My Mexican boss said that it is not a rich country because everybody is on the take. Just look at the Mexico City earthquake 30 years ago. Building that came down had no REBAR! Government ‘inspectors’ were paid off.
The Mexican government has not figured out out to organize and enforce a regulatory state apparatus that captures the take. I do not see a big difference between paying a lawyer $10,000 to help get an environmental permit to drain a ditch or going under the table with an inspector for $500. One way is submitting to tyranny and the other encourages organized crime...oh wait they are mostly the same thing one is just cheaper and quicker. But of course going the $500 route makes you a criminal and keeps you from ever holding elected office unless your are a Dem.
We are no too far away from our own descent into the prog abyss.