Bread in the political circus

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Leftist Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who narrowly lost last year’s presidential race to Felipe Calderon, has found a new way to raise dough to fund his shadow government: white bread.

According to the national daily Reforma, the self-proclaimed ‘legitimate president’ of Mexico has launched a new line of bread called ‘Pan Mi General’ or ‘My General’s Bread.’ The logo is a mustachioed revolutionary in a giant sombrero holding a stalk of wheat. The slogan: ‘No mas pan con lo mismo...sabroso y resisente’ which roughly translates into: ‘Not the same old bread...tasty and strong.’

It’s a fund-raising tool with some sharp edges to poke fun at Lopez Obrador’s rivals. The word ‘pan’ in Spanish means bread, but it’s also the acronym for Calderon’s conservative National Action Party or PAN.

It’s also a slap at Mexican businessman Lorenzo Servitaje, the founder of baking giant Grupo Bimbo. He is one of several wealthy businessmen whom Lopez Obrador accused of helping rig the election for Calderon. (Lopez Obrador’s allegations of vote fraud were rejected by an independent election tribunal.)

A loaf of Pan Mi General costs about $1.36, but Lopez Obrador has some disclosure issues of his own. The packaging doesn’t contain nutritional information or an expiration date.

Posted by Marla Dickerson in Mexico