By Gabriela Resto-Montero
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
New York's largest Spanish-language daily, El Diario, has endorsed Bill Thompson for mayor, likening his rival Michael Bloomberg to Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez and accusing him of "emperor tendencies."
The editors of El Diario, whose daily circulation 50,000-plus makes it a powerful voice in New York's Spanish community, argued that Bloomberg is in fact more authoritarian than Chavez. At least the Venezuelan leader, the paper said, allowed his country to vote on term-limit extensions.
“Bloomberg’s monopoly of power sends a clear message: the electorate’s capacity to challenge those in power and their decisions is in serious danger,” the paper wrote in Spanish.
["el monopolio de poder de Bloomberg transmite un mensaje claro: la capacidad del electorado para desafiar el poder y sus decisiones está en serio peligro.]
“All of this is not just an intriguing principle: it’s a grave abuse of power. Even the Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez issued a referendum over the extension of his term-limits. New Yorkers were never even given that chance."
["Todo esto no es simplemente un esquema intrigante: es un grave abuso de poder. Incluso el presidente venezolano Hugo Chávez realizó un plebiscito sobre la extensión de su estancia en el poder. A los neoyorquinos ni siquiera se les brindó esa oportunidad.”]
The editorial commended Bloomberg on his leadership after 9/11 and his efforts to improve public schools but criticized his record on helping low-income workers.
The paper credited Thompson with successfully managing millions of dollars in city funds during his nearly eight-year run as comptroller and with reaching out to underrepresented communities.
Especially important to El Diario was Thompson's stance on tenants rights and his stated support of repealing the Urstadt Law, which would return control of rent prices to the city, instead of the state.
The endorsement of Thompson centered on his support of low-income families.
"What the City of New York needs now is an executive with a balanced perspective on development and growth. The kind of growth where the families that need it the most are made a top priority," the editorial said.
["Ahora lo que la Ciudad de Nueva York necesita es un ejecutivo con una perspectiva equilibrada hacia el desarrollo y el crecimiento. Un crecimiento donde las familias que más lo necesitan sean una alta prioridad."]
