My country

There are two sides to Mexico, as much as in any other country, the thing is that in Mexico, darkness does not hide away from the light.

My country has such beautiful diversity, natural and human. But such diversity also comes in the way of crime and corruption as much as it comes in innovation and humanity.

Such kaleidoscope has a greater push from ideology and religion. Mostly in Mexico the Virgen of Guadalupe is venerated as the prime Goddess of the land, more than a true Mexican, she is a true Latin American.

But in the plains, in the mountains, in valleys and little towns, there is the cult of the Dead, our very own Santa Muerte, another adaptation from old Mexica (Aztec) gods that were thought to be brought down, killed and annihilated under the Spanish Inquisition (who nobody expects).

There is also the very alive dozen of religions that have been interwoven old deities of native cultures, like the Wixarrica, or the Otomi, or the Chichimeca, the Yaki, among others, most of them cultures that survived because their warriors had more time to adapt to the incoming Conquistadors, they still worship their own gods and follow their own tradition, even if, again, the darkness of our country creeps and keeps trying to conquer their culture and land.

Sun rises, but people, buildings and even nature produce a shadow and sometimes the effect they make is amazing and can be beautiful, just like that, is the culture and state of our country. Even Narcos have their own culture and sometimes they protect people better than the government, just sometimes. The fights, the violence, the struggle and even the corruption gives reason to fight, to rise up from the mud for a better country, creativity and innovation, from science to art, from medicine to weaponry, from protection to religion.

Mexico flourishes and dies every day, just like the Aztecs believed that with a sacrifice, the sun died and was revived each night. It is not a perfect country, but is beautiful in its imperfection. We may fall, but we will rise every time.

After all, there is a reason to venerate the dead. We learn from them, tell their stories, we live and maybe someday, people will actually listen to what they had to say.

In the meantime, this country in all its glory and corruption, people live, thrive and die. Someday we might stop fighting each other and the forces from without, someday we will be stable and  become a first world country. That day is not soon, but people keep living and fighting for it, resilient and stubborn, as only Mexicans can be.