By Linda Burkle, PhD
Mexico is a large diverse country which has been adversely impacted by generations of crime cartels, governmental corruption, poverty, and inadequate basic infrastructure. As a newly industrialized nation with the fourteenth largest economy, it is considered an emerging power. It is an active member of the G20, UN, and other global organizations. Even though Mexico is wrought with gross human rights abuses, it was elected in June 2020 as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council. Additionally, in October 2020, Mexico was re-elected to the UN Human Rights Council. [1]
In recent years, the U.S. has poured millions to dollars into Mexico to assist in combating organized crime and drug trafficking. Although reforms were enacted by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who took office in December 2018, they have thus far been ineffective in curtailing torture and killings; impunity remains the norm.