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In Mexico, the population trusts companies more than the government, according to the Edelman Trust Barometer 2023 study.
Civil organizations have begun to demand precise information from the federal government on the state of the president’s health, as well as a medical report.
Given the scant information regarding the state of health of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, the population has begun to speculate and generate uncertainty and distrust.
Until now Jorge Alcocer, Secretary of Health, has limited himself to informing that the president will soon return from Covid and that his blood pressure is controlled, this before the versions of an alleged heart attack. And although this is the third time that the president has suffered from this disease, the Secretary of the Interior, Adán Augusto, regarding the request that the president record a video to find out how he is, limited himself to commenting that “There is nothing that cover”.
In Mexico, so far in the six-year term, the lack of trust towards the government and institutions and the scarce information have led us to a polarization. And it is that within the forces that lead to polarization are economic concerns, institutional imbalance and class division. Although, in theory, democratic systems are designed for citizens to resolve their differences, the problem is that in this country a climate of mistrust has already been created.
A study of Edelman Trust Barometer 2023 It shows that governments are the ones that feed the most mistrust, being marked as a source of misleading information. Only in Latin America most countries distrust government leaders and even journalists. In fact, trust in the government decreased in 14 countries around the world and Mexico is no exception. While trust in the media decreased in 16 countries, including Germany, Ireland, Italy, Australia, Kenya, the United States, Mexico, among others.
In Mexico, journalists and government leaders are the main sources of distrust, while on the opposite side are the scientists and the CEO’s.
On the other hand, in recent years the ethical perception of companies has grown in the country, as they are perceived as agents of positive change, honest and fair, with a shared vision of the future and with interests that obey all people equally. As companies position themselves as trustworthy, the expectations of Mexicans towards CEOs also grow, expecting them to take action on issues such as climate change, discrimination, unemployment and inflation.
In Mexico, this increase in distrust could lead the country to a political and social crisis in the following years and with a view to the next presidential elections in 2024.