British weekly The Economist ran a special edition focused on Mexico last month, examining the problems, challenges and the potentially bright future facing the country.
As articles titled “The rise of Mexico” and “From darkness, dawn” suggest, the general tone was one of optimism. The features focused on big issues such as the economy, immigration, social policy, corruption and – inevitably – security.
Unusually for a foreign media outlet discussing drug violence in Mexico, The Economist drew attention to the falling murder rate across the country. During the first nine months of the year, the number of people killed has dropped seven percent on the same period in 2011, the Economist stated. The violence in Ciudad Juarez in particular has dropped significantly, while 20 of Mexico’s 32 states have seen a decrease in the murder rate since last year.