Federico Reyes Heroles
The photo should break our hearts. A three-week-old baby dies of starvation in Gaza, weighing less than at birth. There have been thousands of similar images, and the attacks continue. In Mexico City on August 28, a newborn baby was found dying in the bathrooms of the UAM-Iztapalapa. He died. Another baby, in Tacubaya, fortunately survived. In Monterrey, on the 29th, a dead baby was found in a garbage collector. It still had its umbilical cord attached. In Mexico, every day, 22 girls become mothers, with 101,000 girls between the ages of 10 and 17 becoming mothers in 2023 (Redim). Being born into unstable homes partly explains the violence. Mario Luis Fuentes has thoroughly documented the extent of the problem (Un país inapropiado para las infancias, Excélsior, 4/29/2025).
Inegi reported 9,000 deaths by suicide in 2024. The trend is around 7 per 100,000 inhabitants. Around 81% are males, with young people comprising 22.9% aged 15 to 24 and 27.4% aged 25 to 34. Only 2% of the population receives care for mental health problems. An aggravating factor is the price of medication.
Mass shootings worldwide tripled between 1982 and 2011. But the numbers are still there: USA Today documented 271 incidents between 2006 and 2017. In 2015, The Washington Post recorded 255 shootings—with more than four deaths—almost one per day. In the case of lone shooters, suicide by the killer is the most common outcome. In the United States, especially in schools, it is the students themselves who shoot their classmates and teachers. There are many factors at play: in that country, there are 120 firearms for every 100 people. Mental illness, the desire for fame and notoriety, or simple imitation, motivate the massacres. Violent scenes that are now on billions of screens around the world all day long also have an influence. Las Vegas, nightclubs, churches, McDonald’s—the settings are varied, but schools and universities predominate. Why? The most recent attack, in Minneapolis last week, was marked by the attacker’s statement: he wanted to see children suffer. The city’s police chief did not give his name, precisely because of the criminal’s confessed admiration for others who had gained notoriety in this way. It was a reproduction of the perverse stimulus.
In 2018, the brilliant Canadian philosopher Michael Ignatieff published a provocative book: Ordinary Virtues. In it, he takes an anthropological approach to interviews and visits to conflict zones in a wide variety of cities and countries, including Jackson Heights in New York, but also Rio de Janeiro, Bosnia, Myanmar, Los Angeles, and South Africa, to examine human coexistence. His central thesis—sociological—is that multiple diversities, whether religious, ethnic, sexual orientation, cultural, income, or consumption, or political positions, are socially manageable when there is an “operating system”—yes, just like computers—that is robust enough for any citizen to coexist without friction or confrontation.
I am afraid that this operating system in Mexico is fractured.
One need only look at the cynicism and shamelessness of our leaders protecting legislators accused of sexual assault or large-scale embezzlement from the public purse, defended from the presidential podium, to imagine the ripple effect. The “moquetazos” (shoving) serve as substitutes for parliamentary dialogue, a term derived from parlar (to speak). Our work is “inhumane,” declared a senator who is currently embroiled in many scandals. Public service involves sacrifice; social observation is healthy. They must set an example. What can be said about the concealment of 400 million pesos from the printing of the “accordions” (see Proceso, 9/1/2025)?
The consequences of this action have already taken root in our daily lives. Just look at how traffic laws are handled and violated, and the lack of interpersonal respect. The world has entered a new era of sickening impunity: Trump, Putin, Netanyahu, Maduro, and a long list of others are the backdrop.
Mexican barbarism is galloping ahead.
Note to Our Subscribers and Readers
Note to Our Subscribers and Readers
We’re writing to you today to apologize for the intrusive ads that have appeared recently in our content, and to share some important updates regarding our publication. After five years, we are updating and upgrading the technology of our site. We continually strive to enhance the quality of our content and the overall experience for our valued readers.
We appreciate your continued support and feedback, which helps us shape the future of our publication. We encourage you to reach out to us with any questions or comments at [email protected]
Thank you,
The Editorial Team
Further Reading: