Vecinos Distantes: Un Retrato de Los Mexicanos / Distant Neighbors

La nueva pol幦ica entre M憖ico y Estados Unidos es pr塶ticamente id幯tica a la narrada por el autor de Vecinos distantes en 1985 . -El Pa疄, 2025

Esta obra, publicada por primera vez en espa隳l en 1985, es un estudio social, cultural, pol癃ico y econ鏔ico sobre M憖ico. En ese a隳, el pa疄 vivi?algunos de los sucesos m嫳 complicados de su historia contempor嫕ea: una grave crisis econ鏔ica; las constantes intromisiones en asuntos internos del embajador estadounidense John Gavin; el brutal asesinato del agente de la DEA, Enrique Kiki Camarena, que conmocion?tanto a M憖ico como a los Estados Unidos; y, por si fuera poco, un terremoto que exhibi?la ineficiencia de la clase pol癃ica y demostr?el poder de la sociedad civil: millones de ciudadanos, solo equipados con su voluntad, cooperaron en el rescate de las v獳timas y en el apoyo a las familias afectadas.

Vecinos distantes desat?una gran pol幦ica y provoc?la furia del gobierno priista del d燰 y de aquellos mexicanos que sintieron que ning extranjero tiene derecho a criticar a M憖ico . Al mismo tiempo, despert?el inter廥 de un amplio plico y se reimprimi?mtiples veces.

En 2001, se public?una segunda edici鏮 que inclu燰 un ep璱ogo donde Riding retomaba los acontecimientos para analizar el fin del largo r嶲imen del PRI y la transici鏮 a la democracia. Ahora, 25 a隳s despu廥, vuelve con un nuevo ep璱ogo que examina lo ocurrido desde entonces, as?como las tensiones actuales en la relaci鏮 bilateral con dos l獮eres en los extremos del espectro pol癃ico. Vecinos distantes, considerado por algunos ya como un cl嫳ico , es hoy tan actual como hace cuatro d嶰adas.

ENGLISH DESCRIPTION

"The new controversy between Mexico and the United States is practically identical to the one described by the author of Distant Neighbors in 1985." -El Pa疄, 2025

First published in Spanish in 1985, this book is a social, cultural, political, and economic study of Mexico. That year marked one of the most turbulent periods in the country's modern history: a severe economic crisis; repeated interference in domestic affairs by U.S. ambassador John Gavin; the brutal murder of DEA agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena, which shocked both Mexico and the United States; and, to top it off, an earthquake that exposed the inefficiency of the political class and revealed the strength of civil society, as millions of citizens--armed only with their will--joined rescue efforts and supported affected families.

Distant Neighbors sparked major controversy and drew the ire of the ruling PRI government and many Mexicans who felt that "no foreigner has the right to criticize Mexico." At the same time, it captured the attention of a wide readership and was reprinted multiple times.

In 2001, a second edition was released with an epilogue in which Riding revisited events to analyze the end of the PRI's long rule and Mexico's transition to democracy. Now, 25 years later, he returns with a new epilogue examining what has happened since, as well as the current tensions in bilateral relations between two leaders at opposite ends of the political spectrum. Distant Neighbors, considered by some a "classic", remains as relevant today as it was four decades ago.