海角大神

It鈥檚 become known as the Pe帽a Nieto model of political ascent, after the current Mexican president, Enrique Pe帽a Nieto: Drape a comely television star on the arm of a telegenic governor. Get attention from a major television network. Then turn on a spigot of cash for publicity.

Many say the tactic helped President Pe帽a Nieto, who is married to a former television actress, triumph in 2012. Now, other governors are trying to do the same 鈥� with mixed results.

Gov. Manuel Velasco Coello of Chiapas state is one of them. Like Pe帽a Nieto, his smile lights up his surroundings.

For the past year, Mr. Velasco, Mexico鈥檚 youngest governor at 33, has been a staple in society magazines, partly because of his romance with Anahi Giovanna Puente Portilla, a star and singer who is universally known by just one name: Anahi (pronounced ah-nah-EE). Her tweets from her @anahi account constantly proclaim her love for the governor.

Velasco, whom one news outlet has labeled the 鈥減layboy of Mexican politics,鈥� is finding some blowback, though, as he tries to emulate Pe帽a Nieto.

First off, he governs Mexico鈥檚 poorest state, one where poverty rates rival parts of Africa. The state, tucked along the border with Guatemala, has one of the largest and most diverse indigenous populations in Mexico. Two decades ago, a ragtag group of Indians sparked what became the short-lived Zapatista rebellion.

So when Velasco acknowledged recently that he鈥檇 spent the equivalent of $10 million or so on publicity, much of it in a compressed period in December, howls went up. The spending binge put Velasco鈥檚 smiling visage on buses in and on billboards in faraway states like San Luis Potosi and on the border with the United States. Television spots highlighted his political doings.

TV and radio show host Carmen Aristegui condemned what she called 鈥渢his offensive campaign, this obscene campaign.... It鈥檚 an embarrassment.鈥�

When he assumed the post in December 2012, Velasco proclaimed that his predecessor had left Chiapas state in virtual bankruptcy, necessitating austerity.

The center-right National Action Party lodged a complaint with election authorities, saying the publicity spending broke a constitutional ban on public monies being used with 鈥渘ames, images, voices or symbols that imply personal promotion of any public servant.鈥�

Velasco argues that the publicity campaign was allowed under Mexican election law, which lets governors publicize their annual state-of-the-state reports to their legislatures. Governors traditionally turn the speech into an event, seeking live television coverage and inviting national politicians. The law allows them to publicize it seven days before and five days after as long as the publicity does not have 鈥渆lectoral aims鈥� and stays within their region.

In Velasco鈥檚 case, the publicity unfolded across much of the nation, sandwiching his Dec. 19 speech.

鈥淲hat鈥檚 new is that he has gone outside of Chiapas鈥� borders,鈥� said Alejandra Soriano Ruiz, a state legislator for the leftist Party of the Democratic Revolution.

Ms. Soriano demanded that the Velasco government reveal how much it spent on the campaign and how much public funds were used, to no avail.

Velasco denied that the publicity is the prelude to a 2018 presidential bid.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 aspire to be a presidential candidate as so many speculate,鈥� he told Proceso magazine.

Yet many observers note that Velasco is following a trail pioneered by Pe帽a Nieto, whose run-up to the presidency included his marriage to a beloved television soap opera star, Angelica Rivera, and publicity generated by Rivera鈥檚 employer, the powerful Televisa media empire.

鈥淎nahi also works for Televisa, so people see him (Velasco) as using the same model as Pe帽a Nieto, who married 鈥楲a Gaviota,鈥欌�� said Soriano, using the name of the first lady鈥檚 most popular television role, which means 鈥渟eagull.鈥�

The leftist Zapatistas, now reduced to a few redoubts in the state, excoriated Velasco in a recent statement, decrying his 鈥渞idiculous鈥� PR campaign and asserting that the governor hopes to rise to 鈥渁 list of 2018 presidential candidates with just a few dozens of millions of dollars, a little Photoshop and a rosy soap opera.鈥�

Some analysts say Velasco raised pique not only because of the massive spending in a state saddled by poverty, but also because presidential elections remain four years off.

鈥淭he political class feels that Manuel Velasco got ahead of himself in the political calendar,鈥� said Sarelly Martinez Mendoza, a professor of communications at the Autonomous University of Chiapas.

Velasco is far from the only governor drawing attention to himself through vast publicity drives. Others include Eruviel Avila of the state of Mexico, Rodrigo Medina of Nuevo Leon, Rafael Sandoval of Jalisco and Rafael Moreno Valle of Puebla. All but Mr. Moreno Valle belong to the or PRI.

Fueling the ambitions of such governors are state budgets with vast allotments for publicity, and national media groups 鈥� not just television 鈥� eager to prey on the public treasury, Hernandez said.

As the governors spend heavily, including on polished spots exhibited in movie theaters before feature showings, some say it is aimed at drawing tourism to their states. Velasco in Chiapas has made the same argument.

鈥淗e says it is to provide publicity for Chiapas. But you do that showing the natural beauties of the state, not showing his face,鈥� said Francisco Rojas, a former mayor of Tuxtla Gutierrez, the state capital.