Mexico's president is facing the most damning charge yet — and his reputation is crumbling

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Business Insider

Mexico's president is facing the most damning charge yet — and his reputation is crumbling

Christopher Woody
Aug. 1, 2015, 1:51 PM


Mexico's President Enrique Pena Nieto at an event at the Los Pinos presidential residence in Mexico City, July 17, 2015.

Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto may have been much more involved in steering government contracts to businesses owned by his friends than previously thought, The New York Times reports.

Newly released documents reveal that the companies of Juan Armando Hinojosa Cantú, a longtime friend of the president, have won more than 80 government contracts and received at least $2.8 billion in state money.

Hinojosa and the president have a decades-long relationship, dating back to Peña Nieto’s time as a government aide in the state of Mexico.

Observers, including opposition legislators, allege that this relationship is the reason so many contracts have been granted to Hinojosa’s firms.

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/mexicos-president-pena-nieto-and-contracts-2015-8#ixzz3hc7jSyRG

[truebluegreen]

1. He never had a "reputation" to crumble.

A known quantity for many years. Oh, but he photographs well.

[Andrej28]

2. Corruption in Mexico is a familiar theme.

I don't know if it's worse than in the US or just more blatant. It's more widespread (the mordida taken by petty functionaries is rampant), but the cash amounts are not as great.

[EX500rider]

3. "I don't know if it's worse than in the US"

The US is ranked 17th in least corruption, Mexico is ranked 103rd.

http://www.transparency.org/cpi2014/results

[Andrej28]

4. That's a measure of corruption "perceptions."

Americans don't perceive their government as especially corrupt, because, as I said before, it's not blatant, like it is in Mexico. The money is funneled in through "appropriate" channels, like campaign contributions and speakers' fees, which is corrupt, but not perceived as such. In return for these rewards, our corrupt politicians provide billions, e.g., to the defense industry, which, again, is not perceived as corrupt because it's "for defense."