What Mexican Citizens Can Do to Ensure a Functioning Anti-Corruption System Renata Terrazas - AnimalPolitico
go to original May 24, 2017

The Newsmakers takes an indepth look at how some of Mexico's most powerful political parties have failed to stop criminal acts within their own ranks. (TRT World)

Human tragedies multiply in a country corroded by corruption. Every day we accumulate murders, disappeared persons, feminicide, murdered journalists and a widespread violence that is threatening to make 2017 the most violent year of Enrique Peña Nieto's administration.

In this terrible context of death, corruption scandals are adding up in the different spheres of government, gradually showing the degree of infiltration of criminality in the country; so called drug trafficking, huachicoleros [gasoline robbers] or corruption.

Today, we know more about governments’ actions and omissions that arise from the very weakening of the State, human rights violations, and the creation of a halo of impunity from which a series of illicit actions are carried out, ranging from simple robbery to the creation of organized crime networks that threaten the lives of all Mexicans every day.

Corruption scandals in our political class and the growing human rights crisis that we are experiencing began to push society to take action to send clear messages to governments about how we have increasingly and together become fed up: the mass marches in response to Ayotzinapa [attacks on and disappearance of 43 normal school students in Sept. 2014], protests of military abuses, murders of journalists, and many others.

... So what we do? Instead of complaining about the dark scene before us, it is an opportunity to transform our anger into concrete collective actions that contribute to reforming this country. A few Ideas:

1. Intervene in designation processes:

It is in these processes that those who will be the heads of institutions responsible for guaranteeing rights or serving as a counterbalance to power are determined. You can go to the Designaciones.org web page or tweet to @designaciones to find out about the processes that we are monitoring and to be involved in demanding transparent processes.

2. Demand an "open parliament" [state congressional process] in creating state anti-corruption systems:

States are in the process of creating local anti-corruption systems. We provide information about demanding a process where their decisions are transparent, they are accountable and they include citizen participation.

3. Join the open advertising challenge:

The president and governors have a tendency to spend excessively on promoting their image or using public funds to punish and reward media, depending on the type of information they publish [federal and state governments have huge media budgets for "official publicity"]. That is why we launched the #OpenAdvertising challenge to demand that rationality be applied to this excessive spending and to lay the groundwork for the democratization of the media [eliminating government support and influence].

We will not solve the problems of this country in a snap, nor will we do it in a couple of years; this is a long journey that requires that everyone be involved. It is imperative for the public to get involved, join forces and start generating proposals for change.

Read the rest at Mexico Voices

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Related: How Governors' Offices Became Ground Zero for Corruption in Mexico (The Christian Science Monitor)



Translated by Amanda Coe

Mexico Voices is a blogging endeavor aimed at raising the awareness of U.S. citizens regarding the destructive impact of the U.S. economic policy and the War on Drugs on Mexico - on its people, their economic and physical security and their human rights, on the nation’s dysfunctional justice system, and on the rule of law and Mexico’s fragile democracy. Visit the website at MexicoVoices.blogspot.mx

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