Is A Citizens’ Awakening The Cure For Mexico’s “Cancer”? · Global Voices
Robert Valencia

A Mexico City's government employee tries to clean graffiti of the number “43” off a municipal. “43”, representing the number of students who were “disappeared” from their school in Ayotzinapa in September 2014, has become a symbol of protest for many Mexicans. Photo by Robert Valencia.
A few weeks ago I visited Mexico. My trip there meant more than witnessing the turquoise waters of Cancun’s Isla Mujeres, or the urban sprawl of Mexico City, or stimulating my tastebuds with Mexico’s eclectic cuisine. It was an exploration of the country’s very heart and soul, and how Mexicans cope with injustice today.
The US$7 million house, purchased by the Peña Nieto family added insult to injury. On November 17, first lady Angelica Rivera declared on TV that she bought the house with the money she earned as an actor at Televisa, Mexico's largest TV company. Her speech did not convince Mexicans.
In this meme Hollywood actors Jolie and PItt say, “We'll go straight to Mexico. Televisa pays better.” Many Mexicans don't believe first lady Angelica Rivera could have earn enough at Televisa to purchase a US$7 million mansion. Photo from Twitter feed of @YobyJackson.
The Mexican press has kept track of the country's indignation since the disappearance of Ayotzinapa's 43 students. This newspaper's front page shows a concerned Jesús Murillo Karam, who has been criticized for the lack of concrete answers with respect to the case. Photo by Robert Valencia.
Robert Valencia is a writer and Latinamericanist based in New York City.