The main opposition candidate on how to fight organised crime in Mexico

IN RECENT YEARS Mexico has found itself grappling with a deep security crisis, threatening its very democratic foundations. As criminal organisations cast a shadow over society, the administration of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has failed to fulfil its basic responsibility of protecting the life and freedom of citizens. Criminal violence remains unchecked, and the government increasingly resorts to post-truth politics and unlawful, undemocratic means to maintain power.

At the heart of Mexico’s democratic woes lies the pervasive influence of organised crime. While my country has long struggled with criminal impunity and violence, Mr López Obrador’s time in office has seen an unprecedented escalation in the power and reach of these illegal networks. Thanks to the suspicious negligence of the federal government, criminal organisations now control vast swathes of territory. Through violence they have displaced local authorities, becoming a sort of parallel government, collecting taxes via extortion and controlling local informal and formal economic activity. The “bad guys”, as many Mexicans call them, are in charge.

The president, on the other hand, has shown an alarming disposition to treat a notorious bad guy—and his family—with deference: Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, the former head of the Sinaloa cartel, who is serving a life sentence in the United States. Mr López Obrador has travelled several times to El Chapo’s remote hometown, shaken hands with his mother and defended his heirs in public, calling them “respectable” and “part of the people”. At the same time, the president has refused to meet victims’ rights organisations, or even to acknowledge victims’ pain. More worryingly, journalists have unearthed evidence appearing to show that criminal organisations helped fund Mr López Obrador’s first presidential campaign, and the US Drug Enforcement Administration recently acknowledged that there were active investigations into these allegations. (Editor’s note: Mr López Obrador has denied having any campaign-funding links to criminals.)

Whether the rumours of Mr López Obrador’s complicity with organised crime are true or not, the results of his security policy have been dreadful for Mexico. The current six-year presidential term is already the most violent on record, with almost 190,000 homicides, and counting. Mexico now has eight of the world’s ten most violent cities. According to one study, organised crime ranks as the nation’s fifth-largest private-sector employer, trailing behind only a handful of corporate giants.

Worse, the bad guys’ unchecked power has allowed them to directly intervene in local elections, by selecting friendly candidates and eliminating those who are not to their liking. Up to May 9th, 30 candidates for local political positions had been assassinated. Such dark interventions paint a picture of a society besieged by criminal elements, where daily life is marked by fear and insecurity.

Those are among the most powerful reasons why I am running for president of Mexico—the first indigenous woman to do so. As a staunch advocate of the rule of law and justice, I am running on an electoral platform that promises to recover and protect three essential values: life, truth and freedom. My campaign slogan is Por un México Sin Miedo: For a Mexico without Fear.

Unlike the current president, I will fight organised crime, preserve the rule of law, uphold democratic norms and protect and help law-abiding citizens, not criminals. Mr López Obrador’s failed and irresponsible strategy of abrazos, no balazos (hugs, not bullets) will be ended, as will his self-serving lack of results against corruption. I will rebuild civilian security institutions and ensure that the armed forces focus again on their primary duties of national security. I will also pursue a policy of transparent and meaningful co-operation on security matters with the United States and other democratic allies—an approach which has been abandoned by the current administration.

As Mexico prepares for elections on June 2nd, the stakes could not be higher. With the ruling party poised to consolidate its grip on power with the tacit support of organised crime, there are abundant reasons to be concerned about the integrity of the electoral process.

In the face of these challenges, other countries must play a role in helping to safeguard Mexico’s democratic future. Through diplomatic support for democratic institutions and civil-society initiatives, the international community can help ensure free and fair elections. International media must go beyond the outdated and misguided “left versus right”, two-equal-sides, coverage of the election, and shed light on the actual choice facing the electorate: democracy versus authoritarian narco-populism.

As Mexico stands at a crossroads, there is hope for democratic renewal. By confronting the scourge of organised crime and upholding the rule of law, the country can chart a course towards a more resilient and inclusive democracy. I will keep defending life, truth and freedom, until democratic forces achieve political victory.■