Warm seasonal greetings from Mexico

USA Today/David Agren, 3/27/16.  "Mexicans burn effigies of Trump in Easter ritual."

  Donald Trump was a very
popular "evil" effigy burn this year.

"Mexicans like me.."

"MEXICO CITY — This country's artisans usually set fire to effigies of unpopular Mexican politicians in their “burning of Judas” ritual every Easter weekend. This year, the politician they love to hate the most is an American: Donald Trump.  .... “Every year they pick some corrupt politician, but this year it had to be Trump,” said Julio César Rodríguez, 26, a nurse who watched the burning of Judas in Mexico City. “He’s an obvious choice. He’s a bad person.”

 ....  Other effigies included recently recaptured drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, President Enrique Peña Nieto, a devil branded with an Islamic State logo, Pope Francis and President Obama.  “(Obama) really hasn’t done much for the region,” said artisan Leonardo Linares, who made the image of the president and whose family has been making and burning Judas figures for five generations.  

....  “It’s something closer to humor than political protest,” said Ilán Semo, political historian at the Iberoamerican University. “Humor has always given a little space for blowing off steam. This is critical, but it’s humor.”....  For two decades, Mexico's establishment courted better economic and security ties with the United States, said historian Semo. “They bet everything on free trade. Then one day, a member of this (U.S.) establishment attacked them for internal electoral purposes. They don’t get that here.”  Read article.

Related article,  Reuters/Mexico City/Henry Romero and Tomas Bravo, 3/27/16, "Mexicans burn Donald Trump effigies in Easter." "The burning is part of a widespread Mexican Holy Week tradition where neighborhoods burn effigies to represent Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus Christ according to the Bible. The effigies are often modeled on unpopular political figures. .... Donald Trump, the front-runner to win the Republican nomination for the Nov. 8 election, has drawn fire in Mexico with his campaign vow to build a wall along the southern U.S. border to keep out illegal immigrants and drugs, and to make Mexico pay for it. ....  Trump, who has also aroused concern among many in his own party with his proposals, has accused Mexico of sending rapists and drug runners across the border and vowed to increase fees on some Mexican visas and all border crossing cards to help make Mexico pay for the wall."  

Note Donald trump photograph/graphic/effigy.  Feathers from Gawker/Andy Cush, 9/16/15, "What Donald Trump Actually Stands For: An Investigation."  Donald Trump effigy by Yuri Cortez/AFP/Getty Images from NBC 6 South Florida, "Mexicans Burn Donald Trump Effigies in Easter Ritual. Trump effigies burned across Mexico, from Puebla to Mexico's industrial hub Monterrey."

Posted by Kathy Meeh