A Bellwether Battle Against Neoliberalism in the Americas
Crunchtime for Mexico's Oil
By JOHN ROSS

The countdown to the denouement of the great debate over privatization of Mexico's oil industry looms just weeks away and both sides in this bellwether battle against neo-liberalism are sharpening up their knives. With formal debate in the Senate set to end July 22nd, President Felipe Calderon's privatization imitative is on the legislative fast track for a quick vote - Energy Secretary Georgina Kessel urges legislators from Calderon's rightist PAN party, which holds a slim majority in both houses, to call a special session the moment debate ends to vote up the proposed "energy reform" package over the objections of the opposition.

Last April, during a similar putsch by the PANistas and their allies in the once-ruling PRI to fast track privatization, leftist senators and deputies seized the podiums of their respective houses and paralyzed the legislative process for 13 days to force a national debate on the issue. Thousands of women formed brigades - "Las Adelitas", inspired by women soldiers during Mexico's revolution - donned long skirts, big sombreros, bandaleros, hoisted toy carbines, and surrounded the Senate building in support of the striking legislators of the Broad Progressive Front or FAP. The PAN accused the Adelitas of waging a guerrilla war against the legislative process and threatened to call the military.

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