Mexico holds symbolic raffle for unwanted presidential jet
Mexico held a symbolic raffle for a luxurious presidential jet that President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador calls an “insult” to the folk and which has but to discover a purchaser.
An individual holds lottery tickets for the raffle of a presidential luxurious jet, organised by way of the Mexico’s govt to lift cash identical to the worth of the plane, out of doors the Nationwide Lottery construction in Mexico Town. (Picture: Reuters)
Mexico held a symbolic raffle Tuesday for a luxurious presidential jet that President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador calls an “insult” to the folk and which has but to discover a purchaser.
As an alternative of taking house the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, holders of the 100 profitable tickets have been rewarded with a proportion of prize cash totalling two billion pesos ($95 million).
Lopez Obrador, a leftist austerity crusader, has been vowing to promote the plane since his 2018 election marketing campaign, announcing “now not even Donald Trump has a aircraft like that.”
The jet used to be bought for roughly $218 million all the way through former president Felipe Calderon’s 2006-2012 time period in place of job, and is now value an estimated $130 million.
The one one that used it used to be his successor Enrique Pena Nieto.
It has confirmed onerous to discover a purchaser for an enormous jet custom designed with an government bed room, non-public tub and seating for 80 other folks.
In February Lopez Obrador proposed a bet and awarding the aircraft to 1 fortunate winner.
However the plan didn’t get off the bottom because of a legislation that prohibits raffling or donating the country’s belongings.
As an alternative the aircraft changed into a logo decorating the six million tickets in a lottery aimed toward elevating price range more or less identical to the aircraft’s worth.
Below the federal government’s plan, two-thirds of the proceeds pays for the prizes and the remainder will move to public hospitals serving “deficient other folks.”
It used to be now not instantly transparent how much cash were raised.
In Mexico, lottery winners in most cases stay nameless, nevertheless it used to be reported after the draw that 3 hospitals have been winners with tickets given to them by way of the federal government.
Critics say Lopez Obrador has used the lottery for his personal political acquire.
“What issues to him is to mention ‘take a look at the luxuries and privileges of the previous and as an alternative I am austere’,” analyst and historian Jose Antonio Crespo informed AFP.
The Dreamliner used to be introduced again to Mexico from the US in July after failing to discover a purchaser there, even if the federal government says there are two provides at the desk.
