The Mexican Green Environmental Party (PVEM) has become the nation’s fourth largest political party and recently increased its clout by forming an alliance with Mexico’s biggest opposition party, the pro-business National Action Party. Many Mexican enviros say the Greens have done little to fight the nation’s serious environmental problems, and they accuse the PVEM of being unwilling to fight businesses that are polluting the air and logging forests. “It’s disappointing to have a Green party that doesn’t have anything green about it,” said Homero Aridjis, one of the nation’s most prominent enviros. Internal splits, accusations of nepotism, and rumors of mismanaged funds kept the Green party in the news last year. Sara Castellanos, one of four Green representatives in Mexico City’s assembly, defended the party by saying it succeeded in making environmental crimes punishable by jail time, not just fines.
