The Rule of Law in Mexico

“Mexico has three challenges: rule of law, rule of law, and rule of law.” Unbiased laws should govern a country, not the whims of government officials.
By Brandon Peterson, Marketing —
You’ve just been the victim of a crime. What is your first instinct? Most people would pick up the phone and call the police. But not in Mexico. 90 percent of crimes are never reported to police and only 15 percent of the reported crimes are investigated. If only 1.5 percent of all crimes are ever investigated in Mexico, what kind of message does that send to criminals?
The Underlying Problem
So, what is the underlying problem in Mexico? As former Mexican President Ernesto Zedillo once said, “Mexico has three challenges: rule of law, rule of law, and rule of law.” Simply put, rule of law states that unbiased laws should govern a country, not the whims of government officials. Speaking about the situation in Mexico, former US Ambassador to Mexico Antonio Garza stated, “Without a solid rule of law foundation, government officials seem aware that they could be building their economic policy architecture upon shaky ground.”
Rule of Law
Crime is a major concern in Mexico and much of it is the consequence of a lack of rule of law. Cartels have had much success bribing government officials, undermining the rule of law with corruption. The willingness of government officials to betray the trust of the people may be one reason 90 percent of crimes are never reported. Such an unstable environment creates hesitancy among investors and businesspeople who might otherwise find Mexico an attractive prospect, given its close proximity to the US and the known work ethic of its large population.
An economist, Luis Rubio, identified crime not as the cause of Mexico’s problem, but as a symptom of the underlying problem: “Mexico’s problem is not criminality or violence, but the absence of government, the absence of competent government institutions capable of maintaining order, imposing rules, and earning the respect of the citizenry.” (A Mexican Utopia: The Rule of Law is Possible) The corruption, crime, and other illegal activity will continue until Mexico can firmly establish the rule of law.
A Defense against the Absence of Government
One possible weapon the Mexican government could add to its arsenal is EyeDetect. The very latest in deception detection, this new technology would allow local governments to screen officials for integrity, weeding out corruption. Through implementation of this low-cost solution, Mexico could loosen the stranglehold corruption has on its government and open the way for economic growth and prosperity.
Source
Creative Commons by Esparta Palma.