On September 15, 2025, Mexican businessman Ricardo Salinas Pliego, founder of Grupo Salinas and owner of TV Azteca television network, issued a powerful message via social media, calling for the creation of a new citizen movement aimed at confronting corruption, criminal violence, and government mismanagement in Mexico. His statement, released on the eve of Independence Day, struck a defiant tone, urging Mexicans to reflect rather than celebrate.
Salinas Pliego declared that there were “few reasons to celebrate and many to act,” citing widespread violence, homicides, and the looting of public funds as symptoms of a deeper crisis. He accused the current government of enabling criminal networks, tolerating fuel theft (huachicol), awarding overpriced contracts, and promoting division among citizens through what he described as a “perverse ideology” reminiscent of regimes in Venezuela, Cuba, and the former Soviet Union.
In response, he announced the formation of the Movimiento Anticrimen y Anticorrupción, a grassroots initiative based on principles of life, liberty, and property. The movement will soon launch a digital platform where citizens can register and pledge to reject lies, violence, and corruption, and instead promote truth, freedom, and civic responsibility.
Salinas emphasized that change begins at the individual level, encouraging each person to influence ten others to create a ripple effect across society. He concluded his message with a patriotic call: “A free country is not surrendered—it is defended. ¡Viva México!”
The announcement has sparked widespread debate, with supporters praising the initiative’s urgency and critics questioning its political undertones. As Mexico grapples with rising insecurity and institutional distrust, Salinas Pliego’s movement may signal a new chapter in citizen-led activism.
