Similarities between Mexico and Latin America
Similarities between Mexico and Latin America
Though not really considered to be a Latin American country, Mexico does share a similar history with other Latin American countries. Looking back over the last century, it would be fair to say that Mexico has been a typical Latin American country in the sense that it has had a history of corruption, instability, and has beholden more to foreigners than the will of its people.
Like many other Latin American countries, corruption was an aspect in Mexico’s history as well. The Diaz era, which lasted for 35 years long (1876-1911), indicates that corruption was indeed present in the government. Diaz’s only way to stay in power for such a long time was through corruption, of course, as he shrewdly appealed to the privileged and kept them loyal to him. He also rigged the ballots so that he could stay in power specifically during the 1910 election against Madero. Madero, who ran under the “anti-reelectionist” party, represented the sentiment of the many Mexicans who were tired of Diaz’s corrupted tactics to remain in power. This helped to start the Mexican Revolution which was a response to the corruptness of Diaz’s regime.
Throughout the entirety of the Mexican Revolution, not only was corruption a present factor, but instability in addition. During this period, there was instability in the government as current presidents were constantly replaced by new ones in only a short duration of time. First, Madero becomes president of Mexico in 1911. In 1913 however, Madero is murdered by General Victoriano Huerta, who then becomes president. A year later, Huerta decides to resign and leaves Mexico. A couple of months later, Carranza occupies Mexico but the revolutionary leaders reject Carranza as Mexico’s President and force him to leave the country. That same year, Zapata occupies Mexico City and between then and 1919, all these leaders run into conflict with one another. Later that year, Zapata is murdered in an ambush arranged by Carranza. Finally, instability seems to have dwindled, if not put to a halt for a while in 1920 when Alvaro Obregon along with the Zapatistas, Villistas, and other revolutionary groups overthrow and kill Carranza and then becomes president of Mexico. With him as a stable leader, the corruption and instability ceases. Such instability in Mexico though, can have...