Breathe
By Liliana Alvarado, General Director of Ethos Public Policy Innovation.
One of the most important decisions of my adult life was not to become a mother. However, I have experienced the most mother-like love with my only sister's children. They were born and raised outside of the country and, as part of their education, they have been taught not only the Spanish language, but also everything related to Mexican culture. Fortunately, this has meant that traveling to Mexico once a year is not seen as an obligation, but that each trip is planned with great enthusiasm.
We recently had the opportunity to spend a few days together in the surroundings of Cancun, so places like Tulum or Playa del Carmen were a must stop. As I was finding out details about our trip to Playa del Carmen, I couldn't help but ask questions like: is it safe to go, can we travel on the road at any time of the day? I had not finished asking these questions when I was already reproaching myself for having asked them in front of my nephews. At that moment I thought that the last thing I want is for them, at some point in their lives, to feel insecure or afraid of coming to Mexico.
Already on the road, the youngest one asked: "Mom, why are there so many soldiers on the road," to which my sister answered with many hesitations, "they are (pause)...taking care of us". Without adding anything at all, I kept thinking, "taking care of us? do we really feel protected by the military? have they made any progress in the fight against organized crime? After a while I decided to stop thinking about it.
Before making a tour of our destination, "the kids" (as I affectionately refer to them) asked to stop at a convenience store to stock up on "snacks from Mexico". On the way to the parking lot, I caught a glimpse of three heavily armed men entering the store with determination and haste. They had a uniform I didn't recognize, but, without much time or desire to investigate, I silently hurried them all towards the car.
Days after the trip, a shocking video was released in the media showing several men armed with axes and sledgehammers robbing a jewelry store in Mexico City, precisely in the same plaza where I have taken them on several occasions to see their Marvel movies.
All these events lead me to think about the difficult task of being a mother, in which you have to constantly decide what information to pass on to your children and the best way to do it. Even more complicated has become the task of choosing a place to visit in the country, where in addition to tourist attractions, there are acceptable safety conditions.
A few years ago, I was one of those people who, when talking about violence in the country, considered that the media was exaggerating, that the situation was not as serious as it was portrayed. Now I think that this is not the case and at the same time I realize that sometimes I try to minimize a situation that has clearly exceeded the capacity of the different spheres of government.
As a Mexican, this reality is painful. It frustrates me to see how, six years after six years, violence in the country increases. On many occasions the scenes are terrifying and over time, those places that were thought to be safe have ceased to be so. The problem and the solution have become extremely complex.
Despite this, from afar it seems that no real effort is being made to combat organized crime and stop the violence. It fills me with courage to hear the phrase "hugs and not bullets", and it leaves me hopeless to think that there is no one in this country, with the power of decision, who addresses the issue with the urgency and seriousness that is required.
The presidential race for 2024 has begun and, as is common in politics, the priority is to win, to amass power. A moderately honest introspection or analysis would show several of the candidates that they have neither the capacity nor any viable strategy to address this serious problem. Unfortunately, this fact does not discourage anyone, since other interests predominate. I fear that the day will come when I will tell my nephews and nieces that it is better for them not to come to Mexico.
The opinions expressed are the responsibility of the authors and are absolutely independent of the position and editorial line of Opinion 51.
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