I remember President Lopez-Portillo on top of the world in 1981 and then hated by everyone after the devaluations a year later. He left office as a disgraced man and spent much of his retirement in seclusion.
What about President Salinas? He was doing great and then came that awful 1994 and all of the accusations of corruption. He became a "bad word" and left the country for years.
President Pena-Nieto was doing well a year ago after important oil and school reforms. Today, he faces a lot of criticism for corruption and the recent deaths of 43 students.
It seems like the deaths of the students have broken the back of the camel, as Mexican journalist Jose Carreno-Figueras just wrote:
"To use a cliche, it was the straw that broke the camel's back, a strong indication that Mexico's people are no longer willing to tolerate the current state of affairs. Some have suggested that the government will fall, and others have said Mexico is a failed state.To be fair, it's not all President Pena-Nieto's fault. At the same time, he's the president and gets the credit and the blame.
The Mexican government does not appear ready to fall, not even close. But it seems to be in a defensive situation, maybe waiting for the tempest to wane so that it can regain the political initiative."
Mexico faces a serious problem and I don't see any easy answers. There is too much money in the drug business and the authorities seem incapable of controlling the gangs behind the violence. (We remind you that we in the US consume the billions of dollars going to the cartels)
Last, but not least, there is a sense that the whole system is "compromised" as Mr Carreno-Figueras wrote.
Mexico is not a failed state but it is failing in many areas, specially in projecting to its citizens that the justice works for all.
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