Over the course of two centuries of independence, Mexico has elected its leaders democratically on only four occasions. Whether the presidential election in June will be fair and free is questionable, given that the playing field is heavily tilted in favor of the ruling party’s candidate.
NEW YORK – Many countries, from the United States and Uruguay to India and Indonesia, will hold elections in 2024. Although pundits, politicians, and political scientists tend to portray each one as “historic” and “momentous,” Mexico’s June 2 presidential election may be one of the few to warrant such superlatives, if only because the country has limited experience with truly democratic votes.
It is not a stretch to say that Mexico experienced its first free and fair presidential election in 2000. This implies that over the course of two centuries of independence, the country has elected its leaders democratically on only four occasions. If things go well, this year’s vote would be the fifth.
But things might not go well, posing a challenge for Mexico’s political and business establishment, the military, and the US – always a key actor in the country. For starters, the playing field is tilted so far in favor of Claudia Sheinbaum, the ruling party’s presidential candidate, that it recalls the heyday of one-party rule under the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI).
NEW YORK – Many countries, from the United States and Uruguay to India and Indonesia, will hold elections in 2024. Although pundits, politicians, and political scientists tend to portray each one as “historic” and “momentous,” Mexico’s June 2 presidential election may be one of the few to warrant such superlatives, if only because the country has limited experience with truly democratic votes.
It is not a stretch to say that Mexico experienced its first free and fair presidential election in 2000. This implies that over the course of two centuries of independence, the country has elected its leaders democratically on only four occasions. If things go well, this year’s vote would be the fifth.
But things might not go well, posing a challenge for Mexico’s political and business establishment, the military, and the US – always a key actor in the country. For starters, the playing field is tilted so far in favor of Claudia Sheinbaum, the ruling party’s presidential candidate, that it recalls the heyday of one-party rule under the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI).