Skip to main content
Home

Main navigation

  • Centers & Programs
    • Centers
      • Center for Energy Studies
      • Center for Health and Biosciences
      • Center for the Middle East
      • Center for Public Finance
      • Center for the U.S. and Mexico
      • McNair Center
      Center for Energy Studies
      Providing new insights on the role of economics, policy and regulation in the performance and evolution of energy markets.
      More Details
      The globe at night, lights in populated areas illuminated
      Center for Health and Biosciences
      Advancing data-based policies that promote health and well-being in the U.S. and around the world.
      More Details
      Female healthcare worker lifts finger to press digital buttons featuring topical iconography
      Edward P. Djerejian Center for the Middle East
      Developing pragmatic policy approaches to the region’s enduring political, economic and societal concerns.
      More Details
      Topographic map of Middle East
      Center for Public Finance
      Delivering research and analysis on the effects of major U.S. fiscal policies.
      More Details
      Stack of coins with mathematical figure overlays
      Center for the U.S. and Mexico
      Strengthening the binational relationship by addressing major concerns on both sides of the border.
      More Details
      Textured flags of America and Mexico
      McNair Center for Entrepreneurship and Economic Growth
      Providing actionable policy analysis and recommendations that aim to expand the economy through private enterprise.
      More Details
      Professionals gather around a large table with laptops, printed documents and coffee cups for a business meeting
    • Programs
      • China Studies
      • Drug Policy
      • International Economics
      • Presidential Elections
      • Religion & Public Policy
      • Science & Technology Policy
      • Space Policy
      China Studies
      Analyzing the influence of the transnational circulation of people, technologies, commodities and ideas in China.
      Read More
      Person walks alongside large banner with Chinese characters
      Drug Policy
      Pursuing research and open debate to develop pragmatic drug policies based on common sense and driven by human rights interests.
      Read More
      Marijuana
      International Economics
      Studying timely issues in global economic policy as well as developmental policy in foreign countries.
      Read More
      International paper currencies stacked together, showing range of colors and styles
      Presidential Elections
      Offering nonpartisan analysis of elections to better understand the changing dynamics of presidential campaigns.
      Read More
      An assortment of campaign buttons from a variety of US elections and political pursuits are displayed in a collage
      Religion and Public Policy
      Exploring how religion and cultural factors interact with public policy issues.
      Read More
      A worn path stretches between rows of olive trees
      Science and Technology Policy
      Addressing a broad range of policy issues that affect scientists and their research.
      Read More
      A scientist picks up test tubes from a rack.
      Space Policy
      Focusing on U.S. space policy and the future of space travel.
      Read More
      The International Space Station (ISS) orbits the Earth at sunrise
  • Events
    The front of Baker Hall, from across the plaza, with fountain in foreground
    Center for Health and Biosciences | Roundtable
    Tue, Feb. 07, 2023 | 4:30 pm - 5:30 pm
    Baker Briefing: Addressing the Maternal Mortality Crisis in Texas See Details
    Child at border plays in the dirt with superhero toy
    Center for the U.S. and Mexico
    Thu, Feb. 23, 2023 | 5 pm - 7:30 pm
    Immigration Reform and the Impact on Children: A Town Hall Discussion See Details
    Tile mosaic over an entrance to Baker Hall that reads "A Bridge Between the World of Ideas and the World of Action"
    Center for the U.S. and Mexico | Edward P. Djerejian Center for the Middle East
    Wed, Mar. 15, 2023 | 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm
    Charting Paths Forward on Immigration Reform See Details
  • Experts
    • Biomedical Research
    • Child Health
    • China
    • Conflict Resolution in the Middle East
    • Domestic Health Policy
    • Drug Policy
    • Energy
    • Entrepreneurship and Economic Growth
    • Global Health
    • Health and Biosciences
    • Human Rights and Refugees
    • International Economics
    • Islam and Politics
    • Latin American Energy
    • Middle East
    • Political Economy of the Arab Gulf
    • Presidential Elections
    • Public Finance
    • Religion and Public Policy
    • Science and Technology
    • Space Policy
    • Texas Politics
    • U.S. and Iran
    • U.S. and Mexico
    • See All Experts
    • Experts in the News
  • Support
    • Join the Baker Roundtable
      Join the Baker Roundtable
      Learn more about the Baker Institute’s membership forum, which supports the mission of the institute and offers members exclusive access to experts and events.
      Read More
      RT
    • Major Gifts
      Major Gifts
      Major gifts provide the funds necessary for the Baker Institute to explore new areas of study and research, and expand current programs.
      Read More
      Wallace S. Wilson meeting with former British Prime Minister Tony Blair
    • Endowments
      Endowments
      Endowment gifts provide the Baker Institute with permanent resources that support research programs, fellows and scholars.
      Read More
      Pictured from left are William Martin, Katharine Neill Harris, Ambassador Edward Djerejian, Alfred C. Glassell, III, and Pam Lindberg
    • Planned Giving
      Planned Giving

      Plan a gift that will ensure lasting, meaningful support for policy programs important to you.

       

      Read More
      meeting
    • Corporate Support
      Corporate Support
      Corporations can become involved with the institute in a number of ways and see the benefit from the research conducted by our fellows and scholars.
      Read More
      Wide shot of the Doré Commons during a Shell Distinguished Lecture Series event featuring Wim Thomas
  • About
    • People
      People
      Learn more about the Baker Institute's leadership and get contact information for the administrative staff.
      Read More
      Secretary James A. Baker, III, stands with a portion of the Berlin Wall, outside of Baker Hall
    • Student Opportunities
      Student Opportunities
      Through the internships on campus and beyond, Rice students can explore careers in public policy, or simply become better informed about important issues of the day.
      Read More
      Amb. Edward P. Djerejian speaks with students outside Baker Hall
    • Annual Report
    • Blog
    • Contact
      Contact Us
      Complete a form for event, media or other inquiries, and get directions and parking information for the Baker Institute.
      Read More
      The front of Baker Hall, from across the plaza, with fountain in foreground
  • Contact
  • Research
    • Economics & Finance
      Economics & Finance
      Read More
    • Energy
      Latest Energy Research
      Summary on Latest Energy Research
      Read More
    • Foreign Policy
      Foreign Policy
      Read More
    • Domestic Policy
      Domestic Policy
      Read More
    • Health & Science
      Health & Science
      Read More
    • All Publications
  • Facebook
  • Youtube
  • Twitter
  • Linkedin
  • Economics & Finance
  • Energy
  • Foreign Policy
  • Domestic Policy
  • Health & Science
  • All Publications
Center for the U.S. and Mexico | Commentary

Mexico City's Subway Tragedy: An Example of Institutional Weakness and Corruption

May 5, 2021 | Rodrigo Montes de Oca
People wait for the subway in Mexico City.

Table of Contents

Author(s)

Headshot of Rodrigo Montes de Oca
Rodrigo Montes de Oca
Research Scholar
Read More

Share this Publication

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Email
  • Linkedin
  • Print This Publication

Tags

MexicoMexicoMexico

On the night of Monday, May 3, a Mexico City subway overpass collapsed, killing at least 24 people and injuring 79 others. A graphic video captured by a city surveillance camera showed how train cars packed with passengers plunged toward vehicles on the road below.

Mexico City’s subway system transports 4.6 million passengers daily over its 12 lines. Just last January, after a fire struck Mexico City subway headquarters, Florencia Serranía, Mexico City’s subway system director, reported on the subway system’s poor maintenance record over its 52-year history and the urgent need for modernizing the entire network. Unfortunately, the May 3 tragedy struck before any steps were taken to improve the system. It is notable that this and other recent subway incidents have involved the system’s newest line, Line 12, which was built and opened about nine years ago while Marcelo Ebrard, now Mexico’s foreign minister, was mayor of the city.

This tragedy highlights several major flaws with Mexico’s current government and points to new heights in both institutional weakness and corruption, with deadly results for Mexico’s citizens.

A Missing Culture of Infrastructure Maintenance

As the Mexico City subway director said in an interview last January, there is a missing culture of maintenance in Mexico. Major infrastructure projects are often proposed and even carried out, but there appears to be little effort to ensure regular, proper maintenance. Maintenance is often an afterthought in most projects and it is hardly ever budgeted and planned for. The result is that most public works often deteriorate — acquiring the dilapidated look of many places in Mexico — fail to stay in good working order, and sometimes nosedive with deadly consequences. Mexican media outlets regularly report government worker complaints about poor maintenance in key facilities. Recent incidents in refineries such as the one located in Tula, Hidalgo, is a good example. In a specific report, workers at that refinery complained about the lack of equipment and maintenance to President López Obrador a few weeks ago during a rally.

As long as Mexico fails to consider the importance of maintenance as part of the culture of infrastructure development and economic growth, incidents like those witnessed in recent years will continue.

“Republican Austerity”

The already burdensome absence of a culture of maintenance has been made worse by López Obrador’s draconian austerity measures. The “Republican Austerity” policy that he has established and spread throughout the federal government, and in the state governments governed by MORENA, have exacerbated this missing culture of maintenance. There is a dearth of funding for even essential services, such as health care, public transportation and women’s and children’s shelters. Other cuts in budgets with no examination of the consequences have drained the public service sector of capable and talented officials who have gone to the private sector for better opportunities and working conditions. This radical austerity — often implemented in the name of fighting corruption — is affecting the proper functioning of all government institutions as they hemorrhage expertise and come to be staffed by inexperienced workers from López Obrador’s political campaigns. Unfortunately, Mexico cannot expect to recover from this talent drain soon. Most analysts suspect that most “savings” from the cuts are going to pharaonic projects that Lopez Obrador is committed to building — such as the Dos Bocas Refinery, the Mayan train, and the new Mexico City airport — and to rescue failing companies such as PEMEX, the national oil company, and CFE, the national electric utility.

Corruption

Since its inauguration in October 2012, Line 12 of Mexico City’s subway has been involved in multiple controversies. This line mainly serves the working class neighborhoods of Tláhuac and Iztapalapa. Sixteen months after the inauguration, Line 12 was closed due to structural and operational failures. Authorities and companies blamed each other for failures in the design and operation of the system. A year later, the line was fully reopened, and Mexico City’s former mayor, Miguel Mancera, launched an investigation that resulted in the suspension of 30 public servants. This investigation touches on Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard who, as noted earlier, was Mexico Citys mayor when Line 12 was constructed.

Another flag went up after the 2017 Mexico earthquake when subway workers and users reported that Line 12 was affected by the shaking and tremors. This week’s tragedy could have been prevented if the government had listened to residents’ questions about the structural integrity of the subway overpass.

The subway crash comes as an important election the president had hoped his party’s candidates would win approaches. The tragedy could damage MORENA’s performance at the polls, as there is already much skepticism about the country’s direction under López Obrador’s leadership. This time, he cannot blame the opposition — a favorite political tactic — as his closest political allies have governed Mexico City for the last 20 years. Avoiding responsibility will be very difficult. The incident also corrodes his carefully cultivated image as a fighter of corruption, as he will likely fail to punish anyone on his team for the tragedy.

Conclusion

The Mexico City subway collapse also affects the prospects of two frontrunners in line to succeed López Obrador as president: Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard and Mexico City’s Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum. Worse, Monday’s accident is third fatal incident involving subways during Sheinbaum’s administration. On Tuesday, during López Obrador´s daily conference, Sheinbaum promised that an independent investigation by an international firm would determine the causes of the accidents. However, her problem, and the president’s, is that most Mexicans are losing patience with the López Obrador government and further losing trust in state institutions. That cannot be good for Mexico’s future governance.

© 2021 by Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy
  • Print This Publication
  • Share
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Email
    • Linkedin

Related Research

Mexico Flag
Center for the U.S. and Mexico | Report

Mexico Country Outlook 2023

Read More
Rio Grande
Center for the U.S. and Mexico | Report

Treaty and Non-Treaty Mechanisms for Resolving the Rio Grande River Water Debt Dilemma

Read More
Hand types on laptop keyboard, with icons and symbols extruded from the screen; future tech, AI concept
Center for the U.S. and Mexico | Journal

A Social Network Analysis of Mexico’s Dark Network Alliance Structure

Read More
  • Facebook
  • Youtube
  • Twitter
  • Linkedin
  • Donate Now
  • Media Inquiries
  • Membership
  • About the Institute
  • Rice.edu
Contact Us

6100 Main Street
Baker Hall MS-40, Suite 120
Houston, TX 77005

Email: bipp@rice.edu
Phone: 713-348-4683
Fax: 713-348-5993

Baker Institute Newsletter

The email newsletter of Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy provides a snapshot of institute news, research and upcoming events.

Sign Up

  • © Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy
  • Web Accessibility
  • Privacy Policy