"Mexico’s political rights rating declined from 2 to 3 and its status from Free to Partly Free due to the targeting of local officials by organized crime groups and the government’s inability to protect citizens’ rights in the face of criminal violence." – Freedom House's report, Freedom in the World 2011
Hardly great news from Freedom House, which also notes how West Africa is becoming a bit of a concern, with barely a "free state" in the region.
Mexico should, however, pride itself on the fact that it is not deemed a failed state by the level-headed at Freedom House, and that the NGO fails to mention the fact that pockets of Mexican territory are not controlled by the state.
I think the Calderon administration got off easy on this one, personally.
"While the country benefited from an important consolidation of democracy during the past decade, government institutions have failed to protect ordinary citizens, journalists, and elected officials from organized crime. Extortion and other racketeering activities have spread, and conditions for the media have deteriorated to the point where editors have significantly altered coverage to avoid repercussions from drug gangs."
That's basically it from the report. Worth noting: Mexico's rating of "partly free" puts it on a par with nations like Sierra Leone, Malawi and Paraguay. Not great really.
Its rate of decline, meanwhile, was the same as Iran's.
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