Published May 13, 2011 | By Kristen Blandford

Despite slowed growth during the economic downturn and a drop in remittances, Mexico’s economy is slowly recovering. However, inequality and poverty remain high and human rights abuses by security forces remain an issue. Corruption is still a considerable problem. Drug-related killings and organized crime have increased significantly, undermining the country’s institutions. President Calderon’s war against the Mexican drug cartels has seen an intense escalation of violence, resulting in 15,000 deaths in 2010 alone. The government must do more to break the cartels’ hold on the country to restore order and security. Despite some success in this campaign, the situation remains extremely serious.