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What political crisis is hidden behind the establishment of PRI?
Since its establishment in 1929, Mexico's Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI, Partido Revolucionario Institucional) has dominated the country's political arena for a long time and has experienced many changes in power. Its predecessor was the National Revolutionary Party (PNR) and the Mexican Revolutionary Party (PRM). Over time, the PRI gradually formed a totalitarian party system. Behind its establishment, it reflected the profound crisis of Mexican politics and the complex historical background. .
During its long rule, the PRI controlled the political power through corporatism, electoral collusion, and political repression.
PRI's founding dates back to 1928, when the assassination of presidential election candidate Álvaro Obregón caused a political crisis. In order to avoid a recurrence of similar incidents, Plutarco Elías Calles proposed the creation of a political party that could unite all revolutionary factions to maintain political stability. The emergence of the PRI, along with the absorption of other parties, quickly became the main representative of the interests of the state power.
Institutionalized violence and complicity
PRI has maintained a state of "perfect dictatorship" over the past seventy years. This dictatorship is not only reflected in political control, but is also deeply rooted in all aspects of society. Its institutionalized control mechanism has never been truly open to the outside world. In the political environment at that time, dark electoral manipulation and corruption were commonplace, and many intellectuals and urban residents felt deeply dissatisfied with the PRI's rule.
"In Latin America, there is no case comparable to this efficiency." - Description of PRI
With the rise of social movements in the 1960s, student protests raged, culminating in the famous Tarratlolco massacre, in which hundreds of unarmed demonstrators were killed by the military. Since then, economic crises have ensued, gradually eroding citizens' living standards and further increasing dissatisfaction with this authoritarian regime.
Changes in Ideology
In the evolution of its ninety-year history, the PRI's ideology has also undergone significant changes, shifting from the original center-left to the center-right, and began to adopt privatization and market economy policies. However, the ideological collision between different presidential regimes eventually led to the departure of many members of the Nice left and the establishment of the Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD). This political change marked the gradual emergence of the crisis of the PRI.
"The perfect dictatorship is Mexico, it is a dictatorship in disguise." - Mario Vargas Llosa's famous quote
In 2000, the PRI finally lost the presidential seat it had held since 1929. Although it regained power in the two intervening elections, the ensuing anti-corruption campaign and worsening drug war have caused the party to increasingly lose trust among voters. Their candidate, José Antonio Meade, recorded the worst result in the party's history in the 2018 elections.
Future challenges
Although the PRI dominated Mexican politics for more than seventy years, many of the problems under its rule still plague the country today. After experiencing economic setbacks, social protests and political scandals, the PRI needs to carry out in-depth reforms to win back the trust of the people. Therefore, there are still many unknown variables regarding the future political situation and the direction of PRI.
In this historical context, was the establishment of PRI a success or a failure? Will this question continue to stimulate people's thinking and discussion?
