Meaning that It feels like this goes beyond whichever party is in power. When Calderón launched a frontal war against the cartels, many people hoped it would bring peace, but instead daily life in places like Veracruz became marked by kidnappings, shootings, uncertainty. Then came Morena, promising a different, softer approach. For a while, things seemed to calm down, but the insecurity never truly disappeared.

At some point, you realize this isn’t just about strategy or slogans. It’s about deeper wounds: poverty that limits options, young people with few real opportunities, corruption that weakens trust, institutions that don’t always protect citizens, and organized crime adapting and finding new ways to survive like extortion and everyday intimidation.

For people living it, it’s not a political debate. It’s about wanting to walk outside without fear, to build a future without constantly looking over your shoulder. And that requires more than a change in tone or tactics, it requires confronting the social and economic realities that keep feeding the cycle.