Víctor González Torres
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Víctor González Torres (born July 1, 1947 in Mexico City), is a Mexican businessman who ran as a write-in candidate in the 2006 Mexican presidential election.[1] He is nicknamed "Dr. Simi"[2] after the mascot of his national drugstore franchise, Farmacias Similares. Despite not being an official candidate, he made a massive marketing campaign to enter the election. Many media outlets covered his campaign and his struggle with the Federal Electoral Institute (IFE) for legitimacy, while others considered him a sort of "comic relief".[citation needed]
He is the founder and director of an associated charitable body, The Group for a Better Country (Grupo Por Un País Mejor), which seeks to provide low-cost medical services and provide a platform against official corruption.
His franchise slogan was "The same only cheaper", and his campaign one was "To serve God and the people of Mexico". As a non-official candidate he frequently stressed the fact that he pays all of his own campaign expenses, thus being the "cheapest" candidate. He attempted to run as a candidate for the Alternativa party, whose campesino wing promoted his bid. The IFE eventually quashed his aspirations by ruling in favor of Patricia Mercado.
References
- ^ "Se reúnen Roberto Madrazo y Víctor González". El Universal. 25 June 2006. Retrieved 20 January 2011.
- ^ "Víctor González Torres, the 'Dr. Simi 'in esmas.com". Es Mas. March 2006. Retrieved 20 January 2011.