Web smears take Mexican election to new lows

Mexico’s leftist candidate for president might take your house if he is elected, while his conservative rival could install a bloody dictatorship if he wins — that is, if you believe your e-mails.

As the top candidates spend millions of dollars on negative ads, their backers are launching stealth attacks on their behalf from the unregulated anonymity of cyberspace, making outrageous claims in mass mailings, chat rooms and blogs.

Leftist Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and conservative ruling party contender Felipe Calderon are running neck-and-neck ahead of a July 2 election in a campaign marked by smear tactics.

A vote for Hitler, Castro
But those attacks pale in comparison to e-mails claiming the leftist would ban religious meetings, or limit foreign travel, or that Calderon would seek to emulate Gen. Augusto Pinochet’s 1973-1990 rule in Chile.

Among the more polite missives: “Adolf Hitler’s rhetorical discourse is identical to that of Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.”

From the leftist’s supporters: “Calderon is an arrogant, authoritarian slanderer. If he wins power we will return to the times of ... repression, betrayal, killing.”

One e-mail claims untruly that Lopez Obrador, a former Mexico City mayor, took 15 years to finish college. A chat room user named Raul likened him to Cuban President Fidel Castro.

Little control over messages
Fewer than one in five Mexicans have Internet access, according to an industry source. Many of the poor never use a computer.

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The Internet strategy appears mainly aimed against Lopez Obrador, reflecting what is seen as an aggressive offensive by Calderon’s camp throughout the campaign. The messages usually contain no contact information.

Supporters of the Internet strategy say it gives a voice to many who would otherwise be forced to remain silent.

Aaron, a young graphic designer, said Calderon’s attacks prompted him to start an e-mail campaign for Lopez Obrador.

“We are common citizens reacting mainly to the fear campaign,” he said. He and two friends started with 300 e-mail addresses and now have a list of 7,000 mailboxes.

Marco Antonio Gomez of the electoral watchdog IFE said that while the body forced candidates to remove some incendiary media advertising, it has no such control over the Internet.