Student Question

Why was Mexico labeled "the perfect dictatorship"?

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Mexico was labeled "the perfect dictatorship" by Mario Vargas Llosa due to the Institutional Revolutionary Party's (PRI) long-standing dominance over Mexican politics without being led by a single authoritarian figure. From 1929 to 2000, the PRI maintained control, with power regularly transitioning between leaders due to the six-year presidential term limit. This structure prevented the chaos typical of other dictatorships while still allowing for government abuses, albeit moderated by the temporary nature of leadership.

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When Peruvian writer Mario Vargas Llosa called Mexico a perfect dictatorship in 1990, he was referring specifically to the longevity of the PRI political party. For over seventy years, PRI had dominated politics in the country. Founded in 1929, PRI maintained control of the presidential mansion and much of the legislature until 2000.

The perfection in Llosa's accusation refers to the fact that PRI has never been dominated by a single personality, like many other authoritarian regimes. With presidents limited to a single six-year term, power was regularly passed from predecessor to successor within the party. This avoids the chaos and uncertainty that usually follows the end of a tyrant's rule.

The ever-changing leadership has set Mexico apart from other authoritarian systems. Although the Mexican government has committed crimes against its people numerous times during the reign of PRI, the extent of the atrocities has been tempered by the fact that leaders know that their power is temporary.

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