Pawns Prolonging Drug War Problems (and Profits)

From: WILLY AZARCOYA CABIEDES [w.azarcoya@tecmilenio.mx]
Sent: Thursday, November 29, 2012 12:13 PM
To: Ellwood, David
Subject: fellowship

Mr. David ellwood: 

Please make the following message available to the Harvard community:

I read with great displeasure that an institution of -till now - such credibility has accepted to give "the fellowship for government leaders who left office" to Mexico's ex president Felipe Calderon. What is the message to the students at Kennedy School. Boys you can steal an election, leave a country ravaged and you get the recognition of the Kennedy School. If you take the time to investigate the facts you will find out that Mr. Calderón never could - or even tried - to prove that he had won the election for the presidency of México. He took office through the back door – as a thief – and leaves a toll of 50,000 innocent citizens  in his personal fight against drugs, leaving the drug cartels well and  functioning. The IFE Instituto Federal Electoral (the Electoral Federal institution)  has declared that Mr. Calderón broke the electoral law and that makes him a delinquent, his reaction was only to mock the situation by saying "I won whichever way". So if it's OK with you to have such a person as a mentor to your students as we say in Mexico, "Eat it with your own bread". He has now cried "Sanctuary" to your institution , and you are complying, but remember you don't hold justice on your side this time. 

 

 

“Whoever is careless with the truth in small matters cannot be trusted with important matters” 
― Albert Einstein

 

M. en ISD. Willy Azarcoya

Tel. 442-213-3570

Cel. 442-155-5753

Querétaro, Qro.

 

________________________________________________________________________________

 

Dear Mr. Azarcoya,

 

Thank you for taking the time to write to me.  I understand your concerns. One of the fundamental tenets of the Kennedy School and all American universities is a free exchange of ideas. In keeping with our educational mission, the School has a long tradition of providing an opportunity for leaders from around the world to speak to and interact with the community on important public policy issues, and just as importantly, to give members of our community the opportunity to ask unfiltered questions of these leaders. The unique opportunity to engage in direct discussion with a head of state is one that many of our students value greatly, even if they may disagree on some policy positions.  And knowing our students as I do, I am confident that the one-year fellowship will present both our students and Mr. Calderón with a very rich discussion and debate.   

 

Thank you again for sharing your perspective.

 

Best regards,

David

 

David T. Ellwood, Dean

Scott M. Black Professor of Political Economy

Harvard Kennedy School

79 JFK Street

Cambridge, MA 02138

Phone: (617) 495-1122

 

___________________________________________________________________________________

Dear Mr. Ellwood and Mr. Black,
 

How much time have either of you spent working or living on the US/Mexican border?  Have you actually ever visited Ciudad Juarez Mexico?   How many of your HKS students are from impoverished areas of Mexico?   How many of your students have struggled on or lived near the US border?  How many of your students have had family members killed or who have gone missing because of Calderon's drug war?  How many of your students truly understand the problems that Calderon has left Mexico? 

 

My guess would be very few if any.  So much for those "unfiltered questions" to be asked of Mr. Calderon.   

Please tell me something.   If Adolph Hitler were alive would he be offered a one year fellowship at Harvard in order to speak about his "important policy issues"?

I think not.  How about the idea of someday inviting Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran to be a fellow?  Or how about Iran's current Grand Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei?

 

I don't think that they would be invited even though they would appear to qualify for a fellowship according to your rhetoric below.  No way Jose.  Someone somewhere in the decision making department at Harvard would say no way to those two "terrorists" (if the idea would even ever be considered). 

 

Do you or does anyone else at Harvard really understand how Calderon's (US Drug War) policies terrorized the common people of Mexico?   If you did, and you had any sort of moral compasses at all, you would not participate in this morally reprehensible fellowship.

 

You people fail to comprehend the words of Mr. Azarcoya and the hundreds of other Mexican who have commented to Harvard.

 

By the way, I see that Mr. Black is a Professor of Political Economy and is writing responses in your absence Mr. Ellwood.     

 

Is Mr. Calderon's fellowship really based upon the economic ties between the US and Mexico?   You know, 1.25 billion dollars a day in cross border trade, Mexican oil, and NAFTA/maquiladora profits etc.?     

 

My guess is yes.  It is the same 1% scam that is destroying our country.  Profit above human life. 

 

You spin Calderon's fellowship as some democratic "unique opportunity to engage in direct discussion with a head of state" when it is fact it is the bi-national 1% covering their economic backs and drug war profit margins.

 

In my humble opinion you guys are not searching for any economic or governmental solutions to this Drug war.  How can you when you are pawns prolonging the problems (and profits) of the same?   

 

John Randolph