Being an immigrant in the US and supporting the opposition in Mexico is a contradiction

I think if we didn’t realize in the middle of 2022 that most of the politicians who now call themselves “opposition” in Mexico, the only thing they did was steal and were involved in national and foreign corporatism to rob the country, then we live with closed eyes.

It is truly sad and contradictory to live in exile in another country, because in most cases the Mexican-style neo-liberal politics that was established from the six-year term of former President Carlos Salinas de Gortari until 2018 and is still supported from outside the same faction that made us leave our families and the land where we were born.

I’m not saying that there is no more corruption or violence in Mexico today, but this administration has taken the first step towards gradually changing that system, the way of life that has led us to believe that virtually every Mexican was born corrupt. It is precisely the system that has allowed and almost forced everyone to be part of this corruption at all levels and in all sectors of private or state industry that is being fought. If you ethically went against this trend, they made you look like a “fool”, even those closest to you.

Yes, we lived in Mexico, where everything was corrupt, and everything was achieved only through influence, money or fraud. It was Mexico, where a policeman, a doctor, a businessman, and even janitors managed to get money by using each other. There was no way to get a license without the existence of a “bite” to speed things up, get treated faster in public hospitals, or win a contract at city hall.

Yes, these were the times of the slogan “who does not compromise does not go forward”, “first me, then me and the last me”; We were afraid to make a deal with a lawyer, because we were afraid that he would rob us and leave us on the street. It is understandable why domestic and foreign corporations did not pay taxes, in large part because they liked to be part of the corruption that brought them millions in profits; but others, even if they disagreed, said, “In any case, the political class will steal it.” That is why they came up with a non-profit organization or some other excuse to avoid paying taxes.

Yes, we lived in a period when the poor multiplied across the country, some of them were killed or forced to emigrate, and millionaires multiplied in the magazine Forbes. We lived in Mexico, where by 2018 60% of its land had already been concessed to the corporate sector, mostly foreign, when more than 3,000 state-owned enterprises were privatized, leaving millions of Mexicans on the streets, and when more than 500 times more than The constitution was changed in the interests of large companies, not the people themselves.

One example was the water concession in Puebla, not to mention privatization, but now the people of Puebla are paying more for this fluid, which should not be a business, but a right. But this is a neo-liberal philosophy where everything is a business and everything is privatized, there are no people’s rights, even in the most vital services such as health care and water.

And just like the water in Puebla, there are thousands of examples that could not be eliminated because the last six years were protected by laws, judges and politicians who, far from representing the people, continue to protect corporations and stop them in six years. deadline was not possible

Let’s remember that Economistrepresentatives of neo-liberalism and one of the most prestigious magazines in England, in a 2021 article, said that “AMLO is not personally corrupt”, but that it represents a “danger” to democracy.

Of course, they said that AMLO is a danger to democracy because this magazine represents and lives off international corporatism, those national and foreign companies dedicated to plundering Mexico; and yes, it was dangerous for them, because this system would clash with a nationalist president, who is now promoting capitalism with social meaning, but that is the least of their interest.

Unfortunately, the mess and budget cuts in public sectors to make things go wrong is part of the neo-liberal strategy to ensure that every public sector, be it education, health care, transportation, culture, etc., does well. and thus justify your entry.

That is why it is illogical that a country that was a producer of corn, the basis of its subsistence, is forced to import it, like gasoline, despite the fact that we survived the oil boom. But this is neo-liberalism, and, unfortunately, the politicians involved in it succumb to it, despite the terrible consequences for the Mexican population.

Let me stress that this does not mean that there is no more corruption or that everyone was corrupt in the past, but when you had presidents who came to power through fraud and at the hands of the corporate sector, this was the rule, not the exception. Today we have a president who has not allowed himself to be corrupted and made those corporations pay taxes that they did not pay before; In addition, she is fighting for self-sufficiency in food and energy, so as not to depend on the economic market or foreign corporations. And in spite of everything and the situation that we are seeing in Europe due to the lack of gas, unfortunately, there are still politicians from PAN, PRI and PRD who still refuse to approve energy reform. It is shameful that the politicians elected by the citizens represent more foreign interests than the interests of the Mexicans themselves. That is why they are accused of betraying the motherland.

We know that not everything is perfect in the National Revival Movement (Morena), and we must clear the way for many corrupt opportunist politicians from the past who resist change. But it will be a little. We should turn around and see a new generation of conscientious politicians like Andrea Chavez, Hamlet Almaguer and Clara Brugada Molina, among many others, who really want to do the right thing and follow in the footsteps of López Obrador. There will be many politicians who will not change and only the vote of citizens can eliminate them, but this requires the participation of the people so that corruption becomes the exception, not the rule, as it was before 2018.

I emphasize that being an immigrant and supporting the opposition in Mexico, which voted last year and this year to eliminate financial assistance for the elderly, is a reduction. This is not politics, this is inhumanity, an attempt to deprive people of income at the most vulnerable stage of life. This is the opposition we have today, but I am sure that most immigrants do not want or support such politicians.

For these reasons, it is better to think a little, but above all to take part in the political processes of your area, state or city. It is important to know well the people we elect so that we can take the second step towards the democracy we all dream of, where we can live and where our families or friends do not have to continue to risk their lives in search of a better life. place to live. live.

Let’s remember that supporting the current opposition is supporting the policies that made you leave your family and your country and cost the lives of many. For this reason, being an immigrant and supporting PRI, PAN or PRD at the present time is a contradiction, it is a desire to return to that catastrophic past. But I’m sure deep down nobody wants that.

Thank you for reading to the end.

Agustín Durán is the editor of the Metro de La Opinion, the only Spanish-language newspaper published in Los Angeles. Any clarifications or suggestions you can write to: [email protected]