La Jornada
May 2, 2000
by Alberto J. Olvera

What is the relationship between the recent illegal expulsion from Mexico of Ted Lewis, a U.S. citizen and election observer, and the fact that the chances are mounting of a victory by the opposition? At first glance there seems to be none. But, in analyzing the case, we have come to see that we are facing the onset of a generalized government policy of attempting to block international monitoring of domestic political movements and elections, a policy which has already been actively pursued for years in Chiapas.

This is a sign that with the growing possibility that the party in power will lose the elections, there is an increased risk of an authoritarian response. Ted Lewis is the person in charge of the Mexico project of Global Exchange, a non-governmental organization dedicated to promoting international solidarity with third-world countries in the areas of human rights, fair trade, education, and democracy, and to promoting mutual knowledge and understanding among peoples.

For years now Global Exchange has promoted visits to Mexico by U.S. citizens, and has organized groups of international election observers. In this field, it has established fruitful relationships with Alianza Civica (Civic Alliance). In addition, Global Exchange has initiated a program to educate Mexican citizens about the political reality in the United States and to promote constructive criticism, from abroad, of the problems in the United States' democracy. This writer had the privilege of taking part in the first group of Mexicans who went to observe primary elections in the United States.

Ted Lewis entered Mexico via Guadalajara last March 9th with a tourist visa, with the intention of applying for international election-observer visas for himself and others. Election-observer status is codified in federal election legislation now in effect. (The law allows applicants to apply within Mexico for these visas.) As he was about to board a plane for Mexico City, after having passed through Immigration, he was detained by an agent of the National Immigration Institute, who told Mr. Lewis that he had orders to expel him from Mexico. The agent did not allow him to speak with his lawyers, despite Mr. Lewis's having noted the incongruence of being expelled after having legally entered Mexico.

Ted Lewis's complaints to the Mexican Consul in San Francisco have been to no avail. The immigration agent [in Guadalajara] alleges that Lewis refused to sign a deportation order (which, in reality, did not exist when the deportation took place), and does not acknowledge the fact that Lewis had already legally entered Mexico. Nor have there been any reasons given for expelling him from the country. The arbitrary and illegal nature of this act is alarming.

To put this in context, to date more than forty international observers have been notified by the Federal Electoral Institute that their [observer] credentials have been approved, but the National Migration Institute has blocked delivery of the corresponding visas.

The illegal and arbitrary treatment of foreign citizens interested in lending a hand to the country in the form of symbolically guarding the election process and the rights of indigenous people shows that the government is afraid that pressure from world public-opinion could stand in the way of equally illegal and abusive solutions to internal problems. Why prevent international observers from entering the country if, as Mr. Woldenberg repeats tirelessly, the whole process is guaranteed?

In the coming weeks a sense of anguish could take hold of the official party. The media attacks against Fox and Cardenas and the manipulation of social programs for partisan political purposes, could be insufficient to avoid its defeat. The temptation to massively and brazenly buy and coerce voters is growing, as is the risk of attempts to commit fraud on election day.

Given these circumstances, Mexican civil society cannot be asleep at the wheel. It is time to return to organizing a huge election-observation campaign, and to demand that the presence of international observers not only be permitted, but welcomed.

The PRI has seen in Peru how international pressure forced Fujimori to not carry out a brazen electoral fraud. Could it be taking precautions to prevent such pressure?

translated by Cliff Olin