Crisis and Political Opposition Among the Mexican Middle Classes

The contemporary Mexican situation can be characterised by two elements: a very deep economic crisis and the gradual opening of the electoral system. The middle classes have started to vote as well as participate in the political arena by opposing the official party that has governed the country for more than sixty years in a surprisingly stable climate. Curiously, this opposition has appeared more clearly at the urban level in the large cities. On the basis of the analysis of the experience of the population of Ciudad Satélite, this article presents some reflections on the formation of collective actors among the Mexican middle classes who have traditionally been controlled by the political system through a complex and efficient mechanism that combines cooptation and repression.