Mexico Has Immense Potential To Generate Wealth And Employment – OpEd
The Gen Z type of protest has reached Mexico. Thousands of angry protestors fought with police and forced their way into the President’s palace. The one piece pirate flag fluttered symbolizing the global youth movement against corruption and drug related violence in Mexico which takes tens of thousands of lives of the Mexican citizens every year. Nearly 100 policemen and 20 civilians were reportedly injured in the violent protest.
The assassination of Carlos Alberto Manzo Rodríguez, the mayor of Uruapan in Michoacán on November 1, 2025 fuelled the public inferno against the government’s laxity in handling crimes and corruption. The mistake of Carlo was that he led a crusade against drug trafficking gangs in his town; his bravery is exemplary but his power against the drug lords was negligible. Carlos has become a martyr while trying to save the youth from drug addiction. The Gen Z type protest may change the regime but it may not liberate Mexico from the drug lords and corruption so easily. Mexican thinkers, good politicians, media, economists, youth leaders and planners need to take concrete steps for good governance, inclusive growth and prosperity.
The drug lords in Mexico have control over politics, economy and social life which has made the life of people miserable. Successive governments have taken steps to crack down the drug ring but it has not yielded results. As the political, social and economic life of the Mexican has deteriorated due to corruption and drug related crimes, Mexico needs an altogether new approach to escape from this difficult situation.
The government has to groom anti heroes among the drug lords who can take on the drug menace from within. Converting drug lords into anti heroes to uproot the drug empire needs dynamic leadership and a vision. More concrete solution lies in grooming the right kind of human resources with honesty, efficiency and commitment to the nation. Schools in Mexico need to train children so that the children will grow up into responsible citizens. Drug lords thrive on the demand for drugs in neighboring countries. Mexico can’t fight drug menace alone. Its neighboring countries need to crack down on the dark drug economy which is looming large. The leaders should decide whether they want healthy youth for nation building or drug infested insane youth for the destruction of the country.
Mexico should evolve a dedicated human resources development policy to unite people with one objective of rebuilding the nation. Its strong social capital base will help rebuild the nation. The origin of Mexico dates back to the 8000 BC; it had passed through the great civilizations of the world like Olmec, Maya and Teotihuacan. The Maya civilisation flourished between 2000 BCE and 900 CE. It is believed the Maya civilization has its root in the ancient Indian civilization. The temples of the Hindu gods namely Shiva, Ganesh and Hanuman indicate the Mayans were linked to the Indian civilisation. The Mayans also followed the ancient Sati ritual and the Gurukul System of education which were the intrinsic part of Indian civilization. The concept of Zero, archeological evidence, astrology, the linguistic parallels between the Sanskrit and the indigenous languages in Mexico etc confirm the close link of Mexico with the Indian civilization. Dedicated scientific research will link Mexico to its 10000 year old history. It will give Mexican youth a sense of pride; they will feel that they belong to a rich and ancient civilisation.
Mexico in spite of having immense potential to become a strong and prosperous country is reeling under poverty and unemployment. Popular President Amlo was elected in 2018 with a thumping majority; He promised to end corruption and inequality in Mexico. Amlo adopted the easiest means to reduce poverty; he had increased the minimum wage from $4.75 to $15 a day. He transferred cash to old people, farmers and students under welfare schemes. Amlo wanted to be popular and did not verify whether the money reached the deserving people. It had not reduced employment nor had it eradicated poverty.
A report from the statistics agency also revealed some startling information under Amlo’s government. The report said while access to food security, social security and dignified living conditions has improved, the number of people without access to health services more than doubled, from 20.1 million people in 2018 to more than 44 million in 2024. A large number of poor people living in rural Mexico find it hard to access the welfare scheme benefits. Nearly 30% Mexicans are still living under poverty. Amlo remained president until 2024 and he had spent revenue to keep the people’s displeasure at bay. The crisis which Amlo wanted to hide with cash transfer turned into a violent gen Z type public unrest now. How to put Mexico on track again has become a big challenge before the new president Claudia Sheinbaum.
Mexico needs to reweave its economic potential which is lying untapped. The country has a vibrant agriculture sector; it produces sugarcane, maize, wheat, sorghum, and barley, mangoes, pineapples, avocados etc. The country needs to document the types of fruits, food grains and vegetables grown in each district. Transparent marketing network for the farmers, reduction of input cost and use of low cost indigenous farm technologies and the use of organic manures will boost farm income in Mexico. The country needs to protect its indigenous seeds, crop diversity and low cost indigenous agriculture practices.
Besides, Mexico needs to evolve a sound agriculture policy to promote local crops and ban cheap imports of agricultural products. It has to protect and preserve its rivers, lakes and ponds for water sufficiency and food production. Today the world is starving for food and nutrition. Mexico can meet the global food demand if it protects its fertile agricultural land from aggressive conversion into real estate. The government should not allow the construction of unnecessary mega infrastructure projects which increases the debt burden on the country. Only country specific infrastructure projects should be built in Mexico after proper scrutiny.
Ancient civilisations have left behind exotic temples and pagodas which can attract foreign tourists. Nature has blessed Mexico with magnificent beaches, breathtaking landscapes, the meeting place of desert and sea, the white sand beaches, picturesque hills, forest, flora and fauna etc can generate huge employment if those natural places are kept as natural as possible. Good governance and safety will ensure employment creation on a sustainable basis.
The Mexican artisans create world famous handicrafts namely Oaxaca, Chiapas, Ceramics, Alebrijes, Talavera pottery, Huichol art, Metalwork, blown glass, and wooden furniture etc. The artisans add incredibly high value to the naturally available material. The Mexico government should protect and preserve the skills and creativity of those gifted artisans whose products can be exported. Mexico should ban the import of plastic utility and decorative items as those cheap products erode the market of classy handicrafts. The government should encourage the Mexicans to use handicraft items produced in Mexico. This will create huge employment in the country. Though Mexico has a robust manufacturing sector, it has to strike a balance between manufacturing, cottage industries, services, agriculture and tourism. The growth of one sector is dangerous for the economy as it kills jobs in other sectors. So the diversity of economic sectors is very much essential for employment generation, peace and prosperity of Mexico.
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