The independent path
Treviño says that independent candidacies, which were included in the Constitution 13 years ago, are still a way to reach positions of popular election, especially at the local level.
“The independent path is important, he supports democracy to vote and be voted. Yes I think it is a path that has more possibilities of success, of gaining a choice as we move to local areas, such as municipalities,” he values.
The former mayor warns that the case of “El Bronco”, who was accused of corruption at the end of his governorship, did affect the movement of independents, because people considered that it was “more of the same.”
“That is why the history of San Pedro is also so important; Although it is at the municipal level I think that we manage to establish that precisely the independent being is that: we have nothing to do with the parties or with any other process, some other independent project, ”he emphasizes.
Do you think there are still the conditions for independent candidates to occupy positions of popular election?
Yes, I believe that the independent path is important. For me he supports the foundation of our democracy, which we can all vote and be voted. So that if someone does not belong to a political party and wants to compete for a public office, they have a way to do it through the independent road.
I think it is a path that has more possibilities of success, that is, to win an election as we move to the most local areas of government, from small municipalities, from local deputations, it is more likely to win a choice by campaigning face to face, touching all the doors, knowing all the people.
As we move to the state or federal level, where naturally access to the media, access to large resources to make very large campaigns, because it becomes more difficult for an independent.
In his book he plays the case of ‘El Bronco’, how he governs, the enthusiasm it causes, but how does it end up provoking disappointment. Do you think this case affected the following independent candidates?
Yes, I believe that the government of ‘El Bronco’ was not what many expected and did generate a kind of disenchantment, and in the case of Nuevo León.
The book is also important because it tells the story of an independent government that gives results where, in addition, its essence has all the flavor of independent. Most of the team had never participated in politics and, nevertheless, it gives very good results, because it comes from areas of the work in the city where they had tried their professionalism.
During the campaign in 2018, it makes it clear that this was a truly independent government, which had to do with the other project, and already as we governed and gave results and gave the government, and we prioritized those issues that were important for us to change the course of the city, it was clear that it has nothing to do with the other project.
Did it cost you a job to see that difference between your government and ‘El Bronco’? You worked with him for a few months …
I worked for four months in that government, I was the first to resign, and yes, it required an effort during the campaign, but once we won the election and began to govern, as that was left behind and the seal of this government was clearly established and people truly got excited about what we did.
What was your experience when governing San Pedro Garza and arriving with the Flag of Independiente?
It was a very positive experience in general, it was something very formative, not just for me, for the entire team.
As time was advancing because I valued the advantages of being independent and also costs. When one enters as independent, you do not have the allies in the Congress that is made up of deputies of the parties or in the state or in neighboring mayors.
So, also my experience was one where I was very aware of the need to have a good relationship with everyone, because to that extent the municipality also obtained state resources and obtained the support of my colleagues mayors for projects that were more at the metropolitan level; For example, issues related to the environment, air quality.
As Independent you can also have a good relationship with the mayors, the governor, the deputies of other parties, but you have to be very aware of it, because at the outset you do not have a political affiliation that makes you part of the same group.
Is San Pedro’s example that independent candidates know how to govern?
Well, there has been an independent ruler in the history of San Pedro, that it is me. So, it is the only example.
San Pedro had been governed 30 years, before the choice in which I won, for the PAN. Recent generations as soon as the PAN governments know and then I won as Independent and I re -elected. It is the only case that the municipality knows.
What conditions had San Pedro to win an independent?
He was 30 years to ruling the same political party, a municipality that had previously stood out for being an innovative municipality, but where it came in a decadent process.
I would not say that people were angry, mostly with bread, there was a situation as well as indifference. What caused him to attract the attention of the campaign I made was to reborn the idea that this municipality was to aspire to more.
People began to imagine a different city. When I campaigned, public spaces were empty. It is a municipality with important green areas, but nobody used them because they were careless, because no one had put them hand where there were no important urban regeneration projects.
What I did in the first campaign is to excite the community with the possibility of rebuilding this municipality of innovation and something that allowed me to re -elect in 2021 is that people were already seeing how the city was transforming.
People began to recognize me as the mayor of the parks; The parks became beautiful, really parks because of world class, parks like the ones we see in the cities that we most admire. That was what allowed me as independent to win and then re -elected me.
