Mexico City, April 30, 2024.- In the context of the upcoming presidential elections, the Universidad Panamericanathrough the university chapter COPARMEX UPThe meeting was attended by Dr. Lorenzo Córdova Vianello, lawyer, academic, researcher and former president of the National Electoral Institute (INE), who spoke about the importance of the future electoral process.
During the event, held at our university, Dr. Héctor Xavier Ramírez Pérez, Vice Rector of the Mexico City Campus, Dr. Salvador Beltrán del Río Martín, Director of Institutional Development, and María Fernanda Haro Álvarez, Director of the SMART Center, were present on behalf of our university, as well as students from the student group.
Juan José Sierra Álvarez, national vice president of COPARMEX Business Centers; Mr. Armando Zúñiga Morales, president of COPARMEX Mexico City; Mr. Roberto Ramos, vice president of Business Development and Competitiveness; Ms. Sharzy Molina Guizar, national counselor and vice president of the COPARMEX Health Commission; Ms. Anabel Martínez León, president of COPARMEX Mexico City Young Entrepreneurs; and Mr. Adolfo Adolfo Ramos, vice president of the COPARMEX Health Commission. Sharzy Molina Guizar, national counselor and vice-president of the COPARMEX Health Commission; Ms. Anabel Martínez León, president of Young Entrepreneurs COPARMEX Mexico City; and Mr. Adalberto Ortíz Ávalos, president of the COPARMEX Financial Inclusion Commission.
A valuable opportunity
To begin with, Dr. Héctor Ramírez spoke about how useful it would be for young people to hear the information provided by Córdova: "there are few who have the information, prestige and trajectory to be able to give a point of view of this style," he said.
Next, Fátima Sierra, president of COPARMEX UP addressed Córdova: "I thank Dr. Lorenzo Córdova for accepting the invitation to share with Universidad Panamericana his experience and knowledge regarding the strengthening of democracy and the institutions that maintain it; (...) thank you for joining us in this process of greater involvement of youth in electoral processes".
Córdova spoke about how pleased he was to be back at our university: "It is a privilege for me to be back here at UP, (...) although I am not a graduate of this university, it is here where I taught for the first time.
Five current problems of democracy
Córdova then reflected on how democracy is currently going through difficult times, despite the fact that democracy in our country and in the Americas has had moments to celebrate, such as in the year 2000 when all the countries in this region, with the exception of Cuba, had democratic regimes for the first time in history.
In view of this panorama, the former president of INE identified five main problems: the first is that democracies have not been able to solve the problems of injustice, which generates a legitimate and justified unease in society and is causing that, in different places, authoritarianism is not seen in a bad light.
The second problem is the process of deinstitutionalization. In Mexico, the two main institutions of democracy are already in crisis, political parties and parliaments. As political parties are in danger, Córdova explained that the result of this would be the personalization of democracy, one of the most serious problems we face today.
As a third problem, he identified disinformation. This problem goes back a long way, but Córdova explains that, with the expansion of social networks, today lies and disinformation end up having a much greater potential in terms of the erosion of democratic coexistence.
Polarization was the fourth problem he found, since, although it is normal in electoral campaigns, the problem, according to the expert, lies in when it is mixed with intolerance, which makes us see each other as enemies instead of adversaries .
The last problem he addressed was the harassment suffered by the institutions of control of power. Córdova commented how, paradoxically, electoral bodies, constitutional courts and transparency bodies, that is, all those institutional mechanisms, are under attack by the same power.
The largest elections in Mexico's history
Subsequently, he spoke about why he considers that these elections will be the largest in Mexico's history. As a first reason, he mentioned that the electoral roll will be the largest ever, reaching more than 100 million. Secondly, he indicated that there have never before been so many public offices in dispute.
Thus, he expressed that in spite of the attacks suffered by INE, the institution is well prepared for these elections, since it has avoided post-electoral conflicts and has carried out more electoral processes than IFE did at the time: "the electoral system is working for what elections are for in a democracy, so that the renewal of power takes place without violence and through institutional processes".
However, he also detailed that, although INE is well prepared and that we have to take care of it as an institution, it also has to be demanded, since it must maintain the citizens' trust, demonstrating impartiality, transparency and that it is not favoring any of the parties.
In closing, Córdova told the young people: "these elections are not going to solve our problems overnight, but the only way to solve them is by getting involved and trying to generate what we believe are the best conditions".
Learn more about Panamericana's student groups at: https://smartcenter.up.edu.mx/oferta_geas.html
