Jose Luis Chicoma and Ana Lucia Davila: Mexico, In Search of Lost Peace Jose Luis Chicoma and Ana Lucia Davila - Animal Politico
go to original December 6, 2013

Mexico has the greatest potential of any country in the world to overcome its current levels of violence and build a more peaceful society. Check out highlights. (Vision of Humanity)

While the dissipation of the "Mexican Moment" continues [term applied at the beginning of the Peña Nieto administration by a number of international newspapers], and the optimism surrounding Enrique Pena Nieto’s proposed reforms go out of fashion, violent murders, the incalculable figure of disappeared persons and saturation by the drug traffickers, trademarks of the last decade, continue to be the Mexican problem.

Violence has returned to be part of the Mexican reality and its narrative over the last few years. However, its coexistence with daily life has not generated appropriate awareness of its true extent. The government, for the last 10 years, has failed in its attempts to adequately inform the country on the state of violence. Perhaps they prefer not to be truthful, so as to give an impression of false calm and security. Or, possibly, because the authorities are incapable of effectively gathering information; perhaps, the inaccuracy of figures may be due to victims’ fears and mistrust of the judicial system.

This year, considering the lack of objective understanding of our own reality, the Institute for Economics and Peace - recognized for its experience in peace and violence mediations and author of the Global Peace Index [see interactive world map] published since 2007 - selected Mexico to prepare the Mexico’s Global Peace Index 2013.

The results of the Index, as was predictable regarding violence, portrayed a critical and dire situation due to an extreme rise in violence in Mexico, particularly since 2007. In terms of negative peace, that is to say, in the presence of such violence, Mexico’s situation looks a lot like the myths and sensationalist headlines attributed to the fears of drug trafficking.

Read the rest at Mexico Voices

Traslated by Rohan Chatterjee

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!