Coordinated weekend protests in Mexico’s capital and other cities were organized through social media tools popular among young people around the world. But labeling them “Gen Z protests” – akin to recent ones in Asia and Africa – would miss the significance of this movement and this moment for all Mexicans.
In fact, the estimated 17,000 citizens who marched in Mexico City on Saturday represented a cross section of Mexican society. The multigenerational march was sparked by outrage over the recent killings of Carlos Manzó, a popular, tough-on-crime mayor, and Bernardo Bravo, head of a citrus growers’ association. Spontaneous demonstrations first broke out in the two men’s home state of Michoacán, which has been mired in cartel-linked violence for years.
“This reaction, organic and honest, fed up with the security situation … is something new,” David Mora, an analyst at the International Crisis Group, told CNN.
It hints at a groundswell in public demand for a better democracy that ensures honest, effective government – and basic safety. As cartel-linked collusion and violence have infiltrated Mexico’s institutions over the decades, political leaders have alternated between militarized crackdowns and hands-off approaches. Meanwhile, what ordinary Mexicans want is less corruption and more responsiveness.
President Claudia Sheinbaum, in office just over a year, has made some headway. This year, Mexico has imprisoned or extradited numerous drug kingpins, partly in response to pressure from the United States. At the same time, Security Minister Omar García Harfuch is rebuilding a civilian police force, tracing dirty money, and coordinating local and national crime data and responses.
The government recently claimed a 32% decrease in the national murder rate; other analyses put it at a more modest 14% decline. Either way, this statistic is moving in the right direction – but it still points to what some experts estimate will be approximately 24,000 murders this year.
Another factor that might support Mexico’s progress on violent crime is newfound cooperation from the U.S. According to official and independent data, up to 75% of weapons seized in Mexico flow in from the U.S. In September, the two countries announced Mission Firewall, an initiative to improve interdiction of firearms.
Such coordination and sustained efforts, rather than high-profile drug busts or political pronouncements, can effectively chip away at the economic and cultural pillars that support cartels and narco violence.
According to respected historian and author Enrique Krauze, Mexicans deserve more than populist or authoritarian promises of change. Instead, as he told the National Review a few years ago, “They deserve the slow, difficult building of a democracy.”
