It was the foresight of Gabino Cué Monteagudo, a career politician in the Southern Mexico state of Oaxaca, which resulted in his election as Governor on July 4, 2010, for a six-year term (exchange of power to take place late autumn). For Oaxaca it provides the best opportunity in well over a decade for a return to order and prosperity, certainly absent since the 2006 civil unrest which befell the state under the rule of outgoing governor Ulises Ruiz Ortiz.
While the chaos of the Ulises years (2004 – 2010) did not actually produce notable threats to the safety and security of tourists visiting this UNESCO World Heritage Site, tourism had nevertheless been adversely affected to a significant extent, with international media and foreign governments taking every opportunity to warn prospective travelers to Oaxaca of the mere potential for danger.
Tourists who did visit the city were at times denied the opportunity to fully appreciate the beauty and quaintness of the downtown core – centro histórico – and to get out into the countryside to experience the pageantry of market towns and the richness and diversity of craft villages. Downtown was often a tent city of striking teachers and other interest groups, and roads and highways were often blockaded.
Gabino Gained Trust of the People of Oaxaca through Experience and Coalition
Gabino handsomely defeated the old guard right wing PRI's candidate, Eviel Pérez Magaña, whose party had ruled Oaxaca for approximately 80 years. It was Gabino’s coalition of his Convergencia party, together with middle-of-the-road PAN (party of President Calderón and his predecesor Fox), left wing PRD, and the PT (workers’ party), that solidified the win. Voter turnout of approximately 56% signified that the people of Oaxaca wanted their voices heard. And with the combined votes for PAN and PRD, PRI didn’t stand a chance.
Gabino Cué Monteagudo has been in politics for almost his entire adult life, and has held distinguished posts at virtually all levels of government, notable as mayor of the City of Oaxaca, and senator. He has served his state in other capacities as well, even as a PRI politician.
Gabino hails from a well-known and esteemed Oaxacan family. He seems to have almost always garnered the respect of most of the populace. Many contend that his unsuccessful race for the 2004 governorship of Oaxaca was a result of ballot box stuffing and other illegal opposition activities. While this writer has only met him once (and was thoroughly impressed with his forthrightness, concern for and love of Oaxaca), conversations with his acquaintances and one close friend, and with a bureaucrat at the federal level, reinforce the impression that Oaxaca will progress and prosper from renewed tourism under his watch. Indeed, his campaign slogan was peace and progress.
Gabino Cué and Oaxaca over the Next Six Years: Peace, Safety, Tourism and Federal Assistance
Former Mexican president Vicente Fox allowed Oaxaca to languish under the governorship of Ulises. In fact, in his autobiography he gave short shrift to Oaxaca, and when referring to its governor did not even mention Ulises’ name. President Fox lacked respect for the man and his politics. Of course this was at least in part due to the differences in political ideologies between PAN and PRI.
With Gabino at the helm, one can expect fruitful dialogue between him and President Calderón, and as a consequence federal support in resolving state issues with a federal component, almost totally lacking under the Ulises administration. When Oaxaca’s international airport and federal highways have been shut down or travel has otherwise been disrupted, pleas for assistance have fallen on deaf ears. The pattern will change under Gabino. Having similar political leanings to politicians at the federal level and the respect of President Calderón, will stand Gabino, and therefore Oaxaca, in good stead.
If the earliest indications are any assistance in predicting the future of tourism in Oaxaca, we’re in for a solid and progressive six years, with much less in the way of extended strikes and frequent disruptive marches adversely impacting commerce. It is anticipated that Gabino will be much more receptive than his predecessor to showcasing Oaxaca to the world.
July 4, Morning of July 5, 2010 a Watershed for Oaxaca, Politics
As the election results were broadcast the evening of July 4, people took to the streets and parties broke out, reminiscent of the night President Fox was elected a decade earlier. Gabino thanked his supporters, outside at the Fuente de las Ocho Regiones. But behind closed doors, others were already planning, brainstorming how to offer assistance in promoting the city and state, to the man they knew would welcome ideas proposed by those from diverse walks of Oaxacan life – not just the politicians.
There’s a sense that Gabino will seek out those who can help him, not just his inner circle of political supporters and high level bureaucrats. He’ll at least give audience to those who might know more or better:
- Craftspeople who have been catering to tourist tastes for decades
- Oaxacan chefs who have given the city its reputation for gastronomic greatness
- Foreigners resident in the city who once themselves counted amongst the tourists Oaxaca has in the past succeeded in wooing
- Those whose lives have been devastated since 2006
- And the teachers, who until now have traditionally been at loggerheads with The State
By the next morning the din had dissipated. But those who had remained closed-mouthed throughout the campaign could now be seen breaking a subtle smile, and quietly commenting that finally, Oaxaca would no longer be saddled with significant impediments to prosperity through increased tourism. On the contrary, Gabino Cué Monteagudo will advance that goal. He’s been waiting for the opportunity to make a significant difference in the animus, as well as the fortunes of his fellow Oaxacans, for a lifetime.
See:
- Revolution of Hope: The LIfe, Faith and Dreams of a Mexican President (2007 autobiography of Vicente Fox)
- The Kean Review (Issue 2, Fall/Winter 2007), Report from Oaxaca: Portraits from the Unraveling of a Mexican City (the 2006 conflict in Oaxaca)
Alvin Starkman - Alvin Starkman runs Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast. He is a paid contributing writer for Mexico Today (http://www.mexicotoday.org).
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