Since 2007, Mexico’s drug war has caused the deaths of more than 160,000 people.
Although the current President has attempted to address this prolific violence, many gangs
are intimately connected and protected by corrupt officials.
So, just how corrupt is Mexico?
Well, Mexico has dealt with corruption since its foundation as an independent state.
The first ruling party gained power through rampant electoral fraud, and ruled for more
than 70 years.
Today, the current Mexican president is a member of that party.
Corruption runs through every sector of society, and is largely based on bribery.
Judges are regularly bribed by organized crime groups, leading to fewer convictions and lighter
sentencing for criminals.
Police are similarly corrupted, and Mexican citizens consider the police to be the most
corrupt institution in the country.
Law enforcement is sparse, and many have accused officers of working directly with drug cartels.
In 2014, a large number of Mexican police officers were implicated in the kidnapping
of 43 students, who were then murdered by a drug gang.
The huge amounts of money coming in from illicit drug sales primarily fund corruption in Mexico.
In 2008, the nation’s former anti-drug chief was arrested for accepting nearly half a million
dollars in exchange for giving drug dealers information about the government’s drug
enforcement actions.
A 2013 poll found that a third of citizens had admitted to paying bribes to public officials.
But increased urbanization and a growing Mexican middle class has led to openly denouncing
corruption and violence.
Although Mexico’s current president ran on an anti-corruption platform, he has been
embroiled in numerous corruption scandals since he took office.
Most recently, in July 2015, he was accused of giving his unqualified niece a high paying
position with the state-owned oil company.
Besides affecting the public sector, corruption is rampant in private enterprise as well.
In 2012, Walmart was accused of bribing government officials in order to allow construction in
a protected space, prompting an ongoing investigation by the US government.
Many businesses refuse to operate in Mexico, as the nearly mandatory bribery increases
costs, and prevents free market competition.
In a 2014 corruption index, Mexico ranked 103rd in the world, alongside countries like
Bolivia and Niger.
Mexico’s problems with corruption run through nearly every level of society, and have almost
become viewed as tradition.
Thus, conventional methods to stop corruption, including legislation and enforcement, have
little effect.
In fact, some forms of bribery, including gifts and hospitality, are not at all illegal.
As the drug war continues to cause widespread brutality, there is little hope for Mexico’s
citizens to seek protection from their government.
If you think Mexico is corrupt, just wait until you hear about Russia.
Watch this video to learn more.
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