On Defense of Mexico
The capture of the former defense minister is a blow for Mexico´s military. For the Mexicans who still believe in the country is dismay of our hopes.
Salvador Cienfuegos was capture yesterday on American soil on drug conspiracy and money laundering charges. Cienfuegos worked as the defense minister from 2012 to 2018, during Enrique Peña Nieto´s administration.
As a Mexican, I’m part of a country with a poor education system, high levels of corruption, and relentless drug-related violence. However, for everything (and everything else) that this country has given me, I still believe in what this country should be. As an emerging economy, we are in the making, and we can (and need) to do better.
Keeping the idea of a brighter future for Mexico is not easy. Most of the country´s citizens perceived a gloomy future. We need to dig into the country´s data to see the glass half-full. Steady income growth since the mid-1990, reduction in the poverty levels, and the increment in the university students by 2.4 million from 2000 to 2017 can give us some glimpses of hope.
However, for all the positive we may have, the scale is leaning to the other side. The militia and navy are perceived as the only forces to stop the presence of drug cartels in the society. To see the arrest of the former head of one of the most trusted institutions in Mexico encourages hopelessness and exhibits the deep nets of corruption happening in the country. Worse than that, it is that by having the former head of the military involved in this kind of crime, the troops can picture themselves participating in this kind of misdeeds, compromising (even more) the institution lots of Mexicans believe.
If the charges are proven true, Cienfuegos will become another example that Mexico´s corruption will be punished, not on national soil, but in Brooklyn´s courts. The capture of Cienfuegos is a fracture to the troops. For the citizens, it is a compromise in our faith to them, even painting a more somber outlook for Mexico. With all this, should we continue trusting our military? As hard as it may seem, I guess, there´s no other option.
