Call it a tale of two countries. Two would-be Latin American powerhouses, both with populations surpassing 100 million people – and both with weak presidents who are beset by corruption problems. Both, in other words, are severely underperforming countries, whose chronic inability to live up to their potential continues to undermine growth, stability, and hope for the future.
Begin just south of the United States border in Mexico, a one-time success story, which has been reeling for months. The trouble began in late September, when 43 students were kidnapped and murdered in Iguala. An appalling and grizzly atrocity to be sure, made worse by the alleged involvement of local law enforcement and even the mayor of Iguala. Local authorities in the southern state of Guerrero (home of Iguala) are evidently horrifically corrupt – they have been bought off by the local drug cartels. Unsurprisingly, Mexico has been rocked by weeks of protests as a result of the slayings.
