117 Country Report: Information Network

“TRADITIONAL” SOURCES

1. El Universal is a Mexican newspaper founded in 1916 and is now based in Mexico City. It is composed of articles and other posts written by journalists based in Mexico City, but there is also coverage for a few other Mexican States, including Puebla, Querétaro, San Luis Potosí, and Oaxaca. It is originally published in Spanish, though there is an English webpage as well. I accessed the site at https://www.eluniversal.com.mx/, and the English version of the website at https://www.eluniversal.com.mx/english. It can be accessed in Mexico by finding one of the printed copies that are widely distributed throughout the country, or online. In the online format, El Universal’s homepage resembles that of a magazine spread rather than a news site, as the article titles are all displayed together rather than in categorized lists. There is a way to find categories and sort articles in this fashion, but I thought this homepage was an interesting observation. Articles are written periodically and are still written to date, and are, at least on El Universal’s webpage, updated daily. Copies of the newspaper are also sold daily (in fact, in 2014 El Universal sold 166,746 copies a day!), though the ability to update past stories in this format is difficult (Pérez-Stadelmann, 2014).
El Universal is known for reporting on a wide variety of issues and topics–including national and global news, sports updates, cultural pieces, and science and health news–and doing so in a way that has historically been more advanced than the other news outlets in Mexico. Throughout the more-than-a-century-long period that El Universal has been in circulation, such as ticker and telephoto equipment in 1942 that no newspaper in Latin America used yet. Overall, El Universal is a plural and impartial source, but it has both strengths and weaknesses. For one, the paper and website have been around longer and been able to advance quicker than many other news outlets in Mexico. The technology and bank of journalists that El Universal has access to make it possible to cover any event in real time, giving readers a constant flow of reputable information. However, the source is not without its controversy: it has even been accused of prioritizing its relationship with the government over reporting honestly on key events in Mexican history (“El Universal). Overall, though, this source has proven itself to be a useful point of information sharing for many people, in Mexico and elsewhere, and I believe this position as a long-standing and regionally-recognized publication is what makes it a valuable source for those wishing to learn more about Mexico.

Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Universal_(Mexico_City)#Controversies
https://archivo.eluniversal.com.mx/in-english/2014/universal-98-anniversary-95226.html

2. Reforma is another newspaper that was founded in Mexico City, though first in 1993. The paper is owned by Grupo Reforma, which belongs to the Consorcio Interamericano de Comunicación S.A. de C.V. (CICSA) corporate family, a collection of seven major newspaper industry organizations (“Reforma”). Along with articles written by Reforma, the paper also features weekly translations of certain The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal articles that are relevant to Mexico. The source can be found online at https://www.reforma.com/, or can be found in Mexico as a daily newspaper. Both forms of the source are updated daily.
According to Media Ownership Monitor Mexico, “Reforma has established itself as one of the most important media in Mexican journalism” (“Reforma”). It is published in Spanish, though some external sites offer translations of Reforma into English and other languages. Much like El Universal, Reforma posts articles pertaining to national and international news, business, culture, and science, but I found it interesting that there was a separate section on the website for COVID-19-related news. Grupo Reforma has a commitment to non-partisan and independent reporting, but Reforma has nonetheless been cited as a right-wing source. It is this potential for bias, as well as the relatively young age of the periodical that could be seen as weaknesses for the source, but I also view the paper’s diversity of topics and its status as an independent paper (unlike El Universal) as strengths. Though the webpage is not translated into English directly, I still think Reforma can serve as a valuable source for those wishing to learn more about Mexico because it seems to be updated frequently and even pulls in reports from other countries’ publications about issues that Mexicans may find important.

Sources:
https://mexico.mom-rsf.org/en/media/detail/outlet/reforma/

3. Proceso is a Mexican news magazine that is written in Spanish by a collection of journalists living in Mexico. It distributes physical magazines, but also maintains an online presence where people can view stories and media in Spanish. When viewing Proceso online, this magazine’s website can be accessed at https://www.proceso.com.mx/. There are new stories being written every week, if not daily in some cases. I read articles released on the day prior to me visiting the site, so clearly, Proceso stays on top of providing updates. This source provides a wide array of information, spanning from international and national news, to business and economy information, to articles on sports and culture. One thing to note, however, is that this publication is liberal leaning. That could be noted as a weakness, for the information Proceso presents will not be 100% neutral, but having a slight lean to one side is, in my opinion, still okay. Moreover, Proceso runs ads in its newspaper, which could mean that they are at the mercy of their advertisers when it comes to publication. It is important to be wary of things like that! On the other hand, though, I do think Proceso has some great strong points to it, such as the fact that they update their news so frequently, have a large network of journalists reporting for them, and that they are written by and for a Spanish audience. Overall, I think having such a broad and ubiquitous source as this is helpful for myself and others hoping to gain knowledge of Mexican current events, for everything you could need is right there on the website.

4. La Jornada is another independent daily newspaper in Mexico, based in Mexico City. They have their own website as well for accessing digital content, which can be found at https://www.jornada.com.mx/. As an independent news source, the editors of La Jornada can choose what to publish in their newspaper and who will write it. Of the staff of journalists, most are located in Mexico City, though some elsewhere in the country. Things are updated very frequently at La Jornada–I even saw posts that were written the same day I was on the site. While the articles are written in Spanish, it is possible to translate the webpage into English, which was helpful for me. This periodical also contains a wide variety of information, such as that on state news, political pieces, economic reports, and so on. I think it is interesting that La Jornada has a cartoon section, and they also run a blog that goes along with the newspaper. The perspective of the publication is not very obvious from their website, but I do know they are an independent company, rather than being sanctioned by the government of another large media conglomerate. I think being independent serves as a strength for La Jornada, as well as their commitment to frequent and relevant news updates. I also think their website is very well organized and user-friendly. I cannot seem to gauge what the perspective of this news source is, though, so I do not know if it can be relied on to be completely neutral. I consider this a weakness for the source, though some may not agree. Overall, however, there are definitely more strengths than weaknesses here, and I think La Jornada is a valuable source for how easy it is to access–through print, the web, a blog, or whatever suits your lifestyle best!

“NEW” SOURCES

1. The web-platform globalEDGE is a project developed by the International Business Center and the Eli Broad College of Business at Michigan State University. Partially funded by a U.S. Department of Education, globalEDGE connects users to a collection of over 5,000 quality resources for information on business and trade, history, culture, and more. The site is published in English, but it does link to websites from Mexico as well. I accessed globalEDGE at https://globaledge.msu.edu/countries/mexico for the page on Mexico, but it looks like many other countries are reported on here, too. The site seems to be updated periodically, though not as often as the online newspapers in my previous section. There is also a blog linked through globalEDGE’s webpage, however, that gets updated almost weekly. The website is said to be mostly student-run by those at Michigan State University, but because of their involvement with the university’s esteemed International Business Center, I believe the information is credible.
Because of this webpage’s unique stance as an academic resource, the perspective of the information dissemination is fairly straightforward and neutral. It is partially funded by a government grant, so the contributors of the site are entrusted to give unbiased information to readers. I would say this site primarily focuses on global business information more than anything else, so that could shift the perspective a bit. I find this source to be a very strong one because of its pedagogical nature; the resource was created in a higher education setting, receives funding from the government rather than a private source, and is maintained by students and staff at Michigan State. This serves as a passion project that can also help others, and that is something I believe in. One weakness I could identify with this source, however, is that it is not run by someone in Mexico. Despite using credible data sources, some of the information published on globalEDGE might not be as helpful as a source right from my country of interest. However, I expect that globalEDGE would be a valuable source for those wishing to learn more about Mexico because of its approachable, college-student focused nature and its commitment to our widespread connection to global information.

2. Mexico Institute is a blog on Mexican news that, according to their homepage, seeks to “improve understanding, communication, and cooperation between Mexico and the United States by promoting original research, encouraging public discussion, and proposing policy options for enhancing the bilateral relationship” (Mexico Institute). It is a non-partisan, independent project of the Mexico Institute of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, and a binational Advisory Board, chaired by Dr. Luis Téllez and Ambassador E. Anthony Wayne, oversees their work. The online source can be found at the blog’s website: https://mexicoinstitute.wordpress.com/. While the individual authors are not named with each article, the blog does make sure to post multiple updated pieces each day. The topics covered by the blog include mainly migration and migrants, security cooperation, economic integration, energy and natural resources, and border issues between Mexico and the US. Though written mainly from the perspective of Mexico, it is hard to say exactly where this blog is based as the articles are published in English. Importantly, though, this blog is non-partisan and independent. These are all surely strengths of the project, along with the fact that it is a project of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars; this means there is academic merit and an egalitarian aspect of the blog that I believe sets it apart from most mainstream media outlets. The posts aren’t written in Spanish, however, and I think that could be a weakness of the source for people looking for bona fide Spanish information. All in all, I think this source is an important one, and a good alternative to the everyday news websites. It is consistently updated, overseen by respected academics, and covers a range of crucial topics.

3. Gobierno de México is the official website for the Mexican government. Found at https://www.gob.mx/, this website is a great place to go when looking for information about everyday life in Mexico. Run by the government, it can be a well-revered source for accurate intel. In this website format, viewers can click through easily organized links to find whatever they are looking for. This website looks to be updated as often as the relevant information changes, such as the gas prices or currency exchange rates in Mexico. Originated in Mexico and written in Spanish, the Government of Mexico website is a neutral and educational source for common questions such as ‘what social programs are available in Mexico?’, ‘what is the economy like there?’, and ‘how do they approach healthcare in Mexico?’. I think this is a helpful source with many strengths, because it offers a comprehensive list of public programs offered in Mexico, current data to keep track of like gas prices, and instructions for how to navigate things like the healthcare system. While this website does not offer too many news articles and is written primarily in Spanish for a Mexican audience, I still think it can be helpful to curious individuals because it provides a no-fuss look into what life in Mexico is like and what things the people there have access to.

SOCIAL MEDIA SOURCES

1. Azucena Uresti is a news anchor and journalist for multiple Mexican news outlets, including Milenio Televisión, Multimedios Televisión, and the Mexican talk radio network Radio Fórmula. For my social media information source, I am using her Twitter account, found at https://twitter.com/azucenau or by searching ​​@azucenau on Twitter. She posts on and updates her Twitter multiple times a day, either through her own Spanish-language tweets or by retweeting others’ posts.
I chose this source because it offers a good perspective on Mexican news from someone in Mexico. It provides multimedia content from many different figures in Mexico, such as video clips from news shows, links to graphs and research on the COVID-19 pandemic, updates on natural disasters and crime in Mexico, and more. However, Uresti notes in her Twitter bio that all of her posts are of her own personal opinion, so there could certainly be some bias in what she chooses to report on or support. A strength of using this source for information, though, is once again that this information comes directly from someone in Mexico, written in Spanish, and updated in real time. The tweets may be short, but a lot can be learned from the text as well as the images and videos that Uresti shares. For this reason, I believe that her Twitter account will be a helpful source for those wishing to learn more about Mexico and its news.

2. Mariana Rodríguez Cantú is the wife of Nuevo León’s newest governor, Samuel García. Her Instagram account, found at @marianardzcantu or https://www.instagram.com/marianardzcantu/?hl=en, is one that I am adding to my information network because it offers an honest and conversational view into the political and philanthropic activities of Nuevo León. Mariana’s humorous and less-political Instagram posts serve as a way for her followers to keep up with the work that her and her husband are doing for the state without being bogged down by the typical long and austere news articles we see everywhere else. She posts updates multiple times a week and provides an array of information for her followers through pictures, videos, and screenshots of news articles and opinion pieces. She posts in Spanish for the most part, being as she lives and works in Mexico, but Instagram’s translation feature makes it easier to understand her content as a non-Spanish speaker. The news that she shares on her Instagram platform has to do with the great things that she and her husband are accomplishing in Nuevo León, like collecting donations for children, advocating for free healthcare and female cancer screenings, and helping homeless citizens on the streets of Mexico. It is a helpful account to follow for keeping up with regional news in Mexico, and its strength lies in its simplicity. Mariana’s posts are quick to read, pleasing to the eye, and fun to interact with. There are some downsides to this method of keeping yourself updated, though, as social media is not always 100% real. These posts are curated to show the best of the best, and they might not be the full picture of what is going on in Nuevo León. Going off of that, this is a source for regional news, not national. Despite these weaknesses, I think engaging with this Instagram account is a new and refreshing way to stay up to date on what is going on in Mexico, even if it is just in one part.

3. The Twitter account Petróleos Mexicanos (@pemex on Twitter or https://twitter.com/Pemex) is a social media account with news and updates on the Mexican oil and gas industry. Petróleos Mexicanos is the largest petroleum company in Mexico, and their Twitter account serves as a way to spread information on their firm and the issues they find important. It is unclear who exactly runs the account, but Twitter has verified it, so I would assume it is someone within the company. The account seems to be updated regularly, with Tweets or retweets popping up sometimes multiple times in one day. Based in the State of Mexico and written in Spanish, Petróleos Mexicanos (PEMEX) on Twitter is used to spread information about the actions of PEMEX as they relate to the workers, the environment, the government, the pandemic, and more. Recent tweets include a weekly report on COVID-19 infections in workers and beneficiaries of PEMEX, the routine visits and inspection made to PEMEX plants around the country, and related topics. The perspective of this account could be somewhat cloudy, though, as it will really only post topics that paint PEMEX in a good light. Combined with a regular following of other business and economy publications, however, I think this account can still be helpful to follow. Because this company is so influential in Mexico, and the petroleum business so central to daily life, keeping up with the actions and statements of PEMEX would be helpful for someone wanting to learn more about Mexico on a deeper level than just the everyday news reports.

DATA SOURCES

1. According to its website, the National Institute of Statistics, Geography and Informatics (INEGI) is an “autonomous public body responsible for regulating and coordinating the National System of Statistical and Geographical Information, as well as for collecting and disseminating information about Mexico in terms of territory, resources, population and economy” (INEGI). It was created by presidential decree in Mexico in 1983 and has been in operation ever since, maintained by employees of the database. It can be accessed at https://www.inegi.org.mx/default.html and is published in Spanish, but it has an option on the homepage to provide most features of the website in English, too.
The source provides data on a wide variety of topics, including demography and society, economy and productive sectors, geography and environment, and finally government, safety and justice. The data is all very easy to access and clear to read, and seems to be updated quite often as many data sets include numbers from 2022 already. As it was created and is continually funded by the government of Mexico, INEGI is known as a reliable source for non-partisan information and trustworthy data about topics in Mexico. I would identify this as a major strength, as well as the fact that there is also a section about transparency on the webpage, thus adding to INEGI’s credibility. I also think it is a great feature that viewers can request statistical and geographical information directly from INEGI for their own use. One weakness of this source, however, is that many pages on this site are not yet translated into English, which will make it difficult for non-Spanish speakers to utilize the data as effectively. They are actively working on expanding the pages in English, however, so hopefully this will change soon! I would certainly deem this to be a valuable source for those learning more about Mexico simply because of the vast wealth of data and other information that INEGI has to offer. So much can be obtained from just this one database, it’s incredible!

2. The webpage titled Descubre Datos Abiertos de tu gobierno (Discover Open Data from your government) is a new site that was developed by the Mexican government to expand access to open data and make the government more effective. This site, located at https://datos.gob.mx/, is a page operated by the government in Mexico and is thus based in the country of Mexico. It is written in Spanish, but the many visualizations of the data there make it easier to glean information from, even as a non-Spanish speaker. It also seems to be updated rather regularly, as there is some data about COVID-19 on the page. Alongside that data, information about natural disasters, internet connectivity, and more can be found through this website. Because it is run by the government in Mexico, I would assume that this data is fairly straightforward and honest, rather than being skewed to one side as can be done by extremist publications, for example. Moreover, this data seems to be very informative and educational, rather than used for shock factor. I think a strength of this resource is its connection to the government and the transparent means through which it is made available. As far as weaknesses go, this site is not easily translated into English, so it may take a little extra time for people in other countries to fully utilize, past just looking at the graphs. Overall, though, I think this resource is incredibly useful for people wanting to learn more about the statistics of Mexico, especially because it uses datasets that are very recent and relevant, like the number of COVID cases or the severity of nearby earthquakes.

3. Countrymeters is a website that updates certain statistics of a country in real time. Though it is unclear who runs and updates the site, it looks like most of the data from this collection is sourced from the United Nations. This online database, accessible at https://countrymeters.info/en/Mexico, is written in English but can be translated into a few other languages as well. This site, updated each day, offers information on demographic things like population, life expectancy, literacy rates, and so on. Because data is gathered from the UN, I view this source to be a fairly neutral and trustworthy site. This site also features a live population clock that tracks births, death, and migrations among other things to give the most accurate population count each day. The thoroughness with which this site is maintained, as well as using numbers from the United Nations, is a strength of this source, but its focus on only population-related data restricts its usefulness a bit–its weakness. However, it is very easy to navigate and use the site, and I trust the data to be credible. For these reasons, I believe countrymeters to be a helpful source for those wishing to learn more about Mexico and its data.

VISUAL/AUDIO SOURCES

1. The Instituto Mexicano de la Radio (IMER) is a public radio broadcast in Mexico that is comparable to NPR in the United States. According to its website, IMER’s mission is to “guarantee the effective enjoyment of the right of access to plural and diverse information and freedom of expression through the public broadcasting service” (“Qué es el IMER”). Established in 1983 in Mexico, IMER is the federal public radio communication medium and has 19 different stations within the country. It provides broadcasts on varying topics, ranging from culture and tradition to music and interviews. Many voices contribute to the collection of information that IMER broadcasts, and it is primarily done in Spanish. While most of their content is broadcasted over the radio, IMER’s webpage can also be accessed at https://www.imer.mx/. There are daily updates to the different radio stations, but the website seems to be edited much less frequently, as it is more of a summary of the company’s services. IMER’s webpage links to the many stations that it runs, and within each of these sites, one can listen to the radio station as well as the large library of podcasts associated with that station.
As stated on IMER’s advocacy page of their website, they are “committed to promoting the exercise of freedom of expression, the right of access to information, and the dissemination of positive values ​​that contribute to the development of Mexican society” (“Qué es el IMER”). With these goals in mind, IMER provides a relatively unbiased collection of information and entertainment to those in Mexico, much like NPR does in the US. This attitude of freedom, accessibility, and accountability is what I view to be the greatest strength of IMER as a resource, and that through the linked websites, people anywhere in the world can listen in to their many radio programs. One weakness associated with IMER, however, is that only three of the nineteen stations are news sources, while the rest are music. Moreover, most content is published in Spanish rather than English. IMER serves as a wonderful resource for Mexican and Spanish-language radio, filled with music and news stories by and for the people. The institute is dedicated to providing information and freedom of expression to all of its listeners, and I think that makes IMER a valuable source for anyone looking to immerse themselves in Mexican radio.

Source: https://www.imer.mx/

2. USMEX Today Podcast is an online podcast hosted by the center at the UC San Diego School of Global Policy and Strategy in the US. The podcast itself can be streamed on Soundcloud, iTunes, and Google Play, but more information on it can be found at https://usmex.ucsd.edu/media-center/podcast.html. The podcast has stopped publishing episodes, but its information is still very relevant. The podcast reports on Mexico’s economy, politics, society, and their involvement in international affairs, among other things. The podcasts are mainly delivered in English, though some segments are in Spanish. This source applies a very educational and informal tone or perspective in its broadcasting, while being slightly left-leaning. The association with UC San Diego connects the podcast with many prominent scholars and practitioners and allows for a variety of influential topics to be discussed. This viewpoint and network of connections makes this resource a strong one, along with the easily used podcast format. One weakness I could point out within this news source is that they have stopped posting new episodes, so the information will eventually become outdated. However, the first-hand conversations with top Mexican thought leaders that occur within these podcast episodes make the resource very valuable for learners all the same.

3. According to Wikipedia, “Milenio Televisión is a Mexican television cable news channel owned by Grupo Multimedios. The news programming uses the resources of the Milenio newspaper, one of the largest in the country” (“Milenio Televisión”). So while it gets its content from the newspaper of the same name, Milenio TV operates as a broadcast media platform, running 24 hours a day on TV in Mexico. The group that owns Milenio, Grupo Multimedios, is a Mexican media conglomerate that owns many of the other TV stations in the country. To access this platform online, one could go to the website https://www.milenio.com/mileniotv. Because the show runs all day every day, new information is added to its circulation constantly. The company runs in the city of Monterrey in Mexico. The network broadcasts in Spanish, and the website publishes content in Spanish as well. This source presents various news stories, though it mainly has to do with politics and current events. As said in a 2011 report from UNO Television, “Milenio reports news from a uniquely Mexican perspective featuring some of the most respected and recognized journalists on Mexican Television in a style familiar to Mexican audiences” (“Milenio TV,” 2011). I find this refreshing perspective to be a strength of the resource, as well as the fact that it is commonly cited as the most popular TV station in Mexico. This network is owned by a large media conglomerate, however, and this could be a weakness in that it is more or less controlled by the wants of the company. Otherwise, however, this source is valuable for those hoping to learn more about Mexico because it reports on issues in the way that people in Mexico want to hear about them. It is authentic, and that is why it has been so successful.

Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milenio_Televisi%C3%B3n
https://cupdf.com/document/milenio-tv-2011.html

EXTRA SOURCES

1. Nations Online Project is a public database that provides information and media on many countries around the world, with the intention of improving cross-cultural understanding and global awareness. It is edited by a man named Klaus Kästle and was started in Germany in 1998 as a “holistic and philanthropic project” with the goal of creating a network of information for every country in the world. It is written in English, though it has information on many non-English speaking countries. Its section on Mexico is extensive, offering information on its government, news, education, tourism, indigineous peoples, and more. I cannot see on the website exactly how often the Mexico page is updated, but it does link to many external websites and sources about Mexico that are updated very often, such as government databases. Nations Online Project Mexico can be accessed at https://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/mexico.htm#Search2, but this will contain links to other helpful websites as well.
This source was created as an educational resource, and is thus determined to find and present accurate and honest information to everyone. The perspective of Kästle, at least, is that Nations Online Project is “a more or less objective guide to the world, and a statement for the peaceful, nonviolent coexistence of nations” (“FasciNation”). I find this source to be strong in that it utilizes information and media from so many different sources, including reputable government sites and image submissions from readers. Even if something cannot be found on Nations Online Project itself, surely there will be a link on the website that will take you where you need to go. A weakness of this source may be that I cannot tell how often the main page itself is updated, so there could possibly be some errors in the information. Furthermore, the editor is not from Mexico but Germany, so his knowledge might not always be first-hand. Overall, though, I think the mission behind this website and its long history as an educational and collective resource still make it valuable for researchers, even if just as a jumping-off point to find other, more relevant information.

Source:
https://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/about.html

2. Aristegui Online is a web news platform run by the well-known Mexican journalist, Carmen Aristegui. Found at https://aristeguinoticias.com/, this news website is written in Spanish and based in Mexico. Along with news articles, the site also presents information in the form of videos. News is reported on both a national and international scale, and covers the typical topics like economy, politics, and sports. The source seems to be updated very regularly, with reports from April 2022 easily found. This is an investigative news outlet that prides itself on protecting press freedoms. In fact, the site’s motto is “from any medium, journalism in freedom,” which shows the broad and open-minded perspective of the platform. I find this source to be valuable because of its commitment to transparent and honest journalism, though one weakness could lie in the fact that it is run by one journalist, rather than a trusted news organization. However, I think this resource is helpful for those wanting to learn more about Mexico because it offers a way to read stories that might not otherwise be published by the more mainstream media. Sometimes, investigative reporting in Mexico can be cut off due to the threat of violence against journalists and the perceived need for self censorship.

3. Animal Político is another example of an investigative journalism news source, and it operates online as well as in other realms of the Mexican media system. Operating as one of Mexico’s few native digital outlets, it is a non-partisan and non-corporate publication. Daniel Moreno Chávez is the Mexican journalist credited for founding and directing Animal Político, and he also used the Twitter account @pajaropolitico for this news outlet. The site can be accessed at ​​https://www.animalpolitico.com/, and produces original content in Spanish. This news site has a public service orientation or perspective, and is committed to being open and transparent about their aims and funding sources. The website seems to publish new articles each week, and sometimes every day. The content focuses mainly on political news and investigative pieces, but branches off sometimes into news about education, healthcare, and more. Some strengths of this resource obviously lie in their non-partisan stance, native/independent status, and their commitment to being transparent in every way. As far as weaknesses go, the site does not feel as easy to navigate as other websites I have visited, for the tabs organizing the different articles are somewhat unclear. I believe that this source is valuable for those wishing to learn more about Mexico because it offers a hard-hitting perspective of political issues that are important to Mexican citizens.