▁ret ali ation ▁against ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁However , ▁sab ot age ▁was ▁later ▁dismiss ed ▁as ▁a ▁cause ▁of ▁the ▁crash , ▁and ▁the ▁investig ations ▁carried ▁out ▁by ▁the ▁U . S . ▁National ▁Transport ation ▁Saf ety ▁Board ▁and ▁Mexican ▁aer onaut ical ▁authorities ▁concluded ▁that ▁the ▁cause ▁of ▁the ▁accident ▁was ▁that ▁the ▁center ▁landing ▁g ear ▁t ire ▁was ▁filled ▁with ▁com pressed ▁air , ▁instead ▁of ▁nit ro gen . ▁▁ 1 9 8 8 ▁election ▁ ▁Gal lop ing ▁infl ation , ▁the ▁controvers ial ▁priv at ization ▁program ▁and ▁a uster ity ▁measures ▁im posed ▁by ▁his ▁administration ▁caused ▁the ▁r uling ▁party ▁to ▁lose ▁ground , ▁leading ▁up ▁to ▁the ▁controvers ial ▁elections ▁of ▁ 1 9 8 8 . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁assess ment ▁of ▁political ▁scient ist ▁R oder ic ▁A i ▁Camp , ▁" It ▁would ▁be ▁fair ▁to ▁say ▁that ▁the ▁election ▁of ▁Carlos ▁Sal inas ▁de ▁G ort ari ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 8 ▁marked ▁the ▁low ▁point ▁of ▁that ▁office ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁decl ining ▁legit im acy ▁of ▁the ▁state ." ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 7 , ▁an ▁internal ▁conflict ▁led ▁to ▁a ▁division ▁in ▁the ▁P RI , ▁as ▁President ▁De ▁la ▁Madrid , ▁like ▁previous ▁P RI í sta ▁Pres idents ▁had ▁tradition ally ▁done , ▁hand p icked ▁his ▁successor ▁for ▁the ▁Pres iden cy ▁and ▁appointed ▁the ▁Secretary ▁of ▁Bud get ▁and ▁Program ming , ▁Carlos ▁Sal inas ▁de