Content Type: Special Report / Political Geography: Mexico / Publication Year: within 10 Years

1. From Rhetoric to Action: Delivering Inequality & Exclusion

Author:: Center on International Cooperation
Publication Date:: 03-2023
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Center on International Cooperation
Abstract:: Inequality and exclusion are not destiny. Change is possible. Following three years of research, country visits, expert meetings, and debate, the Pathfinders’ Grand Challenge on Inequality and Exclusion has identified policy priorities for immediate and longer-term actions to tackle inequality and exclusion. The report draws on the lived experiences and desires of people across countries around the world. To understand citizens’ concerns about inequalities, their policy priorities, and their desire for change, we commissioned a public opinion survey in eight countries: Canada, Costa Rica, Mexico, Sierra Leone, South Korea, Sweden, Tunisia, and Uruguay. These opinion surveys show an immense preoccupation with societal divisions and a consensus that more needs to be done to address them. What is working to make progress on equality and inclusion? Countries and local communities that have made sustained progress towards more inclusive and equal societies have generally taken a three-pronged approach: They have delivered visible results that make a material difference in people’s daily lives, in areas such as social protection, housing and wages; they have built solidarity, through for example truth-telling exercises, police and justice reform and community empowerment; and they have secured credibility and sought to avert reversals by fighting corruption, broadening political power, and increasing the public financing needed for policy development.
Topic:: Public Opinion, Inequality, Survey, and Exclusion
Political Geography:: Canada, South Korea, Uruguay, Sierra Leone, Sweden, Mexico, Tunisia, Costa Rica, and Global Focus

2. Mexico Peace Index 2023

Author:: Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP)
Publication Date:: 01-2023
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP)
Abstract:: This is the tenth edition of the Mexico Peace Index (MPI), produced by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP). It provides a comprehensive measure of peacefulness in Mexico, including trends, analysis and estimates of the economic impact of violence in the country. The MPI is based on the Global Peace Index, the world’s leading measure of global peacefulness, produced by IEP every year since 2007. The MPI consists of 12 sub-indicators aggregated into five broader indicators. Mexico’s peacefulness improved by 0.9 percent in 2022. This was the third straight year of improvement following four consecutive years of deteriorations. Seventeen states improved, while 15 deteriorated.
Topic:: Security, Economy, Violence, and Peace
Political Geography:: North America and Mexico

3. Mexico Peace Index 2022: Identifying and measuring the factors that drive peace

Author:: Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP)
Publication Date:: 01-2022
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP)
Abstract:: This is the ninth edition of the Mexico Peace Index (MPI), produced by the Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP). It provides a comprehensive measure of peacefulness in Mexico, including trends, analysis and estimates of the economic impact of violence in the country. The MPI is based on the Global Peace Index, the world’s leading measure of global peacefulness, produced by IEP every year since 2007. The MPI consists of 12 sub-indicators aggregated into five broader indicators.
Topic:: Corruption, Crime, Economics, Trafficking, Peace, Drugs, Data, and Organized Crime
Political Geography:: North America and Mexico

4. Artists killed in Latin America for exercising their freedom of artistic expression

Author:: Cecilia Noce and Diana Arévalo
Publication Date:: 12-2022
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Center for the Opening and Development of Latin America (CADAL)
Abstract:: This is an executive summary of the original report produced in Spanish that focuses only on violence against artists, like targeted killings related to the exercise of their right to freedom of expression and artistic creativity in Latin America. In 2021, CADAL recorded 378 attacks on freedom of artistic expression, of which 23 were murders. Artists and cultural workers who participated in protests in Colombia and Cuba were harassed, detained, and repressed. Musicians and cultural leaders were also involved in the violence between organized crime groups in countries such as Mexico and Brazil.
Topic:: Arts, Culture, Freedom of Expression, Protests, Targeted Killing, and Organized Crime
Political Geography:: Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, Latin America, and Mexico

5. “Police Do Not Protect Me, My Female Friends Do”: Police Repression against Feminists in Mexico

Author:: Paulina García-Del Moral
Publication Date:: 02-2021
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Georgetown Journal of International Affairs
Abstract:: Mexican feminists have used the hashtag “la policía no me cuida, me cuidan mis amigas” (police do not protect me, my female friends do) to denounce and document sexual abuse and harassment at the hands of police and the sharp increase in police repression against feminist demonstrations. The repression of these feminist demonstrations suggests a new and disturbing pattern of the criminalization of women’s right to mobilize.
Topic:: Security, Civil Society, Law, Women, Feminism, Conflict, Police, and Girls
Political Geography:: Central America and Mexico

6. From Rhetoric to Action: Delivering Equality & Inclusion

Author:: Faiza Shaheen, Sarah Cliffe, Liv Tørres, Paula Sevilla Núñez, Paul von Chamier, Amanda Lenhardt, Nendirmwa Noel, Alexander Bossakov, and Avner Cohen
Publication Date:: 09-2021
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Center on International Cooperation
Abstract:: The flagship report of the Pathfinders Grand Challenge on Inequality and Exclusion is about the solutions that will deliver equality and inclusion. It is the culmination of several years of research and mobilization undertaken by a unique partnership of ten countries, the United Nations, the World Bank, the OECD, Oxfam, and CIVICUS, along with numerous partners and international experts. The report constructs a bridge between the rhetoric of “build back better” and action: a bridge between promise and progress. The report draws on the lived experiences and desires of people across countries around the world. To understand citizens' concerns about inequalities, their policy priorities, and their desire for change, Pathfinders commissioned a public opinion survey in eight countries: Canada, Costa Rica, Mexico, Sierra Leone, South Korea, Sweden, Tunisia, and Uruguay. These opinion surveys show an immense preoccupation with societal divisions and a consensus that more needs to be done to address them. Additionally, it underlines the need for renewed social contracts between citizens, civil society, the private sector, and governments, as well as between high and low- and middle-income countries. These social contracts must be built to serve future generations, to guard against climate breakdown and pandemics while delivering respect, opportunity, and justice for all. The report should serve as a practical handbook for policymakers and influencers; as a source of possibility for the public; and, as a call to all political leaders to act.
Topic:: Civil Society, Government, Inequality, Research, Social Justice, Exclusion, and Equality
Political Geography:: Canada, South Korea, Uruguay, Sierra Leone, Sweden, Mexico, Tunisia, and Costa Rica

7. Mexico Peace Index 2021: Identifying and measuring the factors that drive peace

Publication Date:: 05-2021
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP)
Abstract:: The 2021 report is the eighth edition of the Mexico Peace Index (MPI), produced by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP). It provides a comprehensive measure of peacefulness in Mexico, including trends, analysis and estimates of the economic impact of violence on the country. The MPI is based on the Global Peace Index, the world’s leading measure of global peacefulness, produced by IEP every year since 2007. Mexico’s peacefulness improved by 3.5 percent in 2020. After four years of successive deteriorations, this marks a change in trend following the sharp increases in violence recorded between 2015 and 2018. This change can be traced to well before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Homicide and firearms crime rates peaked in July 2018 and have since been gradually declining. Other crime rates began to fall in mid-2019, which also preceded the pandemic. While improvements were occurring prior to the onset of COVID-19, further reductions in specific types of violence in 2020 followed the implementation of public health measures and stay-at-home orders. Crimes typically associated with people’s everyday movements — such as robberies, assaults, kidnappings and extortion — all recorded notable improvements in 2020.
Topic:: Crime, Economics, Violence, and Peace
Political Geography:: Mexico

8. Electoral Violence and Illicit Influence in Mexico’s Hot Land

Author:: International Crisis Group
Publication Date:: 06-2021
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: International Crisis Group
Abstract:: Campaign season in Mexico has seen a rash of murders, as organised crime seeks to cement its influence no matter which parties win. The government needs to keep trying to break bonds between criminals and authorities, beginning with efforts tailored to the country’s hardest-hit areas.
Topic:: Elections, Violence, Election Interference, and Organized Crime
Political Geography:: North America and Mexico

9. 2021 Resource Governance Index

Author:: Natural Resource Governance Institute
Publication Date:: 12-2021
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Natural Resource Governance Institute
Abstract:: Decisions about how the oil, gas and mining sectors are governed determine the wellbeing of the billion people living in poverty in resource-rich countries. Where policies and practices ensure informed, inclusive and accountable decision making, natural resources can enable fair, prosperous and sustainable societies, rather than undermine them. The climate crisis, the coronavirus pandemic and dramatic changes in global energy markets have increased the stakes of good governance. Complex decisions about how to enable the political and economic adaptations necessary for a managed phaseout of fossil fuels and responsible increase in production of transition minerals sit at the heart of this dual crisis. Governance of the oil, gas and mining sectors will play a central role in the transition away from fossil fuels and the return to progress against poverty. The Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI) produces the Resource Governance Index (RGI) as a diagnostic tool to measure the governance of oil, gas, and mining sectors in select countries and to highlight opportunities for policy and practice reforms at the global, regional and country levels. The 2021 RGI assesses the governance of extractive sectors in 18 countries, including both established mineral and hydrocarbon producers, as well as new and prospective entrants to natural resource production.
Topic:: Oil, Natural Resources, Governance, Gas, Mining, Sustainability, and Inclusion
Political Geography:: Uganda, Africa, Central Asia, Middle East, Mongolia, Colombia, South America, Azerbaijan, Lebanon, Tanzania, Mexico, Senegal, Nigeria, Morocco, Qatar, Tunisia, Peru, Ghana, Guinea, Guyana, and Democratic Republic of Congo

10. Mexico and the United States: a new beginning | México y Estados Unidos: un nuevo comienzo

Author:: Agustín Barrios Gómez, Henry Cuellar, Juan Carlos Baker, and Kenneth Smith
Publication Date:: 02-2020
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Mexican Council on Foreign Relations (COMEXI)
Abstract:: North America started 2020 as a bloc of three democratic countries with shared values that trade freely in the context of regional peace and cooperation. We are nearly 500 million North American citizens who came together to sign the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) of 1994 and its successor, the United StatesMexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) of 2018, providing a legal framework for commercial freedom on our continent. The world often conducts its affairs with a zero-sum game mentality, meaning that one country’s gain is another’s loss. This is why agreements like NAFTA, in 1994, and the USMCA, today, are particularly valuable. It is also the reason that we must not take them for granted. The effort invested in creating the USMCA was born precisely from the understanding of a fundamental idea: restricting the liberty of our people to trade freely is a mistake. It was not an easy case to make. The current U.S. president based his political campaign on animosity towards Mexico, in particular, and against exchange with the world, in general. However, he was led to a position of saving free trade in North America by the millions of his fellow citizens who saw their economic livelihood threatened by protectionism and the possibility of severing close economic ties with their neighbors. At the same time, a sector of Mexican society that has always been antagonistic to two pillars of trade in our continent: integration with the United States, and economic freedom, came to power in Mexico. This raised the specter of a challenge to free trade from Mexican socialists. However, the overwhelmingly positive results and obvious benefits of NAFTA for Mexico were of such magnitude, that protectionism was not an issue in the return to power of the nationalist Left. It now looks like a given, but both in the case of the U.S. and in the case of Mexico, the survival of the framework of openness born on January 1, 1994, is a testament to enormous political and economic success. In a world that increasingly favors the Pyrrhic victories of political symbolism, the triumph of reason over nativist fervor is well worth highlighting. For each of the three countries, the USMCA was the way to protect these gains, but each country placed its own emphasis on their priorities. Canada, currently the most politically stable country of the three, clearly sought to uphold a system that provides the country with access to its main market, as well as to another market (Mexico) in which it has fewer interests, but which is still important. The United States, the former architect of the world order that promoted economic freedoms for 71 years (1945-2016), was set to become its spoiler. Fortunately for the general interest, despite the rhetoric, with the USMCA it was possible to find a compromise that safeguarded the gains made from economic integration since 1994. Sectors of society, such as farmers and border communities which had never organized to defend their markets, got together to successfully make their case directly to the Administration. Mexico’s interests were clearer: manufactured exports are the most dynamic and competitive part of its economy. They not only provide a major source of hard currency, but in conjunction with the imports made possible by income from exports, they support the internal market, as well. For Mexico, even more than for Canada, protecting free trade of North America was imperative. The result was an Agreement that protected the benefits of North American commercial freedom, at the same time as it brought certain aspects up to date. It also addressed a number of the concerns that had been raised by blue collar workers in the United States, particularly pertaining to the automotive sector. This document helps us understand these changes and provides perspective from three authors who were directly involved in making the USMCA a reality.
Topic:: Treaties and Agreements, Bilateral Relations, Economy, NAFTA, Free Trade, Trade, and USMCA
Political Geography:: North America, Mexico, and United States of America

11. Mexico Peace Index 2020: Identifying and measuring the factors that drive peace

Publication Date:: 04-2020
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP)
Abstract:: The 2020 report is the seventh edition of the Mexico Peace Index (MPI), produced by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), and provides a comprehensive measure of peacefulness in Mexico, including trends, analysis and estimates of the economic impact of violence. The MPI is based on the Global Peace Index, the world’s leading measure of global peacefulness, produced by IEP every year since 2007.
Topic:: Economics, Peace Studies, Peacekeeping, Conflict, Violence, and Peace
Political Geography:: Central America and Mexico

12. UN Human Rights Council Elections for 2021-2023 and the Responsibility to Protect

Author:: Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect
Publication Date:: 10-2020
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: The Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect
Abstract:: Today, 13 October, the UN General Assembly elected Bolivia, China, Côte d’Ivoire, Cuba, France, Gabon, Malawi, Mexico, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Senegal, Ukraine, United Kingdom and Uzbekistan to the Human Rights Council (HRC) for the 2021-2023 term. With the elections of Côte d’Ivoire, France, Mexico, Senegal and United Kingdom, 16 of the 47 Council members during 2021 will also be members of the Group of Friends of the Responsibility to Protect in Geneva. The Human Rights Council and its mechanisms – including the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), special procedures and treaty bodies, as well as the technical assistance provided by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) – all play an essential role in providing early warning of the risk factors that can lead to crimes against humanity, ethnic cleansing, war crimes and genocide.
Topic:: Human Rights, United Nations, Elections, Responsibility to Protect (R2P), and UN Human Rights Council (HRC)
Political Geography:: Pakistan, Russia, China, United Kingdom, Ukraine, France, Uzbekistan, Cuba, Nepal, Mexico, Senegal, Bolivia, Malawi, Côte d'Ivoire, Global Focus, and Gabon

13. “Not One Women Less, Not One More Death:” Feminist Activism and Policy Responses to Gender-Based Violence in Latin America

Author:: Anya Prusa, Beatriz Garcia Nice, and Olivia Soledad
Publication Date:: 08-2020
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Georgetown Journal of International Affairs
Abstract:: In 2011, Mexican poet and human rights activist Susana Chávez Castillo was tortured and killed in Ciudad Juárez. Eighteen years earlier, she coined the phrase “ni una mujer menos” protesting the unsolved murders of women in that city. Today, those words live on as grassroots movements across Latin America condemn the prevalence of gender-based violence. But, as Chávez’s own narrative suggests, meaningful policy change has been slow.
Topic:: Civil Society, Political Activism, Women, Gender Based Violence, and Feminism
Political Geography:: Latin America and Mexico

14. Cartel Presence by State; Jalisco Nueva Generacion Cartel(CJNG) Achieves the Top Spot in the Country-Wide Territorial Campaign, Surpassing Sinaloa Cartel’s Control Throughout Mexico

Author:: Machiko Olivera
Publication Date:: 09-2020
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: TRAC: Terrorism Research & Analysis Consortium
Abstract:: Despite the fact that the federal government has ordered the deployment of the armed forces in the country to combat drug traffickers, at least nineteen (19) cartels have active operations throughout the country, of which four (4) have a presence in more than ten (10) state – Jalisco Nueva Generación Cartel (CJNG) being the largest.
Topic:: War on Drugs, Violent Extremism, Trafficking, Drugs, and Legal Sector
Political Geography:: United States and Mexico

15. Building a New Regional Migration System: Redefining U.S. Cooperation with Mexico and Central America

Author:: Andrew Selee and Ariel G. Ruiz Soto
Publication Date:: 11-2020
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Migration Policy Institute (MPI)
Abstract:: Migration between the United States and neighboring countries to the south is an enduring if ever-shifting phenomenon. While the COVID-19 pandemic and measures put in place to stop the spread of the virus have severely limited mobility, longer-standing questions about how best to manage regional migration remain as important as ever. These include how to address the mixed movement of unauthorized economic migrants and those fleeing persecution, with many families and unaccompanied children among them, and how to facilitate the legal movement of workers to meet labor demand and make the most of the region’s human capital. The Trump administration has largely focused on enhancing border controls and sharply narrowing access to asylum at the border, with the aim of deterring migration and turning back those who arrive without authorization to enter. Yet this heavily enforcement-focused strategy is unlikely to be sustainable in the long run. This report puts forward another approach, one that reflect the many faces of migration through the region and that is rooted in closer cooperation with Mexico and Central American countries. Its key element are: expanding opportunities for legal movement by extending seasonal work visas to nationals of countries in Central America that have the greatest migration pressures; re-establishing asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border, but streamlining processes to ensure fair and timely decisions; professionalizing border enforcement in Mexico and the United States to make it both more effective and more humane; and investing in economic and institutional development in Central America to address the forces driving people to leave their homes. While a transition from one approach to another cannot happen overnight—and indeed careful sequencing of policy changes will be essential to avoid triggering a surge in migration throughout the region—it is essential if the United States and its partners are to move the needle towards safer, more orderly, and legal migration.
Topic:: Development, Migration, Regional Cooperation, Border Control, Refugees, and Economy
Political Geography:: Central America, North America, Mexico, and United States of America

16. The Intersection of Poetry and U.S.-Mexican Border Affairs in Natalie Scenters-Zapico’s “Lima :: Limón”

Author:: Gabriel Panuco-Mercado
Publication Date:: 01-2020
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Georgetown Journal of International Affairs
Abstract:: Natalie Scenters-Zapico is a poet from the United States-Mexico border towns of El Paso, Texas, and Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico. Her work, like her origin, is about borders. In her debut collection, The Verging Cities, Scenters-Zapico explores immigration, marriage, and femicide in the realm of border culture and identity [1]. She expands these themes in her second collection, Lima :: Limón, where she creates a scathing depiction of the brutal machismo that conditions a Mexican woman’s experience. Lima :: Limon is especially personal to Scenters-Zapico. Her lyrical passages draw from the music of her childhood. In an age where distorted narratives about immigration lead to family separation and threaten asylum seekers, Lima :: Limon’s intimacy is especially critical. Unlike the efficacy of border policy or trade negotiations, Scenters-Zapico’s personal narrative is undeniable—as are the harrowing experiences of millions of Mexican women.
Topic:: Immigration, Women, Borders, and Literature
Political Geography:: Central America, North America, Mexico, and United States of America

17. Virus-proof Violence: Crime and COVID-19 in Mexico and the Northern Triangle

Author:: International Crisis Group
Publication Date:: 11-2020
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: International Crisis Group
Abstract:: As the coronavirus rages in Mexico and the northerly Central American countries, criminal outfits have adapted, often enlarging their turf. To fight organised crime more effectively, governments should combine policing with programs to aid the vulnerable and create attractive alternatives to illegal economic activity.
Topic:: Crime, Violence, Public Health, Pandemic, COVID-19, and Organized Crime
Political Geography:: Central America, North America, and Mexico

18. Latin America and the New Global Order

Author:: Antonella Mori
Publication Date:: 03-2020
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Italian Institute for International Political Studies (ISPI)
Abstract:: Amid the coronavirus pandemic, global geopolitical relations are being shaken to their roots, and Latin America is no different. The region is experiencing new transformations in political, economic, and societal terms. In turn, all these rapid changes are having an impact on how Latin American countries shape their own foreign policies, and on how they adapt to the challenges of an increasingly multipolar world. How are the US, China, and the EU competing in terms of political alliances and economic projection on the Latin American region? And how are some of the main Latin American countries (namely Brazil, Mexico, and Venezuela) contributing to shape these new regional dynamics?
Topic:: Politics, European Union, Economy, Strategic Competition, COVID-19, and Multipolarity
Political Geography:: China, Brazil, Latin America, Venezuela, Mexico, and United States of America

19. Mexico and Central America: A Delayed Encounter | México y Centroamérica: encuentro postergado

Author:: Luis Rubio, Gustavo Mohar, Salvador Arriola, Jorge Durand, Joaquin Villalobos, Ursula Roldan, Yolanda Gonzalez Cerdeira, Carlos Quesnel, Demetrios G. Papademetriou, Oscar Chacon, Marco A. Alcazar, Beatriz Zepeda, Carlos Heredia, and Mauricio Reyes
Publication Date:: 12-2019
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Mexican Council on Foreign Relations (COMEXI)
Abstract:: The surprise arrival of massive migrant contingents (known as “caravans”) to the border between Guatemala and Mexico constituted a watershed in the history of Central American migration to the United States through Mexican territory. This text is published by the Mexican Council on Foreign Relations (COMEXI) in order to contribute to the discussion in Mexico, in the United States and in Central America itself. The contribution of Central American social activists and academics with their local perspectives enhances and complements their Mexican counterparts’ reflections and proposals. Now is the time to undertake concrete measures for this delayed encounter. /// La sorpresiva llegada a la frontera entre México y Guatemala de grandes contingentes de migrantes (conocidos como “caravanas”) marcó un parteaguas en la historia de las migraciones procedentes de Centroamérica con destino a Estados Unidos, que utilizan suelo mexicano como territorio de tránsito. El Consejo Mexicano de Asuntos Internacionales (COMEXI) publica este texto para abonar a la discusión interna en México, así como a la que tiene lugar tanto en Estados Unidos como en la propia Centroamérica. La contribución de académicos y activistas sociales centroamericanos, con sus puntos de vista locales, enriquece y complementa las reflexiones y propuestas de sus contrapartes mexicanas. Es momento de asumir acciones concretas a este encuentro postergado.
Topic:: Migration, Immigration, and Borders
Political Geography:: Central America, Mexico, and United States of America

20. Mexico Peace Index 2019: Identifying and measuring the factors that drive peace

Publication Date:: 04-2019
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP)
Abstract:: The 2019 Mexico Peace Index (MPI), produced by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), provides a comprehensive measure of peacefulness in Mexico. The MPI is based on the Global Peace Index (GPI), the world’s leading measure of global peacefulness, produced by IEP every year since 2007. This is the sixth edition of the MPI, outlining the key trends, patterns and drivers of peace in Mexico, including an analysis through the lens of Positive Peace, which reviews eight societal structures and highlight areas important for government policy. The report also estimates the economic impact of violence to the Mexican economy, highlighting the need to increase investment and capacity in the criminal justice system. Finally, the report provides quantitative evidence to aid in the development of policies for a more peaceful society. The research is of assistance to policymakers, researchers, business leaders and the general public working towards building peace in Mexico.
Topic:: Development, Economics, Peace Studies, Peacekeeping, Violence, Public Policy, and Peace
Political Geography:: Central America and Mexico

21. Citizen Experiences and Challenges in Bringing Transparency and Accountability to Local Governments in Southern Mexico

Author:: Carlos García Jiménez
Publication Date:: 02-2019
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Accountability Research Center (ARC), American University
Abstract:: Despite Mexico’s constitutional provisions for transparency, accountability, and citizen oversight of government practice, in Guerrero—a southern state of Mexico which has historically fluctuated between periods of peace and violence—the entrenched elite continues to dominate. Nonetheless, grassroots citizens’ groups have been working against the current. With the accompaniment of the Universidad Campesina del Sur (The Peasants’ University of the South, or Unicam-Sur), a local organization that promotes alternative rural education and participatory research), they have been promoting and positioning these new concepts and practices of government. Citizen action for accountability continues, in spite of persistent practices of bad governance that include indifference towards citizen proposals and the use of the “fear factor” as a means of social intimidation. Modest citizen accomplishments—on issues of transparency in public works and the opening up of local municipal council meetings to citizen participation, for example—have opened cracks in the centralized and opaque structure of the entrenched elite. Over the last 15 years, these experiences of persistent voluntarism and self-taught citizen literacy, have led to the emergence of a pathway for citizen intervention in public affairs. We can describe the steps of this approach to citizen involvement as follows: 1. Recognizing a problem and building empowerment to tackle it. Citizen groups become involved in problems that affect them and that are related to government action, and commit to changing their situations. The exchange of views about what is and what should be—drives citizens to investigate the causes and consider possible solutions. 2. Exercising the right to know. Drawing on the public transparency laws and following the operating rules of government programs, citizens request and analyze official information, and then compare it to reality. In the process, they learn about the causes of the problems—and possible solutions. 3. Monitoring and social oversight over public affairs. In light of the information obtained, the group then organizes to monitor the government action. With their evidence and arguments in hand, citizens approach government officials to correct their actions and address the problem. This type of citizen action sometimes leads to clear information about the project, course corrections, or project completion. 4. Public policy advocacy. After evaluating the progress made, citizens conclude that to prevent the problem from recurring, flawed public policies or programs need to be changed, along with their decision-making and implementation processes. In order to engage the authorities in a dialogue among equals, communities must advance to a higher level of organization, knowledge, citizen education and training. These citizen intervention processes have resulted in modest outcomes and the construction of a basic level of citizenship. Nonetheless, they have not carried over into permanent forms of citizen involvement because of the prevalence of adverse governmental conditions and the lack of essential resources for keeping these initiatives alive. These experiences are highly localized and focused on specific situations. However, they can inform similar citizen-led processes elsewhere and inspire citizens to build sustainable initiatives that promote transparency and accountability in local governments. The historic victory of the anti-establishment coalition (led by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador) in Mexico’s 2018 election, signals the start of a more favorable context for these citizen initiatives.
Topic:: Government, Citizenship, Accountability, Transparency, Oversight, and Empowerment
Political Geography:: North America and Mexico

22. The Women of Caltongo Who Opened the Government’s Doors: Social Accountability at the Edge of Mexico City

Author:: Daniela Rea
Publication Date:: 12-2019
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Accountability Research Center (ARC), American University
Abstract:: The government’s plans to repair a central avenue in the Mexico City neighborhood of Caltongo brought together a group of women of diverse ages and backgrounds who were concerned about the government’s corruption and its lack of public consultation and transparency. They began to organize themselves, forming the group Caltongo Organized, and with the help of the civil society organization ControlaTuGobierno, they accessed government budget and contract information and learned about laws and regulations. They educated their fellow community members, advocated for the community’s concerns to be taken into account, and monitored the execution of the road project, which allowed them to successfully engage with government authorities to carry out its responsibilities. In this struggle, they learned that the authorities exist to serve the community; they also learned that information is power. With their struggle, the women of Caltongo sowed the seed of a community organization that seeks to make decisions about their territory and their own lives. This Accountability Note is based on a three-part journalistic series published by Pie de Página on August 19 – 21, 2019. For all the original articles, photos and videos, see Mujeres de Caltongo.
Topic:: Government, Women, Accountability, Transparency, and Community Engagement
Political Geography:: North America, Mexico, and Mexico City

23. Record Number of Americans Say International Trade Is Good for the US Economy

Author:: Brendan Helm, Dina Smeltz, and Alexander Hitch
Publication Date:: 10-2019
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Chicago Council on Global Affairs
Abstract:: President Donald Trump has embarked on an ambitious and disruptive trade agenda, driven by his belief that the United States has lost “many billions of dollars” to trading partners and that “trade wars are good, and easy to win.”[1] During his term, the president has escalated trade tensions with China; has renegotiated trade agreements with countries such as Mexico, Canada, and South Korea; and has withdrawn US involvement in trade deals such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership. The 2019 Chicago Council Survey finds that though Republicans and Democrats differ on whether President Trump’s strategy is an effective approach to trade policy, the American public is more likely than ever to say that international trade benefits the United States.
Topic:: International Trade and Finance, Economy, and WTO
Political Geography:: Canada, South Korea, North America, Mexico, Global Focus, and United States of America

24. Mexicans, Americans Share Positive Views of USMCA Trade Agreement

Author:: Craig Kafura, Jorge Buendía, and Esteban Guzmán Saucedo
Publication Date:: 05-2019
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Chicago Council on Global Affairs
Abstract:: The Trump administration’s push to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement, along with the imposition of steel and aluminum tariffs, has strained an already tense relationship between the United States and Mexico. Despite those tensions, polls conducted by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs and Buendía y Laredo find broad public agreement on trade on both sides of the border. Majorities of both Mexicans and Americans agree that their economic relationship is important, are concerned about a trade war hurting their local economy, see international trade as having a positive impact on their nation’s economy, and expect the newly-signed US-Mexico-Canada Agreement on trade to be good for their nation’s economy.
Topic:: Public Opinion, NAFTA, and Trade Wars
Political Geography:: North America, Mexico, and United States of America

25. From Control to Crisis: Changing Trends and Policies Reshaping U.S.-Mexico Border Enforcement

Author:: Randy Capps, Doris Meissner, Ariel G. Ruiz Soto, Jessica Bolter, and Sarah Pierce
Publication Date:: 08-2019
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Migration Policy Institute (MPI)
Abstract:: Apprehensions at the U.S.-Mexico border could approach the 1 million mark for fiscal 2019, a remarkable turnaround for a U.S. border security environment that just two years ago had witnessed the lowest levels of illegal immigration since 1971. How did what was once a major but often unrecognized success story become an out-of-control humanitarian and border security crisis? What are the push factors in Central America and the pull factors in the United States that have led to near-record migration flows in the past few months, when many of these factors have been present for years? This report draws on enforcement and other data from the United States, Mexico, and Central America, as well as analysis of changing migration trends and Trump administration policies to comprehensively tell this story. An enforcement system designed for the main challenge at the border for decades—illegal immigration of Mexican adults—has not been repointed to address the rapidly changing flows of families and unaccompanied children from Central America, many seeking humanitarian protection, others wanting work or to reunite with relatives already in the United States. The change has been dramatic: In 2008, Mexicans comprised more than 90 percent of apprehensions. By fiscal 2019, Guatemalans, Hondurans, and Salvadorans represented nearly three-quarters of apprehensions, with two-thirds composed of families or unaccompanied children. The border enforcement model must be urgently re-envisioned given the changing characteristics of today’s mixed flows, and with migration from Central America and potentially from other parts of the hemisphere and regions of the world, constituting today’s major and longer-term challenge to U.S.-Mexico border security and border management, the authors write. Rather than taking on ever more enforcement-oriented and punitive measures, which paradoxically have made the situation at the border worse, the U.S. government must turn its attention to a range of other elements. These include focusing on improving the asylum system to make processing more timely while remaining fair; reconfiguring border enforcement strategies and operations; increasing the use of supervised release pending asylum decisions; and an increased focus on regional cooperation in migration management and in tackling root causes of migration.
Topic:: Security, Science and Technology, Immigration, Infrastructure, and Border Control
Political Geography:: North America, Mexico, and United States of America

26. Investing in the Neighborhood: Changing Mexico-U.S. Migration Patterns and Opportunities for Sustainable Cooperation

Author:: Andrew Selee, Silvia E. Giorguli-Saucedo, Ariel G. Ruiz Soto, and Claudia Masferrer
Publication Date:: 09-2019
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Migration Policy Institute (MPI)
Abstract:: Current tensions between Mexico and the United States over migration—complete with divisive political rhetoric and unilateral U.S. actions affecting border communities—obscure an important reality: the migration challenges these two countries face are increasingly similar. Both are contending with large-scale mixed flows of humanitarian and other migrants from Central America, including many families and children travelling alone, and both have asylum systems struggling to keep up with a surge in requests for protection. They are also home to large numbers of each other’s nationals and grapple with similar policy questions when it comes to integrating these and other immigrants into local communities, schools, and economies. To build understanding of the changing migration landscape and begin to develop a shared vision for future cooperation, the Migration Policy Institute and El Colegio de México convened the Study Group on Mexico-U.S. Migration in late 2018 and early 2019. The group’s members include leading experts from government, academia, civil society, and the private sector. Informed by the study group’s discussions, this report begins with a snapshot of how migration patterns have changed—with the Mexican immigrant population in the United States shrinking since 2014, more Mexicans and their U.S.-born children moving from the United States to Mexico, and increasing numbers of Central Americans travelling to and applying for asylum in both countries. The report then explores policy options that could help Mexican and U.S. policymakers rethink key issues, including strategies for reforming asylum systems to enable timely and fair decision-making; and improving coordinated border management to facilitate the regular flow of goods and people, while preventing migrant smuggling, drug trafficking, and other illicit activities.
Topic:: Security, Science and Technology, Infrastructure, Border Control, Trafficking, Borders, and Smuggling
Political Geography:: North America, Mexico, and United States of America

27. Sustainable Reintegration: Strategies to Support Migrants Returning to Mexico and Central America

Author:: Ariel G. Ruiz Soto, Rodrigo Dominguez-Villegas, Luis Argueta, and Randy Capps
Publication Date:: 01-2019
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Migration Policy Institute (MPI)
Abstract:: As U.S. deportations to Mexico continue at substantial levels and the numbers returned by both the U.S. and Mexican governments to El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras are increasing, it has become more urgent for countries in the region to develop successful reception and reintegration programs that meet the diverse needs of returning migrants. Between fiscal years 2012-18, the United States carried out approximately 1.8 million repatriations of Mexican migrants, and the United States and Mexico together accomplished 1.4 million returns of migrants from the three Northern Triangle countries. Drawing on fieldwork and interviews with government officials, researchers, representatives of civil-society and international organizations, as well as returning migrants, this report highlights promising reintegration strategies and pressing challenges. Mexico and the three Northern Triangle countries exhibit different levels of capacity and degrees of implementation in their reception and reintegration programs. While most deported migrants now receive basic reception services, their access to reintegration services is somewhat more mixed. Among the challenges: Difficulty obtaining the official ID that allows returning migrants to access these services, limited awareness and geographic distribution of services, difficulty matching returning migrants’ skills with labor-market needs, and barriers to reintegration posed by social stigmatization and employment discrimination. The report offers a range of recommendations to governments and others, including: Prepare migrants for reintegration prior to their return, even before deportation; issue primary ID documents from abroad or upon reception; and ensure reintegration services tap into returning migrants' cultural roots. Improving reception and reintegration services represents a long-term investment for both destination and origin countries, the authors conclude, holding the potential to reduce re-migration while enabling countries of origin to benefit from the skills and assets migrants have acquired abroad.
Topic:: Education, International Cooperation, Immigration, Governance, Integration, and Deportation
Political Geography:: Central America and Mexico

28. Una buena política exterior contribuye a una buena política interior

Author:: COMEXI
Publication Date:: 01-2019
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Mexican Council on Foreign Relations (COMEXI)
Abstract:: Ante los resultados electorales del pasado primero de julio, se abre una extraordinaria oportunidad para repensar la estrategia mexicana hacia el exterior que posicione a México en un espacio congruente con sus objetivos internos y su realidad internacional. Todo ello en el contexto de las herramientas que tiene a su disposición para aumentar su atractivo y competitividad en el escenario internacional
Topic:: International Affairs
Political Geography:: Mexico

29. Prison populism in Latin America

Author:: Carlos Vilalta and Gustavo Fondevila
Publication Date:: 04-2019
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Igarapé Institute
Abstract:: The objective of this study is to offer a data-driven review of the growth, trends, and the principle reasons behind the rapid expansion of the prison population in the region during the past two decades. A key factor appears to be the rise of prison populism. We do not provide an argument for the recent decrease in the growth rate, it is too early to determine whether the recent slow-down in prison population growth is due to a regime shift in the time series, or the effect of random variation. Still, ceteris paribus, we provide a projection of the prison population rate for the region. This Strategic Note fills a gap in the literature. Our particular contribution consists of the compilation on quantitative data of the region’s prison population, with the purpose of providing a broad but novel overview of the rapid growth and challenges to a wide audience of researchers and practitioners worldwide.
Topic:: Prisons/Penal Systems, Population, and Populism
Political Geography:: Brazil, Latin America, Venezuela, and Mexico

30. Amérique latine - L’année politique 2018

Author:: David Díaz Arias, Luisa Cajamarca, Maya Collombon, Olivier Dabène, Gaspard Estrada, Manuel Gárate, Marie-Laure Geoffray, Damien Larrouqué, Frédéric Louault, Maria Teresa Martínez, Anaís Medeiros Passos, Kevin Parthenay, Gustavo Pastor, Carlos A. Romero, Pierre Salama, and Sebastián Urioste
Publication Date:: 01-2019
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Centre d'Etudes et de Recherches Internationales
Abstract:: Amérique latine - L’Année politique is a publication by CERI-Sciences Po’s Political Observatory of Latin America and the Caribbean (OPALC). The study extends the work presented on the Observatory’s website (www.sciencespo.fr/opalc) by offering tools for understanding a continent that is in the grip of deep transformations.
Topic:: Conflict Resolution, Security, Civil Society, Corruption, Crime, Democratization, Nationalism, Political Economy, Religion, Governance, Peacekeeping, Economy, Political Science, Regional Integration, Memory, and Transnational Actors
Political Geography:: Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Cuba, Latin America, Nicaragua, Caribbean, Venezuela, Mexico, Costa Rica, Chile, Peru, Paraguay, and Bolivia

31. Mexico Peace Index 2018:A comprehensive measure of peacefulness in Mexico

Publication Date:: 04-2018
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP)
Abstract:: The 2018 Mexico Peace Index (MPI), produced by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), provides a comprehensive measure of peacefulness in Mexico. The MPI is based on the work of the Global Peace Index, which is the leading measure of global peacefulness and has been produced by IEP every year since 2007. This is the fifth annual edition of the MPI, setting out the key trends, patterns and drivers of peace in Mexico, while also highlighting the most significant policy opportunities available to governments. The report analyses the dynamics of violence in Mexico and the strengths and weaknesses of the attitudes, institutions and structures, known as Positive Peace, needed to substantially lower the rates of violence. The report also estimates the significant economic impact of violence to the Mexican economy and the need to increase the level of investment in violence containment. Finally, the report provides strong quantitative evidence to aid in the development of policies to create a more peaceful society. The research is of assistance to policymakers, researchers, business leaders and the general public in building peace in Mexico.
Topic:: Economics, Peace Studies, Conflict, Violence, and Peace
Political Geography:: Central America and Mexico

32. Mexico in a Mirror

Author:: COMEXI
Publication Date:: 12-2018
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Mexican Council on Foreign Relations (COMEXI)
Abstract:: The Mexican Council on Foreign Relations (COMEXI), through its Energy Work Group, presents an analysis and a set of recommendations to guarantee the continuity of the Energy Reform, implemented in 2013. The Energy Work Group (GTE in Spanish) is a COMEXI-driven initiative that emerged in response to the need of addressing the challenges the energy sector has brought about for Mexico in the last years; it seeks to seize the chance to turn the country into a driver of development for all Mexicans. To this end, several experts, key players and leaders of energy companies in our country have joined forces to compile the best international practices in the field to have a positive impact on the strengthening of the energy market. Throughout its existence, the GTE has issued several recommendations concerning the instrumentation, implementation and effective date of the Energy Reform. These recommendations can be consulted on COMEXI’s official website. Also, many of them have been encompassed in the laws passed for the energy-market opening in Mexico. Hence, in this new release, we wish to contribute to guaranteeing the permanence of the Reform in the light of the unforeseeable circumstances we are currently undergoing, from the political ups and downs in Mexico to the renegotiation and future of NAFTA. This proposal summarizes some of the different alternatives Mexico could adopt to achieve this objective. Furthermore, it compares success stories in other regions of the world to shed light on the ups and downs of other country’s experiences and traces clear routes towards implementation. GTE will continue combining forces to contribute to the sector’s development and to consolid
Topic:: International Affairs
Political Geography:: Mexico and Global Focus

33. Perspectiva de ciberseguridad en México

Author:: COMEXI
Publication Date:: 07-2018
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Mexican Council on Foreign Relations (COMEXI)
Abstract:: La ciberseguridad es un tema que aparece cada día con mayor frecuencia en nuestros medios y permea una amplia gama de campos. Los ciberataques que enfrentamos cada vez con mayor frecuencia pueden afectar desde la integridad de infraestructura crítica como los sistemas bancarios del país; a la incidencia de robos de identidades personales y otros delitos; y hasta contribuir a la cada vez más tenue credibilidad de datos e información general que compromete nuestra capacidad de discernir objetivamente en momentos en que tomamos decisiones importantes. Es un tema que afecta, incluso, a la seguridad emocional de los niños en un entorno social que se ha trasladado a lo digital. En resumen, afecta de alguna forma a todos los sectores sociales
Topic:: International Affairs
Political Geography:: Mexico and Global Focus

34. Citizen Security in Latin America: Facts and Figures

Author:: Robert Muggah and Katherine Aguirre Tobón
Publication Date:: 04-2018
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Igarapé Institute
Abstract:: Many Latin American countries, states and cities are facing a chronic public security crisis. In spite of more than a decade of modest economic growth, crime and victimization rates are rising, not dropping. Nevertheless, recent information of 2017 show some signs of improvement. Criminal violence is routinely singled out as one of the top concerns of citizens from across Mexico, Central America and South America. And there are warning signs that the region ́s high rates of criminal violence and victimization will continue rising if nothing is done. Latin American priorities and approaches to public security have shifted over the past two decades, with growing attention devoted to citizen security. In contrast to traditional law and order approaches to crime, citizen security privileges a more comprehensive and people-centered conceptualization of security and safety – including more data-driven policing, smarter approaches to criminal justice, alternatives to incarceration, and investments in primary, secondary and tertiary prevention. The following report sets out the broad parameters of Latin America ‘s crime challenges and explores innovations in promoting public safety and citizen security. It also underlines the heterogeneity of Latin America ́s security environment, including the strong differences between regions, countries, states and cities. Taken together, the report issues a descriptive assessment of the scope and scale of the challenges, as well as opportunities for CAF to support partners in their efforts to prevent and reduce crime and improve safety for all Latin Americans.
Topic:: Security, Crime, International Security, Violence, and Data
Political Geography:: Latin America and Mexico

35. Creating the North Atlantic Marketplace for Jobs and Growth: Three Paths, One Detour, A U-Turn, and the Road to Nowhere

Author:: Daniel S. Hamilton
Publication Date:: 01-2018
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Center for Transatlantic Relations
Abstract:: For decades the partnership between North America and Europe has been a steady anchor in a world of rapid change. Today, however, the transatlantic partnership itself has become unsettled and uncertain. Nowhere is this clearer than in the economic sphere. Voters across the United States and many parts of Europe have grown skeptical of open markets. Concerns about stagnant wages, widening income inequality, and pockets of stubbornly high unemployment have combined with fears of automation, digitization and immigration to swell economic insecurities on each side of the Atlantic. The election of Donald Trump as U.S. president and the decision by British citizens to leave the European Union have only added to transatlantic uncertainties. This state of division and mutual inwardness threatens the prosperity and ultimately the position of North America and Europe in the global economy and the broader global security system. This study charts possible paths by which Americans and Europeans can navigate this strange new world. It describes how the transatlantic economy is being transformed by domestic political uncertainties, the digital revolution, the changing nature of production, and the diffusion of global power and intensified global competition. It takes account of shifting trade relations among the United States, Canada and Mexico through NAFTA, and what Brexit and the rise of non-EU Europe may mean for the European Union and for transatlantic partnership.
Topic:: Economics, International Trade and Finance, Treaties and Agreements, Partnerships, Brexit, Economic Growth, Trump, and NAFTA
Political Geography:: United Kingdom, Europe, Canada, North America, Mexico, United States of America, and European Union

36. Amérique latine - L’année politique 2017

Author:: Javier Corrales, Olivier Dabène, Gaspard Estrada, Antoine Faure, Erica Guevara, Marie-Esther Lacuisse, Damien Larrouqué, Nordin Lazreg, Frédéric Louault, Antoine Maillet, Frédéric Massé, and Luis Rivera Vélez
Publication Date:: 01-2018
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Centre d'Etudes et de Recherches Internationales
Abstract:: Amérique latine - L’Année politique is a publication by CERI-Sciences Po’s Political Observatory of Latin America and the Caribbean (OPALC). The study extends the work presented on the Observatory’s website (www.sciencespo.fr/opalc) by offering tools for understanding a continent that is in the grip of deep transformations.
Topic:: Corruption, Crime, Democratization, Economics, International Trade and Finance, Sovereignty, Peacekeeping, Protests, Political Science, Regional Integration, Transnational Actors, and Borders
Political Geography:: Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Latin America, Nicaragua, Caribbean, Haiti, Venezuela, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Jamaica, Costa Rica, Chile, Peru, Paraguay, and Bolivia

37. La gouvernance des organisations régionales latino-américaines Etude comparée du rôle des secrétaires généraux (The Governance of Latin American Regional Organizations A Comparative Study of the Role of General Secretaries)

Author:: Kevin Parthenay
Publication Date:: 01-2018
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Centre d'Etudes et de Recherches Internationales
Abstract:: In Latin America, as elsewhere in the world, regional and subregional organizations have multiplied recently. Scholars tend to focus on the variety of regionalisms or their ever changing nature (postliberal, post-hegemonic...). This study, through a political sociology of regionalism approach, examines Latin American regions and their actors and goes beyond the first set of questions. In this perspective, scrutinizing the regional General Secretaries of the sub-continent is particularly useful to understand how regional powers emerge. With a specific focus on the Southern Common Market (UNSUR), the Common Market of the South (MERCOSUR), the Andean Community of Nations (CAN) and the Central American Integration System (SICA), this research offers a more precise answer to the question of the configuration of power within Latin American regionalisms.
Topic:: Sovereignty, Sociology, Governance, Multilateralism, Political Science, Regional Integration, and Networks
Political Geography:: Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Latin America, Nicaragua, Caribbean, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Costa Rica, Chile, Peru, Ecuador, and Bolivia

38. Good Foreign Policy Makes for Good Domestic Policy//Una Buena Política Exterior Contribuye a Una Buena Política Interior

Author:: COMEXI
Publication Date:: 11-2018
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Mexican Council on Foreign Relations (COMEXI)
Abstract:: The electoral results of July 1st 2018 bring an extraordinary opportunity to rethink Mexico’s foreign strategy in order to position the country in accordance with its domestic goals and its international reality, considering the means that the country has at its disposal to increase its appeal and competitiveness on the international stage. Mexico has several comparative advantages that can be leveraged—and, at the same time, reinforced—in the international arena. These include the country’s geographic position (bridging the Atlantic and the Pacific), demographics (with an average age of 28 years), language (Spanish is the second-most spoken language in the world), energy resources, 12 trade agreements with 46 countries, economic and political stability, and a denuclearized, interstate Zone of Peace free of religious conflict. The next Mexican administration will face an unusually complex international environment that will force it to give special priority to its foreign policy. Challenges that arise in the international arena could affect national stability, undermine Mexico’s room for maneuver, and impact its development goals. Therefore, having a clear, relevant, and viable strategy that addresses the fundamental interests of the Mexican people and that also has enough clout on the international stage, is crucial. / Ante los resultados electorales del pasado primero de julio, se abre una extraordinaria oportunidad para repensar la estrategia mexicana hacia el exterior que posicione a México en un espacio congruente con sus objetivos internos y su realidad internacional. Todo ello en el contexto de las herramientas que tiene a su disposición para aumentar su atractivo y competitividad en el escenario internacional. México posee diversas ventajas comparativas que pueden ser aprovechadas —y, al mismo tiempo, dinamizadas— en el entorno internacional. Por mencionar algunas: la localización geográfica, puente entre el Atlántico y el Pacífico; la demografía, con una edad de población promedio de 28 años; el idioma, el español es el segundo idioma más hablado en el mundo; los recursos energéticos; una red de 12 tratados comerciales con 46 países; estabilidad económica y política; y una zona de paz interestatal, desnuclearizada, y sin conflictos religiosos. El próximo gobierno de México enfrentará un escenario internacional inusualmente complejo que le obligará a otorgar un grado de prioridad muy destacado a su política exterior. Los desafíos provenientes del ámbito internacional podrían afectar la estabilidad nacional, socavar sus márgenes de maniobra e incidir sobre sus metas de desarrollo, por lo que resulta crucial contar con una estrategia precisa, pertinente, y de ejecución viable, que responda a los intereses esenciales de la nación mexicana, y que alcance la contundencia necesaria en el ámbito internacional.
Topic:: International Relations, Foreign Policy, Development, Elections, European Union, and Domestic Policy
Political Geography:: China, Latin America, North America, Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, and United States of America

39. Fragile States Index 2018 – Annual Report

Author:: J. J. Messner, Nate Haken, Patricia Taft, Ignatius Onyekwere, Hannah Blyth, Charles Fiertz, Christina Murphy, Amanda Quinn, and McKenzie Horwitz
Publication Date:: 04-2018
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: The Fund for Peace
Abstract:: The Fragile States Index, produced by The Fund for Peace, is a critical tool in highlighting not only the normal pressures that all states experience, but also in identifying when those pressures are pushing a state towards the brink of failure. By highlighting pertinent issues in weak and failing states, The Fragile States Index—and the social science framework and software application upon which it is built—makes political risk assessment and early warning of conflict accessible to policy-makers and the public at large.
Topic:: Oil, Sovereignty, Natural Resources, Authoritarianism, Counter-terrorism, Democracy, Fragile States, Economy, Domestic Politics, Conflict, Resilience, Regional Politics, and Illiberalism
Political Geography:: Africa, Europe, Middle East, Poland, South America, Hungary, Spain, Venezuela, Mexico, Catalonia, Qatar, Central Europe, Sahel, Global Focus, United States of America, and Gambia

40. Preserving and Strengthening the U.S.-Mexico Relationship

Author:: Dan Restrepo, Michael Werz, and Joel Martinez
Publication Date:: 01-2017
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Center for American Progress - CAP
Abstract:: The United States and Mexico share far more than a 1,989-mile border.1 The two countries share a deep, complex history. This history is marked by ups and downs; by war and cooperation; by competition and collaboration; by the movement—northbound and southbound—of millions of people across a shared border in search of a better future; by a trickle of trade and today’s flow of more than $1.5 billion of goods and services crossing the border every day.* As the new U.S. administration transitions from rhetoric to reality and from campaigning to governing, it will inherit a U.S.-Mexico relationship in perhaps the best shape it has ever been. But it will also inherit a relationship threatened by President Donald Trump’s repeated vilification of Mexico and Mexicans. If that vilification becomes official U.S. policy, it will harm the United States—at home, throughout the Americas, and around the globe—because of the profound transformations that have unfolded over the past 30 years in Mexico and in the bilateral relationship itself.
Topic:: Diplomacy, International Trade and Finance, Regional Cooperation, and Bilateral Relations
Political Geography:: North America, Mexico, and United States of America

41. Improving Mexico’s Economic Competitiveness Through Security Cooperation

Author:: Eugenio Weigend Vargas
Publication Date:: 05-2017
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Center for American Progress - CAP
Abstract:: The United States and Mexico share more than one of the longest borders in the world; they have important economic, social, and political ties as well. The two countries share a complex history that is marked by both war and cooperation, competition and collaboration. As a result, issues that arise in one country directly affect the other.1 President Donald Trump, both as a candidate and as president, has cast a bright light on U.S.-Mexico relations and has been public with his views on the relationship. Among President Trump’s numerous assertions, his three main points of discussion have been: having a secure border;2 dismantling transnational organized crime;3 and assuring a stable and vibrant Mexico that “is good for the United States.”4 Having a secure U.S.-Mexican border that fosters joint security and stability is in the interest of the United States, as the binational relationship is fundamentally different from the United States’ relationship with any other country.5 Bilateral trade, social ties, and security cooperation are important issues—for both countries—that are highly influenced by the U.S.-Mexico relationship.
Topic:: Security, Regional Cooperation, Borders, Economic Cooperation, and Strategic Competition
Political Geography:: North America, Mexico, and United States of America

42. Boosting U.S.-Mexico Clean Energy Cooperation

Author:: Joel Martinez
Publication Date:: 10-2017
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Center for American Progress - CAP
Abstract:: Expanding cooperation and interconnectivity across the U.S.-Mexico border to increase renewable energy trade can help address pressing issues in the binational economic relationship.
Topic:: Diplomacy, Energy Policy, International Trade and Finance, and Bilateral Relations
Political Geography:: North America, Mexico, and United States of America

43. Mexico in a Mirror: International Lessons for the Consolidation of the New Mexican Energy Model/México ante el espejo: Lecciones internacionales para la consolidación del nuevo Modelo Energético Mexicano

Author:: COMEXI
Publication Date:: 01-2017
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Mexican Council on Foreign Relations (COMEXI)
Abstract:: The Mexican Council on Foreign Relations (COMEXI), through its Energy Work Group, presents an analysis and a set of recommendations to guarantee the continuity of the Energy Reform, implemented in 2013. The Energy Work Group (GTE in Spanish) is a COMEXI-driven initiative that emerged in response to the need of addressing the challenges the energy sector has brought about for Mexico in the last years; it seeks to seize the chance to turn the country into a driver of development for all Mexicans. To this end, several experts, key players and leaders of energy companies in our country have joined forces to compile the best international practices in the field to have a positive impact on the strengthening of the energy market. Throughout its existence, the GTE has issued several recommendations concerning the instrumentation, implementation and effective date of the Energy Reform. These recommendations can be consulted on COMEXI’s official website. Also, many of them have been encompassed in the laws passed for the energy-market opening in Mexico. Hence, in this new release, we wish to contribute to guaranteeing the permanence of the Reform in the light of the unforeseeable circumstances we are currently undergoing, from the political ups and downs in Mexico to the renegotiation and future of NAFTA. This proposal summarizes some of the different alternatives Mexico could adopt to achieve this objective. Furthermore, it compares success stories in other regions of the world to shed light on the ups and downs of other country’s experiences and traces clear routes towards implementation. GTE will continue combining forces to contribute to the sector’s development and to consolidate our country as a competitive and relevant energy player. / El Consejo Mexicano deAsuntos Internacionales (COMEXI), a través de su Grupo de Trabajo de Energía, presenta un análisis y serie de recomendaciones para garantizar la continuidad de la Reforma Energética, implementada en el 2013. El Grupo de Trabajo de Energía (GTE) es una iniciativa de COMEXI que surgió ante la necesidad de atender los retos que el sector energético ha representado para México en los últimos años, así como para aprovecharla oportunidad de convertirlo en un motor de desarrollo para los mexicanos. Para ello, diversos expertos, actores clave y directivos de empresas energéticas en nuestro país han sumado esfuerzos para recopilar mejores prácticas internacionales en el tema, con el fin de influir positivamente en el fortalecimiento del mercado energético
Topic:: Energy Policy, Markets, International Affairs, Reform, and NAFTA
Political Geography:: North America and Mexico

44. Redefining the Relationship for Prosperity in North America/Redefiniendo la relación para la prosperidad de Norteamérica

Author:: COMEXI
Publication Date:: 12-2017
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Mexican Council on Foreign Relations (COMEXI)
Abstract:: T he Mexican Council on Foreign Relations (COMEXI, for its acronym in Spanish) submits for the consideration of political and business leaders, as well as of public opinion, ideas to help guide the U.S.-Mexico relationship in the new binational context. The initiative is made up of general guidelines, as well as a series of specific recommendations for each of the main components of the relationship: NAFTA, Security, Migration, Border, Consulates and Communications. Because of the impending NAFTA re-negotiations, the chapter related to trade is much more detailed, and much longer, than the other position papers. For this reason, we have chosen to keep the recommendations and quotes from the text of the agreement within the main body of the text. The issues are, by nature, technical and detail-driven. The upshot is one of the most complete papers that has been published on the topic in recent times. We are confident that it will become required reading during the long negotiation process that is just beginning. This English-language compendium contains a complete translation of the original text in Spanish. Our guiding principle is that what is good for Mexico is good for the rest of North America, and vice versa. For this reason, we are fostering this dialogue in both languages, confident that a mutually beneficial, “win-win” view of the relationship will ultimately prevail for the benefit of the 475 million inhabitants of our region. // E l Consejo Mexicano de Asuntos Internacionales presenta su propuesta para conducir la relación bilateral México-Estados Unidos en el nuevo contexto. El proyecto está integrado por un planteamiento global y una serie de recomendaciones específicas para cada uno de los principales componentes de la relación: TLCAN, Seguridad, Migración, Frontera, Consulados y Comunicación. En virtud de la necesidad inmediata de implementar estrategias relativas al inminente proceso de renegociación del TLCAN, el documento en esta materia es mucho más amplio, detallado y específico. Por esa razón, decidimos mantener el cúmulo de observaciones y citas en el cuerpo del texto, ya que el tema es, por naturaleza, técnico y minucioso. Este es uno de los documentos más completos que se han publicado recientemente sobre el TLCAN y confiamos en que se convertirá en un referente obligado durante el largo proceso de negociación que se avecina. Este conjunto de ensayos representa la culminación del trabajo de COMEXI, liderado por su presidente, Luis Rubio. Surge gracias a la amplia participación de los miembros del Consejo y reconocidos expertos, quienes se organizaron por tema para dar a luz los trabajos aquí integrados. Es menester, también, reconocer el trabajo coadyuvante de la directora del COMEXI, Mariana Campero y de Miguel Toro, cuyos esfuerzos para editar y homologar los trabajos fueron fundamentales.
Topic:: Security, Migration, International Affairs, Communications, NAFTA, and Borders
Political Geography:: North America and Mexico

45. Renegotiating NAFTA: Options for investment protection

Author:: Geoffrey Gertz
Publication Date:: 03-2017
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: The Brookings Institution
Abstract:: President Donald Trump has promised to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which links the United States with two of its largest trading partners, Canada and Mexico. Officials in both Canada and Mexico have signaled they are open to renegotiations, and talks are expected to begin soon. New commerce secretary Wilbur Ross has indicated he hopes the negotiations could be completed within a year.
Topic:: International Relations, International Trade and Finance, and International Security
Political Geography:: America, Canada, and Mexico

46. Leaders, Contexts, and Complexities: IFP Impacts in Latin America

Author:: Mirka Martel
Publication Date:: 11-2017
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Institute of International Education (IIE)
Abstract:: The third report from our 10-year tracking study of the Ford Foundation International Fellowships Program (IFP), Leaders, Contexts, and Complexities provides an in-depth look at the lives and careers of IFP alumni in three Latin American countries: Brazil, Guatemala, and Mexico. Drawing on interviews and focus groups with 268 alumni, former IFP staff, community members, and other stakeholders, the fieldwork paints a complex picture that highlights the opportunities of the IFP experience against the challenges posed by local social and political realities. Myriad examples emerged from the fieldwork of ways the IFP fellowship has helped boost the individual lives and social justice careers of many members of Brazil, Guatemala, and Mexico’s most disadvantaged communities. IFP alumni in these countries are serving in leadership roles, most often in academia, government, and civil society organizations. They are directing research centers, serving as vice ministers of education, and leading organizations that work on a wide range of social justice issues such as cultural preservation, indigenous and human rights, and youth development. At the same time, home country contextual challenges have limited the extent to which some alumni have been able to advance their careers, their organizations, and social progress more generally. Several alumni have faced significant challenges because of continued discrimination and difficult labor market conditions in their home countries. In contrast, some alumni in Brazil have been able to leverage the introduction of affirmative action programs and other policies aimed at addressing inequities to advance their social justice aims. Taken together, these findings show that local environments matter.
Topic:: Employment, Leadership, Social Justice, and Higher Education
Political Geography:: Brazil, Latin America, Mexico, and Guatemala

47. Amérique latine - L’année politique 2016

Author:: Maya Collombon, Jacinto Cuvi, Olivier Dabène, Gaspard Estrada, Antoine Faure, Erica Guevara, Damien Larrouqué, Frédéric Louault, Antoine Maillet, Frédéric Massé, Kevin Parthenay, Eduardo Rios, and Darío Rodriguez
Publication Date:: 01-2017
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Centre d'Etudes et de Recherches Internationales
Abstract:: Amérique latine - L’Année politique is a publication by CERI-Sciences Po’s Political Observatory of Latin America and the Caribbean (OPALC). The study extends the work presented on the Observatory’s website (www.sciencespo.fr/opalc) by offering tools for understanding a continent that is in the grip of deep transformations.
Topic:: Economics, History, Sociology, State Violence, and Political Science
Political Geography:: Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Latin America, Nicaragua, Caribbean, Venezuela, Mexico, Chile, and Ecuador

48. Fragile States Index 2017 – Annual Report

Author:: J. J. Messner, Nate Haken, Hannah Blyth, Christina Murphy, Amanda Quinn, George Lehner, and Daniel Ganz
Publication Date:: 05-2017
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: The Fund for Peace
Abstract:: The Fragile States Index, produced by The Fund for Peace, is a critical tool in highlighting not only the normal pressures that all states experience, but also in identifying when those pressures are pushing a state towards the brink of failure. By highlighting pertinent issues in weak and failing states, The Fragile States Index—and the social science framework and software application upon which it is built—makes political risk assessment and early warning of conflict accessible to policy-makers and the public at large.
Topic:: Fragile States, Economic Growth, Domestic Politics, Coup, Instability, and Autocracy
Political Geography:: Africa, United Kingdom, Turkey, Middle East, South Africa, Brazil, Colombia, South America, North America, Ethiopia, Mexico, South Sudan, Global Focus, and United States of America

49. Shared Border, Shared Future: A Blueprint to Regulate US-Mexico Labor Mobility

Author:: Carlos Gutierrez, Ernesto Zedillo, and Michael Clemens
Publication Date:: 09-2016
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Center for Global Development
Abstract:: Mexico and the United States have lacked a bilateral agreement to regulate cross-border labor mobility since 1965. Since that time, unlawful migration from Mexico to the US has exploded. Almost half of the 11.7 million Mexican-born individuals living in the U.S. do not have legal authorization. This vast black market in labor has harmed both countries. These two neighboring countries, with an indisputably shared destiny, can come together to work out a better way. The time has come for a lasting, innovative, and cooperative solution. To address this challenge, the Center for Global Development assembled a group of leaders from both countries and with diverse political affiliations—from backgrounds in national security, labor unions, law, economics, business, and diplomacy—to recommend how to move forward. The result is a new blueprint for a bilateral agreement that is designed to end unlawful migration, promote the interests of U.S. and Mexican workers, and uphold the rule of law.
Topic:: International Political Economy, International Affairs, Labor Issues, and Border Control
Political Geography:: America and Mexico

50. A Bond Worth Strengthening Understanding the Mexican Military and U.S.-Mexican Military Cooperation

Author:: Iñigo Guevara Moyano
Publication Date:: 10-2016
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: The Wilson Center
Abstract:: Over the past decade, the Mexican military has been crafted into hardened and more professional military, skilled in fourth generation warfare, operating across the spectrum of conflict from surgical small-unit Special Forces missions to division-level stability operations in areas comparable in size to Belgium. As new—state and non-state—threats loom on the horizon, the U.S. and Mexican militaries will need to rely on deepening their connection and increasing bilateral trust to build a stronger and interdependent defense relationship. The increase in dialogue and cooperation builds trust and promotes mutual understanding between Mexico and the United States, crafting deep ties between both militaries during a time when the radicalization of political ideas threatens to transcend electoral campaign rhetoric and affect the economic and social fields of North America. For two neighbors that share an annual trade worth USD 534 billion along a 2,000-mile border, understanding each other’s strengths and weaknesses should be a priority. This paper is meant to provide a deeper understanding of the Mexican military and its contribution to the defense and security of North America. It does so by analyzing the evolution of Mexico’s armed forces, and the past and present cooperation between the Mexican and the U.S. militaries.
Topic:: International Cooperation, International Affairs, Armed Forces, and Military Affairs
Political Geography:: America and Mexico

Search

Search Constraints

Search Results

Refine your search

Topic

Political Geography

Content Type

Publishing Institution

Author

Publication Year

COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY PRESS