Bello

TheMexicanmorassApresidentwhodoesntgetthathedoesntgetit

Jan24th2015| Fromtheprintedition

INAnewyearmessageMexicospresident,

EnriquePeaNieto,promisedtoworkto

liberatehiscountryfromcrime,corruptionand

impunity.Hiscabinethasdulysettheseasits

priorities.Themessageistherightone.But

unfortunatelyforMrPea,Mexicansare

increasinglycynicalaboutthemessenger.

MexicoisstillseethingoverthegovernmentsleadenresponsetothekidnapinSeptemberof43

studentsbymunicipalpoliceinthesouthwesternstateofGuerreroandtheirapparentmurder

bydrugtraffickers.Theinvestigationofthecaseseemstohavestalled.MrPeasmainpolicy

responsetothemassacreisaproposedconstitutionalamendmenttoabolishmunicipalpolice

forces.ButCongressmaynotapproveit,notleastbecausesomearelessrottenthanthestate

forces,whichwouldtaketheirplace.

Inthegovernmentsdefence,theruleoflawcannotbecreatedinMexicoovernight.Itwilltake

years,perhapsdecades,tocleanupandstrengthenthecountryspolice.Buthiscriticsbelieve

MrPeaisdodgingthemostimportanttask:topunishcorruptpoliticalbosseswhoare

complicitinorganisedcrime.Andthegovernmentitselfisnowstainedbyscandal.

Thelatestembarrassment,reportedthisweekintheWallStreetJournal,isthatin2005Mr

Peaboughtahousefromasmallbuilderwhohaswonaslewofcontractsfromhis

administration.ThisfollowstherevelationthatLuisVidegaray,hisfinanceminister,boughta

$500,000houseatafashionablegolfclubwithamortgagefromthevendor,acompanyowned

byJuanArmandoHinojosa.Thebusinessmanhasreceivedmuchworkfromthefederal

governmentandpreviouslyfromthestateofMexicowhenMrPeawasitsgovernorandMr

Videgaraywasfinancesecretary.

ThisconfirmedthecloselinksbetweentheadministrationandGrupoHiga,MrHinojosas

businessempire.InNovemberthegovernmentabruptlycancelleda$3.7billioncontractfora

highspeedtrainawardedtoaconsortiumincludingGrupoHiga.Dayslateritemergedthatthe

presidentspalatialprivatehomehadbeenboughtwithalargemortgagegrantedtotheFirst

Ladybythegroup.

BothMrPeaandMrVidegarayinsistthattheyhavedonenothingillegal.Theyaremissingthe

point.Inmoderndemocracies,whoseranksMexicoaspirestojoin,thekindofmutualback

scratchingtheyappeartohaveengagedinwithGrupoHigaisseenasunacceptablebehaviour.

Iftheyareseriousabouttacklingcorruptionandconflictsofinterest,Mexicospoliticalleaders

couldlooktoBrazil.Petrobras,Brazilsstatecontrolledoilcompany,isembroiledinamuch

biggerscandalinvolvingkickbacksofperhaps$4billionoverthepastdecade.Prosecutors

believemuchofthemoneywenttotherulingWorkersPartyanditsgoverningallies.The

president,DilmaRousseff,chairedthePetrobrasboardformuchofthisperiod.

Thankstofiercelyindependentprosecutorsandcourts,andatoughnewantibriberylaw,

BrazilianscanbeconfidentthatthewrongdoingatPetrobraswillbeinvestigatedandpunished

evenwerethetrailtoleadtoMsRousseffherself.In1992aBrazilianpresidentwas

impeachedforcorruptionmorerecently,severalministershavebeenforcedtoresignover

dodgycontractsorunethicallinkstoprivatebusinesses.Dozensofmanagersofconstruction

firmsundercontracttoPetrobrasfacecriminalcharges.

ForsuchthingstobecomethinkableinMexico,severalchangesareneeded.Proposalsforan

independentprosecutorsofficeandanticorruptionagencyshouldbefasttracked

(depressingly,MrPeassupporterswantthelatterundergovernmentcontrol).Thesecond

missingelementispoliticalaccountability.Nobodyhastakenresponsibilityandresignedover

thesecurityfailings,thedodgytraincontractortheconflictsofinterest.Nobodyhasbarred

GrupoHigafromgovernmentcontractswhileitisindependentlyinvestigated,ifonlyto

establishthatitisblameless.

Theydontgetthattheydontgetit,saysaformerseniorofficial.ButMexicansdogetit.Mr

Peasapprovalratinghasfallento40%,closetothelowesteverforaMexicanpresident.

Hisboldeconomicreformsmayyetbringpoliticalreward.Theoppositionssplitsmayhelphim

winacongressionalelectioninJune.Butthepastfewmonthshaveunderminedtheauthority

heusedtosecurethereforms.Andwithpollssuggestingthatturnoutintheelectionwillbe

dismal,themainbeneficiaryofthecynicismthepresidentisengenderingmaybeAndrs

ManuelLpezObrador,amessianicpopulistwhohastwicealmostwonthepresidency.Mexico

deservesbetter.

Fromtheprintedition:TheAmericas