BTN News: On Tuesday, July 2, important leaders of Mexico’s National Action Party (PAN) had a big argument. PAN’s national president, Marko Cortés, had a fight with Javier Lozano. Lozano was the Secretary of Labor when Felipe Calderón was president. They argued about PAN’s results in the June 2 elections. PAN received over 9 million votes in these elections.
Marko Cortés and Javier Lozano Blame Each Other for the Party’s Poor Performance
The argument started when Marko Cortés blamed the case of Genaro García Luna for hurting PAN’s campaign. García Luna, a former security official, was found guilty in the US for drug ties. Lozano said it was cowardly to blame García Luna and said he was part of a PAN-led government. But Cortés said García Luna was not a PAN member.
Cortés said García Luna’s case hurt their campaign. Lozano asked why Cortés did not defend PAN’s history and achievements. Cortés then asked Lozano why PAN lost the 2012 election to Enrique Peña Nieto. Lozano said it was because of Josefina Vázquez Mota, who he thought was a bad candidate.
Accusations Fly As Internal Party Conflicts Escalate
The fight got worse when Lozano criticized Cortés for putting himself at the top of the list for plurinominal senators. Cortés replied that it was a unanimous decision by PAN’s permanent commission, which he chaired. Lozano angrily said this self-appointment was why the party was doing poorly.
Cortés accused Lozano of being angry because he did not get a senatorial position. Lozano denied wanting any position and said the public needed to know the truth about Cortés’ leadership. The argument continued, with Lozano calling Cortés a “terrible leader.”
Former President Felipe Calderón Joins the Online Debate Over Leadership
Former President Felipe Calderón joined the argument on social media. He criticized Cortés for putting himself at the top of the senator list while leaving out others like Jorge Triana. Calderón said Cortés had caused the most damage to PAN in its history and served only his close circle.
Calderón agreed with Lozano’s criticism. He said PAN’s current leadership did not highlight the party’s past successes. Instead, they tried to distance themselves from former leaders. Calderón said a different narrative might have led to better results.
Cortés responded by questioning Calderón about the decline in PAN’s support at the end of his presidency. He also asked about Calderón’s awareness of García Luna’s activities. Cortés accused Calderón of abandoning Josefina Vázquez Mota and making deals with Enrique Peña Nieto.
Conclusion
The internal fight within PAN shows deep divisions and different views on leadership and strategy. PAN leaders are still arguing about the party’s future. Past decisions and scandals remain big problems. These disagreements show that PAN needs to solve these internal issues to move forward and regain political strength.
