Mexico: PRD party leader resigns.

(Baonghean) - On Tuesday evening, November 25th, Cuauhtemoc Cardenas, the founder and leader of the Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD), announced his resignation following the disappearance of 43 students at the end of September.

The political crisis in Mexico appears far from over, as on Tuesday evening, in a letter to the Council of State, Cuauhtemoc Cardenas announced his resignation as president of the PRD party. Cuauhtemoc Cardenas is considered the "spiritual leader" of the PRD – a party founded in the late 1980s. A few days ago, he had already requested to resign as president of the PRD amid accusations of irresponsibility in managing PRD members.

Cuauhtemoc Cardenas, the founder and leader of the Democratic Revolutionary Party. Photo: Internet

Mr. Cardenas is accused of being responsible for appointing Joe Luis Abarca, a member of the PRD party, as a candidate for mayor of Iguala de la Independencia, the city where a shocking kidnapping occurred in Mexico. Joe Luis Abarca and his wife are known to be linked to a notorious criminal organization in the country. Abarca is currently in custody and accused of masterminding the kidnapping of 43 students in Iguala de la Independencia. It is highly likely that the missing students were murdered by the Guerreros Unidos criminal gang.

On Tuesday afternoon, Mr. Cardenas held his final meeting with the new leader of the PRD, Carlos Navarrete. Previously, Navarrete had asked Mr. Cardenas to resign in order to “rebuild” the PRD party. However, Mr. Cardenas refused after winning the PRD's internal party elections with a majority vote earlier in October.

Cuauhtemoc Cardenas is the son of former President Lazaro Cardenas (1934-1940). He lost three Mexican presidential elections in 1988, 1994, and 2000. From December 1997 to September 1999, he was elected the first mayor of Mexico City.

Jesus Zambrano, one of the PRD party leaders, considered Cuauhtemoc Cardenas's departure "a regrettable and surprising event." Zambrano stated, "It's a great loss because he was a man who made so many contributions to the development of democracy in our country." However, according to Zambrano, "Despite the mistakes we made in Iguala de la Independencia, this cannot erase the important role of the PRD in Mexico."

Chu Thanh

(According to LeMonde, Liberation November 26)