WASHINGTON—Mexico has long been challenged by its pervasive and endemic corruption. In 2014, the disappearance and murder of 43 students attending the teachers college in Iguala, in the state of Guerrero, and the involvement of the city mayor and his wife, of organized crime, and perhaps of the police and the army made headlines in Mexico and even in the United States.
Public opinion surveys of everyday Mexican citizens generally find that Mexico’s political parties, parliament, and the police are regarded as very corrupt, according to the Global Corruption Barometer.
Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index rated 168 countries in 2015 on the perceived level of public sector corruption on a scale of 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean). Mexico ranks 95 with a score of 35. Somalia and North Korea tie for last place with scores of 8. The United States ranks 16 with a score of 76.
Methods of solving the corruption problem by Mexico’s version of the “war on drugs” haven’t changed the country to any notable degree. However, a new approach that is rapidly gaining in popularity may be more successful in fighting corruption. The aim is to place the emphasis on civil society and strengthening the citizenry.
