Mexico in the Face of the Pandemic: The Harsh Truth
We are now on the edge of 2020. Some deep, critical analysis has to be done on Mexico’s management of the coronavirus pandemic. No soft trues, no evasive answers. The harsh truth. In the following article the reader will see an insight regarding Mexico in the face of the pandemic: digital justice and scenarios for the 2021 election (electronic voting, influence of digitized media, and the importance of the youth vote).
Digital Justice
Digital justice, due to the current circumstances in Mexico and the world, has become an urgent need. Justice must continue to be applied. However, digital justice still has a long way to go to be implemented in its maximum capacity. It will require a long adaptation process, which will consume many resources to be able to reach all corners of a Mexico in which a large part of its population still does not have access to the internet.
Of course, it is a futuristic and innovative idea, but not a realistic one. It would decline the balance to those with less accessibility to stable technologies and increase inequality in a not-so-fair justice system.
Electronic voting
Regarding electronic voting, I would like to start with the following words:
Not because some did well we will too, well done electoral processes are constructions, not appearances.
I agree that globalization and the constant development of new technologies can give rise to endless opportunities to avoid electoral scandals such as corrupt vote counting or the simple theft of ballot boxes. However, in Mexico we have to begin to accept that our reality is very different…
I mean, look at the simple fact that recently 109 trusts went extinct. The fact that the government wants to invest billions of pesos to implement electronic voting would be a spit in the face for those affected by this decision.
If the implementation of electronic voting is to be seriously considered, the following should be considered:
- The INE (National Electoral Institute) itself, in 2019, recognized that eventually “risks could arise” with this modality.
- In the 2015 pilot test, 50% of the ballots were not delivered and 23% of those delivered were not legible.
- The fact that the Mexican people no longer trust, because the historic electoral fraud of the 88 is not forgotten, where with an alleged “system downfall” of the Federal Electoral Commission (CFE), in charge of counting votes, gave Carlos Salinas de Gortari the win.
The facts, like the law, are open to interpretation. Nevertheless, these speak for themselves.
Scenarios for the 2021 election
Regarding the scenarios for the 2021 elections, I would like to put on the table the following:
Only this year, while Mexico climbed in the general table of those infected and killed by coronavirus, the government was betting money on the oil industry. While children with cancer did not have medicine for their treatments, millions of pesos were invested in raffling a plane that was not raffled. While the rates of femicide increased exponentially, the government devoted all its effort to criticize the opposition.
The 2021 elections will tell us more about the electorate than about the government itself. It will show us if we truly deserve the government we have.
Digitized media (social networks)
Digitized media plays a crucial role in politics. However, when you have a very powerful weapon, you must learn to use it. Otherwise the recoil will hit you hard in the face. It can help the politician to make itself known and thus increase his popularity, but it can also be what pushes him to his downfall.
The reason social media is so powerful in politics is because the electorate is already fed up with the old-school politician. It is tired of the same gray-haired with 60s’ PRI public speaking.
What high exposure on social media does is that it gives a sense of transparency. The strategy used by politicians on social networks is that you see them less as a politician and more as an ordinary person; make you feel identified with them.
Let’s look at the case of the United States:
How is it that the same United States that elected its first African-American president, Barack Obama, chose the retrograde Donald Trump?
Donald Trump, speaking casually like an old friend, competing against a Hillary Clinton, speaking like she’s in a public speaking contest. Now it makes sense?
Here (in Mexico) again, an emboldened, opposition figure politician arrives, and the Mexican falls in love. The Mexican has a desperate, and probably delusional, need to believe.
Importance of the youth vote
For all above, it is why the youth vote is crucial. The young Mexican needs to be encouraged to get involved in politics.
We need to start voting with criteria on who is better prepared, or who has better proposals, not who has the most followers or who made the most giveaways. After all, we young people are the real opposition.
Those old school politicians who have been in power all their lives will hardly change their way of thinking or acting, that is why we need a youth who is prepared and willing to fight for a better Mexico. At the end of the day, we (youth) are the generational replacement.
