Last year, Mexico was still considered a free country. The report points out that liberties in Mexico have declined because of organized crime. It says:
"Mexico's decline from Free to Partly Free was a result of the uncontrolled wave of organized criminal activity that has afflicted several states.
"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."
According to the NGO, there are 10 partly-free-countries in the Americas: Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Paraguay and Haiti. Cuba is considered the only "not-free-country" in the region, while the rest of the countries are considered "free".
You can find the full report at http://www.freedomhouse.org/template.cfm?page=594
It's a shame and a sad situation what we live in Mexico; nonetheless there's sparks of some hope that come from our civil society (filling the gaps the government leaves). Here's an example of it http://www.proceso.com.mx/rv/modHome/detalleExclusiva/87183
ReplyDeleteFrom the repression of the Government to the the repression of the narco, but we keep being silenced...
ReplyDelete