67
The Role of Media in Improving
Democratic Governance
Luis H. Nájera Castillo
In 2001, as part of his efforts to increase government transparency in
Mexico and fulfill his campaign promise of using austerity in public
spending, Vicente Fox Quezada, the first opposition president in 70
years, launched the
CompraNet
website to make federal government
purchases transparent. The website was launched among much fanfare
with a grand publicity campaign in the media.
In June of that same year, the
Milenio
newspaper made it known that
based on the information obtained from the aforementioned website,
the Office of the President had spent $440,000 remodeling two cabins
on the grounds of the Los Pinos presidential residence. The newspaper
reported that among the items purchased were towels costing $400
each and bed sheets costing approximately $1,500 per set.
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The so-called
Toallagate
(Towelgate) led to the resignation of Carlos
Rojas, head of purchases for the president and Fox’s personal friend,
as well as three more members of his staff. At least three other staff
members who were involved in the obviously overpriced, or inflated,
purchases were also suspended.
“A popular government, without popular information or the means of acquiring it, is but a
prologue to a farce, or a tragedy, or perhaps both.”
James Madison, fourth President of the United States of America
