| Visualize being in the indigenous Third World. | | | | children now drive fast sports cars improving their |
| Imagine an indigenous populist political candidate from a | | | | self-esteem so they won't feel so "Indian". |
| populist political party running for mayor. This candidate | | | | The revolutionary also managed to make a number of |
| campaigns throughout the countryside blaming the | | | | improvements on his ranch. |
| current local political administration of being corrupt, | | | | Things were good for the new political boss of this |
| leaving the municipality in debt and not doing anything | | | | small city of indigenous people because he reportedly |
| for "the people". | | | | paid himself a salary greater than the salary of the |
| As a reformer this populist candidate goes to rural | | | | President of Mexico. Or as they used to say in the old |
| areas and promises new roads, community centers, | | | | days; "nice work if you can get it." |
| jobs, schools, assistance for farmers and small | | | | As the populist mayor's term came to an end, the |
| businesses, health clinics and so on. | | | | protests began to heat up. The farmers wanted to |
| He promises the urban electorate road repairs, | | | | know why the mayor kept none of the promises he |
| improved garbage service, new sewer lines and new | | | | made to them. The local housewives wanted to know |
| culverts to prevent flooding during heavy rains and so | | | | why the streets in their neighborhoods had been |
| on. | | | | neglected while the streets in the mayor's |
| To put it bluntly, this whole region of about 60,000 | | | | neighborhood were all repaired. |
| people needed just about everything. | | | | The local business people wondered what services |
| As one of the poorest regions in Mexico this area was | | | | would be cut back and how that would hurt their |
| economically depressed with an eroding agricultural | | | | businesses. The vendors at the local market |
| base causing many locals to leave the area in search | | | | wondered how long they could sell food with the |
| of work. And greater than 90% of the population was | | | | stench of sewage filling the air. |
| indigenous Maya. | | | | They also wondered why the Mayor arranged to sell |
| The party in power had been in power for many | | | | city property to a big box chain competitor planning to |
| decades and had made an "institution" out of | | | | locate just a few blocks from the "peoples" market. |
| corruption. This corruption pervaded every aspect of | | | | The new incoming mayor from a different party said |
| government and nothing happened of a local political | | | | times would not only be austere but in fact many city |
| nature unless it happened through this systemic | | | | services would be curtailed or possibly eliminated. He |
| corruption. | | | | also indicated that many financial records were not |
| The new populist candidate railed on this corruption at | | | | complete and that would be how his administration |
| the federal, state and of course local government | | | | would start his term. |
| levels. Tired of corrupt government abusing the | | | | Impossible fancy? Hardly. It happens all over the |
| electorate, the electorate voted for the candidate of | | | | developing world with indigenous peoples. The |
| "change" who won in a landslide. The local political | | | | ex-mayor in question is from Quintana Roo, Mexico; |
| "revolution" had started. | | | | the same rapidly developing state as Cancun, |
| Fast forward this scene to three years later. | | | | Cozumel, Playa del Carmen and Tulum. |
| The city is on the verge of bankruptcy. The municipal | | | | As the Governor stood by the new mayor promised |
| debt has soared in the past few years some 2,000 | | | | he would work hard to confront local problems but the |
| percent placing almost all city services on the edge of | | | | coming years will most certainly be austere and the |
| collapse. Municipal workers are on strike demanding | | | | local populace will have to expect cuts and reductions |
| back wages which had been promised by the populist | | | | in service. By working together there is hope, the new |
| party's candidate. | | | | chief says reassuringly. |
| In three years almost no local streets were maintained | | | | Folks always need hope. But just what hope can |
| except of course in the neighborhood where the | | | | realistically be expected from a corrupt system? |
| populist revolutionary lived. During the rainy season | | | | Unfortunately the only realistic expectation is that like |
| many of the local streets flood and are impassable. | | | | history a corrupt system repeats itself; it's the nature |
| The local city hall building needs painting and is | | | | of the system. |
| beginning to look abandoned. | | | | So in the end it is largely an indigenous thing; a version |
| The local populist meanwhile has done rather well. | | | | of the theme "we have met the enemy and they are |
| Reportedly his family has been able to take trips to | | | | us". But you have to admit it's nice work if you can get |
| Europe and expand their cultural awareness. His | | | | it. |