18-02-2016: Latin American Weekly Report

Pope Francis conducted a six-day tour of Mexico from 12 to 17 February, with an itinerary specifically designed to focus on the most persistent and pernicious problems facing the country: drug-trafficking and violence; poverty and marginalisation; and power and corruption. He did not mince his words, subtly censuring the political class and the church hierarchy. But the most enduring legacy of the pope’s visit will be the solidarity he showed with the most downtrodden – indigenous people and the poor, many facing the perilous prospect of migrating northwards to find opportunities. In this sense the pope’s visit was an indictment of President Enrique Peña Nieto, whose main failing during three years of government has been his lack of the common touch.