Ricardo Pascoe Pierce
Sheinbaum and Morena are mounting their defense against accusations that their political project is dedicated to protecting drug trafficking. It’s no wonder. The government’s reaction is understandable given the confirmation that the president’s approval rating has plummeted by 21 percentage points, from 80% to 59%, and that Morena’s approval rating has fallen to just 33%. These numbers completely shatter Morena’s aspirations not only to retain its qualified majority in Congress but also to win a majority of state governorships in the 2027 elections. They also know that if more indictments are filed against Morena’s national leaders for their collusion with drug trafficking, the possibility of Morena’s total collapse comes into play.
The narrative lines of their defense are predictable. Since they are predictable, one might also assume they will be ineffective. Faced with a novel political situation and unprecedented levels of conflict, offering the routine responses of an uneducated left will not prove very effective in the current crisis.
Unsurprisingly, they wave the banner of defending sovereignty. This, in a Mexico where for many decades the pillars of national identity have been divided between the Mexican Revolution and the Free Trade Agreement with the United States. That’s how contradictory it is. The national economy is an integral part of the U.S. economy. Millions of compatriots live in that country and identify as Mexican-Americans. In this context, the phrase “sovereignty” may stir the hearts of political cadres, but it does not alter the daily reality of most Mexicans. Mexican-American integration is experienced without conflict, as long as cultural differences are respected.
A majority of Mexicans observe that Sheinbaum and Morena’s defense of Rocha and associates is because they are drug traffickers who are friends of the government. In general, while people dislike the idea of Trump pressuring the government, if it helps destroy the power of drug trafficking, it can be accepted as a necessary evil. The same logic applies when the women of the Guerrero Highlands asked Trump to intervene there because the Mexican government is not doing so. In this demand lies a very profound message of grievance against the Morena government that must be heard.
Stirring up Morena supporters against the governor of Chihuahua over the presence of CIA agents in an operation against clandestine drug labs is political maneuvering. But, moreover, it is a bad tactic. According to polls, people believe that Trump is doing more to combat drug trafficking in Mexico than Sheinbaum herself. The Reforma poll pointed out something very sad, but that must be heard: a majority of Mexicans trust the U.S. justice system more than the Mexican one. That’s how bad things are in our country.
Distractions don’t help the government. Musical groups aren’t a distraction. The problem is much more serious and deep-seated than that. And it’s not a matter of “understanding the context” to realize it. The government’s paid cheerleaders try to steer the discussion in another direction. But it’s useless. The discussion will always come back, and it can’t be avoided any longer.
The discussion isn’t even about whether drug trafficking has taken over significant segments of the party—and, by extension, the government. That’s a given. The discussion now is how and with what capabilities the Mexican state can purge itself of those structures embedded in its very core. That is the real discussion, and it is what Morena supporters should be discussing, rather than looking around to see who to blame for creating the problem they face. Sheinbaum can purge her government and party of drug trafficking, instead of defending them. She can, but the problem is not merely declarative. She must act.
Mexico faces the same problem as Cuba does with the United States. Each has the solution internally, at hand. The problem is that their ruling classes are neither bold nor willing to acknowledge their problems, let alone resolve them at their root. They are paralyzed by the routine of their worn-out, traditional narratives.
They shout “sovereignty” when it was lost long ago.
Meanwhile, external forces are preparing to impose their solutions amid the apathy and closed-mindedness of local leaders. A tragic lesson about ruling classes that lack courage, are ineffective, and, ultimately, disloyal to their people.
@rpascoep