Mexico: A unique tour demonstrating the pervasiveness of corruption

Corruption in Mexico runs the gamut from daily annoyances — a police officer shaking you down for a few bucks to avoid a traffic ticket, a city inspector demanding a bribe not to shut down a business — to shocking scandals involving government contracts worth billions of dollars.

The Corruptour first launched in 2014 in the northern city of Monterrey. A week ago it began offering free, twice-every-Sunday runs through the capital, financed entirely by private donations and with what organizers say was an initial $5,000 budget.

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This is the newest addition to the ubiquitous open-air tour buses crisscrossing Mexico City each day: The Corruptour, which instead of taking folks to historic plazas and churches, shines an unflattering spotlight on the murky world of graft.

“The goal is to awaken Mexicans’ consciousness about the problem of corruption, which is so serious and seems to be getting more and more expansive,” said Tania Sanchez, a 44-year-old volunteer guide. “It’s about informing the people who ride about practices of corruption, illustrating it with the places we visit — only in a fun way.” Read Article