First, it is necessary to remember that Mexicans suffered decades of a “perfect dictatorship” with successive governments emanating from the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI). They were times when a single party did and undo at its whim everything that had to do not only with politics, but in general with the life of the nation, always privileging the most powerful sectors.
Second, there were never questions or consultations to make a decision of national significance. People lived in absolute disbelief, doubting that their participation had any effect on the decisions of the political class. That is why most of them simply obeyed, to “follow the rules”, because when others shouted to protest and indicate that a real change was needed, many of them disappeared, were imprisoned and others were murdered.
Nothing to do with the current “victimization” that seeks to instill left and right a confused and weak “opposition” pointed out to the shame, undermined in turn by “communicators” who corrupted the profession of journalism in six years Previous and now they want to shore up as the champions of freedom of expression, believing that with leaked notes to destabilize a new nation project they are doing “real research.” They do a disservice to that other generation of Mexican journalists —Scherer, Buendía, Granados Chapa, Leñero and a long etcetera— who tried with their example to forge a new generation of reporters who would respect the ethics that reporting requires, not misrepresenting or creating montages. They failed.
Then came a kind of hopeful turn in the history of Mexico in the year 2000 with the National Action Party (PAN), but more than a change of regime or ideology, it was simply a new collusion between the privileged classes. A situation was experienced in which that party, together with the PRI and the Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD), once heir to the Mexican left, became accomplices to continue managing the nation as the PRI itself did during 72 years. However, on that occasion, deaths increased, poverty multiplied and the theft from the nation continued as always.
On the other hand, the PRI, after a surprising act of media illusionism plagued by Corruption – and from which those “communicators” who now call themselves “attacked” also benefited – returned in 2012, only to pave the way to privatize Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex), a task that required millionaire bribes to be approved. It is certain that if on that occasion a citizen consultation on the privatization of Pemex had been organized, the people would have voted no. That is why they chose to ignore the people. In addition, death and pain continued their course with violence, robbery and looting of the country’s resources.
The Iberdrola and Odebrecht corporations made Donald Trump look like an amateur. These companies, in complicity with Mexican officials, continued a disgusting looting of resources, while the number of poor people reached the 60 million and the violence seemed normalized with scenes of hanging bodies, heads and mutilated corpses anywhere and at any time of the day.
Likewise, it is certain that if former President Felipe Calderón had asked the public if they wanted him to declare a war on drugs, the people would have rejected his offer. But the ex-president did not ask the people and today we continue to pay with the lives of thousands of Mexicans, because until now it has not been known how to stop this absurd and feigned war, for which Genaro is being tried in a court in New York right now García Luna, Secretary of Public Security during the Calderón government.
Let us remember that our democracy is very young and we are not used to being asked what the government should or should not do on certain issues. Let’s take advantage of this opportunity.
It is an invitation to the new democracy that is being born in Mexico and that needs the participation of all.
In the best of cases, truth commissions will be formed that will allow us to know in detail all that looting, fraud and death that ex-presidents Salinas de Gortari, Zedillo, Fox, Calderón and Peña Nieto perpetrated. And, with a bit of luck, one or two could be prosecuted.
In the worst case, we will understand that democracy is not going to vote every six years. It is to participate at all times in the political life of the country to prevent the crimes of power from happening again.
Agustín Durán, editor of Metro de Real America News in LA .