Leon Krauze, Mexico City - In an unprecedented move for his government, Mexican President Vicente Fox decided to take back Oaxaca from a teacher's union strike with crippling consequences. Fox made the right decision for Mexico's democracy.
A functioning democracy should never allow a violent minority to jeopardize the majority's well being. This simple fact -- a cornerstone of democratic life -- has been overlooked in Mexico for years. After the shocking 1968 student massacre, the Mexican government was unable to exercise authority. The terrifying images of the '68 conflict equated authority with repression in the minds of many Mexicans.
But the government's recent action in Oaxaca has not resolved the country's difficult relationship with authority. In an op-ed piece in the newspaper Reforma on Tuesday Federico Reyes Heroles, one of Mexico's preeminent political analysts, dramatically explained: "Oaxaca has put on display our deep misunderstanding of the democratic pact".
Reyes Heroles is right. The strain on Mexico's social fabric is becoming increasingly clear. The remnants of the PRI's 70-year rule, the impunity of Mexico's unions and the country's appalling inequality might be a recipe for disaster. President-elect Felipe Calderon has his hands full.
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Comments (8)
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December 2, 2006 6:27 AM | Report Offensive Comment
Posted on December 2, 2006 06:27
5 months late, Fox has finally attempted to restore the rule of law to Oaxaca. We shall see if he has the courage to see this out. The APPO is a fundamentally anti-democratic organization, as it shows no tolerance for dissent. It should be supressed, and those who are unhappy with the present government of Oaxaca will have ample opportunity to express their views during elections next year for the state legislature.
November 3, 2006 7:13 PM | Report Offensive Comment
Posted on November 3, 2006 19:13
One of Fox's legacies will be to have been a novice in representing mexico's new democracy: he has failed to draw a clear line between supporting peaceful democratic demonstrations and condoning anarchist violence that punishes an entire city and undermines the rule of law.
November 3, 2006 2:52 PM | Report Offensive Comment
Posted on November 3, 2006 14:52