Aristegui Noticias
The conflict inside the PAN is escalating rapidly:
- Last week, Senator Javier Corral asked the PAN's National Executive Committee to audit for an alleged misappropriation of funds "to favor close relatives of former President Felipe Calderón" during Ernesto Cordero's term as PAN Senate Coordinator, who was removed from that office by the leader himself, Gustavo Madero, after a series of disagreements.
- Corral charged that Juan Ignacio Zavala--brother of former first lady, Margarita Zavala--had access to the PAN's credit resources, including a loan of 300,000 pesos [$24,000 USD], as confirmed by legislator Ernesto Ruffo Appel:
"There is an open dispute over control of 204 million pesos [$16,092,480 USD] that Ernesto Cordero managed with absolute discretion until a few weeks ago. Fundamentally, it's about giving a factious blow to institutionality and to the new coordinator [Jorge Luis] Preciado," the lawmaker explained.On Sunday Zavala responded. Referring to Ruffo, he said that the PAN is recycling "junk politics". He mentioned that the National Action Party is "fed up" with fighting over the political entity's money, and he described Javier Corral as a "parasite" responsible for "dynamiting the party". He warned:
"We are going to continue destroying the party, this has no limit. If the president of the PAN wants to continue beating up on us, we are going to defend ourselves."However, he acknowledged that Senator Roberto Gil had asked for a parliamentary loan, but he warned that there is no diversion [of funds].
Payment to Consultants Stirs Up Dispute
PAN Senators intensified their accusation regarding management of the parliamentary group's resources during Cordero's administration. Corral said that he has "evidence" that last March Zavala received two deposits of 150,000 pesos [$11,833 USD] into his personal account from the bloc's account.
"What kind of consultancy is provided to the PAN's parliamentary group? To receive in his personal account in a single day, two deposits of 150,000 pesos each, from the Banamex account of the PAN Parliamentary group?" asked the senator.In response, according to Reforma newspaper, Senator Adriana Díaz, close to Cordero, maintained that the 300,000 pesos were delivered directly to the President of the Commission of Justice, Roberto Gil, who had requested those resources directly.
"The loan didn't go on behalf of Zavala, but on behalf of Roberto Gil. It is every senator's right to ask for a loan of up to 300,000 pesos," he explained.Presidential Election Brings About Conflict
The presidential election of July 2012 led the PAN, which had held power for twelve years, to lose. It left a mark among PAN members ....
Months after losing, when Felipe Calderón was leaving Los Pinos [official presidential residence; Mexico's White House], the PAN leader Gustavo Madero began meeting with the winning team of Enrique Peña Nieto; the motive was to sign, on December 1, the agreement that they called the Pact for Mexico.
Several PAN members were surprised by the PAN-PRI agreement. But it wasn't just PAN members who were surprised, so was the PRD [Party of the Democratic Revolution].
In the presidential election, the PAN candidate, Josefina Vázquez Mota, made several errors--such as abandoning supporters at a rally--that even her own party disclosed. It was learned that even Calderón criticized the campaign of the former presidential candidate, saying that the slogan "different" caused caused confusion among the electorate.
Due to their internal differences, two unofficial groups have been forming: the maderistas (close to current party leader [Gustavo Madero]) and calderonistas (loyal to former President Felipe Calderón), who continue fighting to this day.
(With information from Reforma, El Universal, La Jornada)