POLITICS-MEXICO: NGO’s and Government Increasingly at Odds

By IPS Correspondents Reprint | | Print |

Diego Cevallos

MEXICO CITY, May 18 1998 (IPS) - Increasing criticism of government policies from non governmental organisations here, especially on the issue of Chiapas, is causing great discomfort to the Executive Power.

Last week, President Ernesto Zedillo accused certain NGO’s of seeking political power by round about means, beyond the bounds of the “rules of democracy.” This Monday, a number of such groups rejected the comment, demanding the leader name names.

NGOs from the ‘All Rights for Everyone’ network said the government is making unfounded accusations in order to distract attention from its responsibility in the “fratricidal war” against the indigenous people of Chiapas and the economic crisis and social problems.

The NGOs have gained increasing political and social influence, now numbering more than 10,000, while there is no legal definition to restrict or guide their action. Since 1995, the government has unsuccessfully tried to impose some sort of order on this terrain by using the groups as consultants.

These groups were first seen in Mexico last century, mainly in the welfare or relief fields, but they mushroomed in the last decade, appearing all social fora and covering a wide variety of activities.

Some NGO “invent a cause, on a supposed humanitarian basis, in order to use this not merely to declare, but to put into practice and promote their political cause,” said president Zedillo.

And the government will not fall into the trap the NGOs have set, trying to show it as repressive and authoritarian, he added.

Meanwhile, the counterclaims are in the same vein:

“Their attacks against us aim to make us appear part of the conflict,” said Rafael Alvarez, from the Jesuit Agustin Pro Human Rights Centre.

But the NGOs are expressions of civil society and only seek peace, democracy and development, he added.

And the ‘All Rights for Everyone’ network, which includes more than 30 NGOs, said anyone telling the truth on abuses of power and social problems opens themselves up to accusations like those made by Zedillo.

These entities work in a plethora of areas, from monitoring human rights and promoting democracy, to working to achieve the construction of a road or a health centre, often being funded by foreign governments and organisations, or Mexican foundations and companies.

NGO stances often agree with those of the opposition parties, which is hardly surprising considering that many were actually incubated within its ranks.

The NGO boom in Mexico really took off in 1988, following the presidential elections where the opposition claim Carlos Salinas (1988-1994) was elected by “colossal fraud.”

After the controversial elections, intellectuals and politicians founded various NGOs with the aim of “encouraging democracy” and in attempts to make up for the lack of government attention to a wide range of issues.

No one knows the size of the NGO budget for certain, although some research has claimed the sum exceeds 50 million dollars per year.

The vast majority of the NGOs in Mexico are registered as civil associations, a category which covers entities ranging from neighbourhood groups to professional associations.

The first NGOs were seen in the country in 1895. In the early years their work and influence was marginal and most of them worked in the welfare sector.

Today, neither the government nor the political parties “really understand who we are,” said Sergio Aguayo, of the Alianza Civica, a group which has organised citizen meetings of various kinds including one organised by the Zapatista guerrilla and another backed by the opposition.

“The PAN (National Action Party) eye us with mistrust, and the PRI (the ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party) class us as an instrument of the opposition,” said Aguayo.

The authorities claim the work of the NGOs must be brought into line, preventing foreign groups from giving million dollar donations to fund political activities or simply to criticise the government.