Few countries have claimed for themselves the mantle of revolution as frequently and as fervently as Mexico. Previous efforts brought change, even revolutionary change, but failed to lift large parts of the population out of chronic poverty. That is about to change. Over the past 12 months, Mexico has launched a series of urgently needed but long-delayed fundamental reforms. Because of that, it now stands on the cusp of enormous change. The world is about to witness a country enter a phase of dazzling economic growth, with concurrent social change.
The formula for tapping Mexico’s vast potential was never a secret. While other Latin American countries enjoyed some of the world’s fastest rates of growth, Mexico stalled. The old mantra “Poor Mexico, so far from God and so close to the United States,” brought a giggle but misled about the causes of stagnation.
Previous attempts to bring change had entrenched nationalistic rules, keeping the country stuck, and political gamesmanship only made matters worse.