To become a candidate, Cienfuegos not only needed to collect signatures of supporters but also copies of their identifications. In early February, it seemed unlikely that the aspiring politician would reach his target. Yet Cienfuegos enlisted a team of 127 young people to help him with the task.
Team members were paid 1,000 pesos (US$67) a week. In total, the plan cost Cienfuegos 508,000 pesos (US$34,000), meaning this expense alone brings him very close to the legal spending limit for his campaign of 530,000 pesos.
Cienfuegos refused to disclose how much money he had spent. A spokesman for the Jalisco Electoral Institute said every candidate was required to hand in a report of their expenses. However, he pointed out that independent candidates could receive donations from individuals as long as they reported the sources.
Some commentators have suggested the clown received support from other political parties, an accusation he denies. Suggestions have been made that the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) might put him forward to take votes away from frontrunner Enrique Alfaro Ramirez of the Citizen’s Movement (MC).
Cienfuegos is one of several celebrities to attempt a move into politics this year. Soccer legend Cuauhtemoc Blanco is running for mayor of Cuernevaca in June, while 81-year-old actress Carmen Salinas could represent the PRI in the Chamber of Deputies.