According to Coatepecanos.com., one of several good online news sources in our area, at a press conference (or as they like to say in the EU, a presser), the current alcalde, or mayor, Jose, Sánchez, Martinez, accompanied by everyone in the municipal government, made known that the previous government headed by the Priista Sergio Joaquín Ramírez Cabañas, left office having embezzled something like 83 million pesos, or roughly 8 million dollars. Well, everyone kind of knew it. We watched as the lovely town of Coatepec decayed bit by bit from lack of money to pay for its care: swiss-cheese streets, non-functioning street signals, and a huge increase in graffiti were among the more noticeable problems to those of us who live outside Coatepec but spend time in it. And indeed, some of the biggest financial deficits existed in the Public Works Department, where "anomolies" were found in debts to construction workers, works signed for and not completed, taxes held on to, and a gap of a million pesos in the Municipal Water Commission.
As Coatepecanos.org says, it's hoped that the State outhorities will act and not continue "to encourage impunity."
The former mayor was, as noted, a PRI member. The former governor was, too. The present mayor is PAN mainly because people were determined not to vote another PRI guy in. The current governor is PRI, but he does seem determined to improve on the performance of his predecessor. PRI (and all parties) are interesting in Mexico. Never all bad, never all good, some members are much worse than others.
The single readers comment points out that some of this money is going to the former mayor's wife (la rata, or rat) who is apparently enjoying herself at the moment in NYC, my home town. The writer calls the former mayor "ratón," or mouse, but I'm sure she means he's a rat, too.