The Word 'Impunity' Haunts President Enrique Pena Nieto of Mexico Austin Bay - Townhall | |
go to original July 27, 2016 |
Approval ratings for Mexico’s President are in a free fall. A recent poll by El Universal, a leading daily newspaper, found that nearly two out of three Mexicans disapprove of Enrique Pena Nieto’s performance in office. (CCTV America)
For angry and disenchanted Mexican citizens across the political spectrum, "impunity" means two things simultaneously. It signifies the deep and embedded injustice within their nation's governing institutions and society. When shouted by protestors, it expresses deep distrust of and disgust with political and economic leaders who cannot - or worse, will not - combat it.
How bad is the "impunity" Mexicans despise? In February, the Center for Impunity and Justice Studies published an "impunity index" that indicated only 4.46 percent of reported crimes in Mexico resulted in convictions. The report estimated that only 7 percent of crimes in Mexico are actually reported, which meant 99 percent of committed crimes were not punished. Why? Mexican citizens told investigators that it took a lot of time to report a crime - which is a way of saying police and judicial branches were unresponsive to average citizens. Citizens also lacked faith in these authorities - another way of saying they lacked faith in institutional and organizational leadership. The study's statistics have been criticized, but the reasons given for citizens' reluctance to report crimes are beyond dispute.
When he ran for president in 2012, Pena claimed his leadership marked a sharp change in Institutional Revolutionary Party (known as PRI). For seven decades prior to 2000, PRI politicians and their cronies looted Mexico. Pena swore the "new PRI" he represented had reformed. He promised to reform government institutions and eliminate corruption.
It sounded good, until 2014, when the country learned that wealthy media and business moguls had helped Pena and his wife acquire luxury properties. An embarrassed Pena defended the acquisition as legal. It cost him personal credibility. He was now just another PRI politician on the take.
Insisting he was honest, Pena promised to pass and implement genuine anti-corruption legislation. This month, on July 18, Mexican legislators passed a package of laws establishing the National Anti-Corruption System. Increasing public trust in Mexican governmental institutions is the overall goal. The new laws establish a code of conduct and accountability procedures.
Read the rest at Townhall
Related: Did Mexico’s President Just Backtrack on His Famous Trump Analogy? (Carbonated.tv)
We invite you to add your charity or supporting organizations' news stories and coming events to PVAngels so we can share them with the world. Do it now!
From activities like hiking, swimming, bike riding and yoga, to restaurants offering healthy menus, Vallarta-Nayarit is the ideal place to continue - or start - your healthy lifestyle routine.