The Vladimir Putin of Mexico?

Is Roberto Madrozo the Vladimir Putin of Mexico?

Should I become president," George W. Bush told an audience in Miami in August 2000, "I will look south, not as an afterthought, but as a fundamental commitment of my presidency." As it turns out, of course, the Middle East and Russia have largely consumed Washington's foreign policy energy over the last five years--understandably so. But should Bush ever decide to look south again, he might find that his considerable efforts at quelling Vladimir Putin's undemocratic tendencies will provide him with valuable experience for dealing with Mexico. That's because the man who could very well succeed Vicente Fox as the country's president bears more than a passing resemblance to Russia's illiberal leader.

I refer not to Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, the left-leaning mayor of Mexico City who has dominated recent headlines and is widely considered the favorite to replace Fox, but rather to Roberto Madrazo, a hard-charging 52-year-old stalwart of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI). In 2000, Fox, a member of the right-of-center National Action Party (PAN) ended more than 70 years of autocratic, one-party rule by the PRI. Now the once-dominant party has its best chance in years to make a comeback, with Madrazo leading the way.

Roberto Madrazo of PRI will be a step back from true liberal democracy in Mexico, if he win the election for President.

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