of the Honorable Congress of the Union After a series of reforms during the 1990s, it is now made up of 128 senators:...
as part of the Alliance for Change.
Mid-term elections 2003
The alliance broke down one year into Fox's administration and, in the July 2003 mid-term elections and various other local elections held since 2000 (in particular, the governatorialGovernor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
races in the important states of México
Mexico (state)
México , officially: Estado Libre y Soberano de México is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of the United Mexican States. It is divided in 125 municipalities and its capital city is Toluca de Lerdo....
and Nuevo León
Nuevo León
Nuevo León It is located in Northeastern Mexico. It is bordered by the states of Tamaulipas to the north and east, San Luis Potosí to the south, and Coahuila to the west. To the north, Nuevo León has a 15 kilometer stretch of the U.S.-Mexico border adjacent to the U.S...
), the PVEM has allied itself more frequently with the Institutional Revolutionary Party
Institutional Revolutionary Party
The Institutional Revolutionary Party is a Mexican political party that held power in the country—under a succession of names—for more than 70 years. The PRI is a member of the Socialist International, as is the rival Party of the Democratic Revolution , making Mexico one of the few...
(PRI). In this alliance it won at the last legislative elections
2003 Mexican elections
A number of elections, both federal and local, took place in Mexico during 2003:-Federal Congress:**Chamber of Deputies – 500 federal deputies-Colima:**Governor, state congress, and mayors**See: 2003 Colima state election-Nuevo León:...
, 17 out of 500 seats in the Chamber of Deputies
Chamber of Deputies of Mexico
The Chamber of Deputies is the lower house of the Congress of the Union, Mexico's bicameral legislature. The structure and responsibilities of both chambers of Congress are defined in Articles 50 to 70 of the current constitution.-Composition:The Chamber of Deputies is composed of one federal...
.
Over the same period the party's support has dwindled amidst accusations of corruption, nepotism, and breaches of Mexican electoral law.
Since securing its registration as a political party on 9 February 1991, it has been run by a single family:
its first president was Jorge González Torres
Jorge González Torres
Jorge González Torres is a Mexican politician, founder of the Ecologist Green Party of Mexico. He was also the co-president of the Federation of Green Parties of the Americas.-References:...
(a public official and former member of the PRI), who was succeeded by his son, Jorge Emilio González Martínez (currently a senator
Senate of Mexico
The Senate of the Republic, constitutionally Chamber of Senators of the Honorable Congress of the Union After a series of reforms during the 1990s, it is now made up of 128 senators:...
and nicknamed El Niño Verde, or "The Green Boy").
On 3 September 2003 Mexico's top electoral court ruled that its statutes were in violation of the Constitution in that they allowed a restricted inner circle of members to select all the party's candidates and officials.
Shortly after, on 10 October 2003, the Federal Electoral Institute imposed a multi-million dollar fine on the PVEM for campaign finance offenses during the 2000 presidential race.
A further scandal (one of the so-called "videoscandals
Videoscandals
The Videoscandals were political scandals in Mexico in 2004 when videos of prominent politicians taken with hidden cameras were made public...
") engulfed the party in the last week of February 2004 when a video was released in which Jorge Emilio González Martínez was recorded being offered
and, while his reaction is open to interpretation, certainly not vociferously rejecting a bribe in the amount of US$2 million.
According to the video, the funds were being made available by two foulmouthed businessmen in exchange for his assistance in facilitating land use permits for a real estate development near the Caribbean resort of Cancún
Cancún
Cancún is a city of international tourism development certified by the UNWTO . Located on the northeast coast of Quintana Roo in southern Mexico, more than 1,700 km from Mexico City, the Project began operations in 1974 as Integrally Planned Center, a pioneer of FONATUR Cancún is a city of...
.
(The municipality of Benito Juárez
Benito Juárez, Quintana Roo
Benito Juárez is one of the ten municipalities of the Mexican state of Quintana Roo. Most of its population reside in the municipal seat, Cancún. It is named after the 19th century president and statesman Benito Juárez.- Location :...
, in which Cancún is located, is currently governed by a PVEM mayor.)
Elections 2006
On November 12, 2005, the PVEM formally nominated Bernardo de la GarzaBernardo de la Garza
Bernardo de la Garza Herrera is a Mexican politician and former candidate for the Partido Verde Ecologista de México in the 2006 presidential election...
as its candidate to the 2006 presidential election
Mexican general election, 2006
A general election was held in Mexico on Sunday, July 2, 2006. Voters went to the polls to elect, on the federal level:*A new President of the Republic to serve a six-year term, replacing then Mexican President Vicente Fox .*500 members to serve for a...
, though he resigned on December 5 when the PVEM allied with the PRI. The candidate for both parties was Roberto Madrazo
Roberto Madrazo
Roberto Madrazo Pintado is a Mexican politician affiliated with the Institutional Revolutionary Party . He was the candidate of the alliance between his party and the Ecologist Green Party of Mexico in the 2006 Mexican presidential election.Madrazo was born in Villahermosa, Tabasco to Carlos A....
.
In the 2006 legislative elections the party won 17 out of 500 seats in the Chamber of Deputies
Chamber of Deputies of Mexico
The Chamber of Deputies is the lower house of the Congress of the Union, Mexico's bicameral legislature. The structure and responsibilities of both chambers of Congress are defined in Articles 50 to 70 of the current constitution.-Composition:The Chamber of Deputies is composed of one federal...
and 4 out of 128 Senators
Senate of Mexico
The Senate of the Republic, constitutionally Chamber of Senators of the Honorable Congress of the Union After a series of reforms during the 1990s, it is now made up of 128 senators:...
.
Death penalty campaign
In 2008, the PVEM initiated an advertising campaign in favor of introduction of the death penaltyCapital punishment in Mexico
Capital punishment in Mexico last non-military execution in Mexico was in 1937, and was officially abolished in 2005. Despite the existence of an abolitionist movement dating back to the 19th century, the popularity of the punishment has increased due to the increasingly violent drug...
in Mexico. As a consequence, the European Green Party
European Green Party
The European Green Party is the Green political party at European level. As such it is a federation of green parties in Europe.-History:...
withdrew its recognition of the PVEM as a legitimate Green party.
LGBT Rights
During an interview, PVE candidate Gamaliel Ramirez verbally attacked an openly gay candidate for Guadalajara mayor and called for criminal laws against homosexuality to be established. In the following days Ramirez issued a written apology after the party expressed disappointment at his remarks While the party has pledged to support LGBT rights issues, its three representatives choose to abstain from a vote on Mexico City granting legal recognition to same-sex couples.External links
- http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7866811.stm
- http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7846249.stm