Oil and Education

Like most countries, Mexico has its persistent problems.  I guess, as with lots of places, the list could be quite long, including poverty, corruption, human rights, the normal nagging and frustrating ones.  However, leading in the headlines these days are two of the big ones, oil and education.  It seems the teachers are going on indefinite strike just as the school year is about to starting on August 19.   They want the reforms enacted last year to be repealed or withdrawn.  Of course, the system needs reform, everyone acknowledges that, but in what form?  These are very long standing problems, decades old, and who suffers the most?  The children.

And then there is oil and the current administration's reform of the industry that would open up opportunities for private businesses to get in on the action.

from Noticias Mx

The President of the National Council of the movement of national regeneration (Morena), Andrés Manuel López Obrador, called the mazatecos to fight so that oil is not delivered to foreign companies, as President Enrique Peña Nieto has proposed in the energy reform.

The former presidential candidate said on his visit to the so-called "land of María Sabina", where he took protest Morena municipal Committee, that if article 27 constitutional amending oil handed over to foreigners and this would eventually destroy Mexico, because "you mortgage the future of new generations".

Right now, Pemex belongs to the people of Mexico and obviously, that money is crucial to the national economy.  Let Big Oil in? Gee, I dunno.  Their track record is somewhat suspect.  Would Mexico give them the same tax breaks as in El Norte?  It certainly opens up the discussion on nationalization/privatization of resources.  Who owns what?