As if the last week’s brutal temperatures weren’t enough to put me in a funk, the local political season has turned red hot in the final countdown to next month’s elections.

To cover activities related to my line of work in the course of this week, I was forced to get out and about in ultra-sultry afternoon hours. It’s the time of day sensible people drop into a hammock strung under the shade of a tree, armed with a family-size icy margarita. Ni modo. Duty called.

On no less than three occasions I got myself hopelessly trapped in avanzadas. What the heck is that, you wonder? Well, taken from the military term for an advance party,  the avanzada is a troop of demonstrators who march around, usually dressed up in matching t-shirts and waving banners in the distinctive colors of their political candidates.

These groups of political supporters draw attention by making a lot of noise that includes shouting out campaign slogans, broadcasting the candidate’s theme song at top volume, sauntering along in company with a cacophonous marching banda and the fearless dudes who set off deafening rounds of hand-held cohetes (sky rockets).

As I understand it, the purpose is to build public sentiment by showing the strength of the loyalists behind the candidate of choice. I hear that some pols shell out stipends to regular marchers who welcome a small boost to modest incomes. There are those who join in banking on securing a government jobs should their gallo (cocky rooster) actually get elected.

Whatever the motivation, the raucous throngs manage to turn the whole thing into a kind mobile street party. We are, after all, living in the land of the eternal fiesta.

It’s a pain to get stuck in a traffic jam caused by marchers taking up our already congested local roadways under siege. With seven candidates running for the Chapala mayor’s seat this year, we’ve got a real avanzada plague going on these days. But you gotta hand to these folks for holding convictions strong enough to get off their duffs and tolerate scorching heat closely resembling hell on earth.

I’ve seen quite a few election seasons come and go in four and a half decades of lakeside living. I can’t remember a time that equals the ugly politics and mudslinging that has happened of late. We’ve seen troubling acts of violence between members of rival parties, coupled with accusations of lying and dirty tricks from different quarters. Social media are on fire with as much or more hateful language than positive commentary on the candidates and their serious proposals for better governance.

Still, the sizzling political scene isn’t entirely bad. Independent candidate Diego Castro is earning style points for good deeds like repainting invisible topes (speed bumps) and marking bicycle icons on our ciclovías with bright yellow pigment. Moy Anaya recently led his gang of supporters on a litter sweep along Ajijic streets. Alejandro Aguirre, champion of positive messaging, is running a free workshop this weekend to guide young entrepreneurs on incubating small businesses.

Four weeks and counting, we’ll get regular rains, the campaigns will end and everything will cool down again.