LyrArc Article Gist
This report in the Economist magazine points out that income per head has gone up only 40% over 30 years of democracy and economic liberalisation. And most of the benefits from NAFTA trade agreement have gone to northern Mexico where most of the factories have been built. Southern Mexican states like Tabasco were badly neglected. Lopez Obrador's party Morena is an allusion to La Virgen Morena of Guadalupe, Mexico's patron saint, and also to a term used to describe darker skinned Mexicans. Obrador was born south of Mexico City and sees his goal as bringing industrialisation and infrastructure to the south. He vows to pave every road in Oaxaca and offer price guarantees to southern farmers. And even northerners are excited about him because of his nationalist instincts, and corruption and violence under president Pena. The disappearance of 43 student teachers in gang violence was a terrible incident in the wave of violence under president Pena which has horrified Mexicans of all classes.  Under Pena Mexico is tied with Russia in the Transparency International Corruption Index at 135th place and it is more blatant in Mexico than ever.