An honest Mexican policeman? A cop who didn’t use his uniform to rip off Mexico City’s motorists? It seemed an impossible claim that would end up being refuted by reality.
But the journalist from the U.S. had been assured by a contact that this traffic cop on one of Mexico City’s busiest thoroughfares was not ripping off the city’s motorists by demanding payoffs from drivers who allegedly violated some questionable traffic rule.
So, placing himself out of sight, the correspondent carefully observed the traffic policeman as he dealt with the countless motor vehicles competing with each other in the busy thoroughfare in the heart of Mexico City.
But notwithstanding the chaos of the busy avenue, the policeman somehow kept every vehicle moving without the squeal of brakes or outbursts of angry horns.
Hours later, the foreign journalist shook his head in wonderment. His contact had been right. The traffic officer hadn’t whistled a single vehicle over for an alleged violation in an attempt to elicit bribes, normal practice on the city’s streets.
The journalist was so impressed by the unexpected lack of corruption that he wrote an article describing his unusual experience in witnessing an honest policeman in a country where many regard the police as little different from criminals.
The memory of that correspondent’s experience observing a seemingly corruption-free Mexican policeman came to mind in recent days following the killing in September of six Mexicans and the sudden disappearance and slaying of 43 Mexican student teachers who inexplicably vanished after being arrested by local police in the city of Iguala in the crime-ridden state of Guerrero.
It was only after six long weeks, on Nov. 4, that the fugitive mayor of Iguala, Jose Luis Abarca and his wife, suspected of ordering the arrest and disappearance of the student teachers to prevent them from protesting against his wife’s election, were finally tracked down and arrested in Mexico City.
Not surprisingly, the mass killing resulted in widespread media attention in countless countries, including Canada, which is an increasingly important source of tourists for Mexican resorts.
In recent years, Mexico has become a popular destination for many Canadians — especially from British Columbia — wanting to get married at its attractive tourist sites.
The widely publicized killings also undermined the efforts of Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto to convince his countrymen and the international community that crime and violence in Mexico are increasingly under control.
Regrettably, any hope that the president’s efforts to combat crime and corruption are succeeding is seemingly premature. Much of the reason for this failure to make major inroads in fighting entrenched criminal activities can be traced to the lucrative drug trade, especially the key role of Mexican drug syndicates involved in the movement of drugs to the American market. But there are other factors that play a role in causing criminal activity and widespread corruption in Mexico, particularly large-scale poverty and lack of jobs in many areas of Mexico.
One factor that has always played a significant role in promoting criminal activity is the gap between rich and poor in much of Mexico. Despite Mexico’s increased economic modernization, millions of Mexicans remain mired in poverty. The efforts of poor Mexicans, including young people, to illegally enter the United States to find jobs continues unabated, despite efforts by the Americans to stop the inflow from Mexico and other impoverished Central American nations.
Paradoxically, this flood of poor Mexicans seeking jobs in the U.S. is taking place in the homeland of Carlos Slim, reputedly the world’s richest or second-richest billionaire.
While the shocking killings in Guerrero state may cause some far removed from Mexico to wonder when that violence-plagued nation will finally rid itself of seemingly endless crime and corruption, there’s always hope that any nation is also capable of producing honest and decent citizens who embody the kind of virtues that are the hallmark of a society of which all can be proud.
One ordinary traffic cop in Mexico has already shown the way.
Harry Sterling, a former diplomat, is an Ottawa-based commentator. He served in Mexico.
