The Perfect Dictatorship Hits Theaters

Cinemas throughout Mexico on Thursday premiered Mexican director Luis Estrada’s film the “‘Perfect Dictatorship,” a name derived from a quote by author Mario Vargas Llosa to describe Mexico’s political system at a time before the year 2000h that the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) had been ruling the country uninterruptedly for about 70 years.

In 2000 and until 2012, the National Action Party (PAN) won elections. The PRI is no in power again under the administration of President Enrique Peña Nieto.

The film, a dark comedy and parody, intertwines together a critical depiction of the country’s very cozy relationship between the political class and private mass media. Its satire highlights how the media has and perhaps is utilized by politicans for political gains.

While Estrada reaffirms that the characters are fictitious, he says “the events, are suspiciously true,” and that “anything [in this film] that is familiar, or similar to reality, is not a mere coincidence.” The film takes an obvious stab at the current president and the PRI.

It pokes fun at Peña Nieto’s presidential campaign and election in 2012, which was wrought with scandal and accusations that the then candidate PRI presidential candida and his party paid for extensive television coverage by Mexican television giant, Televisa.

Estrada expresses the anecdote that the film was written before Peña Nieto was even a candidate. “We began to write in 2011; Enrique Peña Nieto was still not formally a PRI presidential candidate. We decided to assume that things were going to happen the way they happened, which is synthesized in the promotional tagline of the film. ‘Television has already installed a president…will it do it again?'”.

The film’s leading actor Damian Alcazar, expresses the hope that the film will not only entertain, but provoke reflection.

“Its a film that comes out in the right moment, that strongly criticizes historical circumstances or the social, political and economic moment that we are living right now, and it is sad that every day we are taken aback by more brutality.”

He continued to say that the film mixes corruption, kidnapping, murders and organized crime, all of which has been a stark reality making headlines in recent weeks in the country after police in the state of Guerrero killed six people and forcibly disappeared 43 college students.

Estrada made his fame with the film ‘Herods Law’ (2000), which was a direct satirical attack at Mexico’s 71 years of PRI rule and which faced censorship, and for the film ‘Hell’ criticizing the country’s bloody drug war strategy launched by former President Felipe Calderon.



Trending News on PVDN

  • baja-california-sur-tourism-growthBaja California Sur tourism growth continues despite recent violent events Baja California Sur tourism growth remains strong as nearly two million visitors arrive in early 2025, driven by safety measures and solid hotel occupancy rates. Baja California Sur has seen Baja California Sur tourism growth gather pace in the first half of 2025, drawing nearly two million visitors despite isolated reports of violence. According to…
  • cables-underground-plan-cdmxMexico City Telecommunications Law mandates companies to bury cables underground Mexico City’s new Telecommunications Law mandates burying overhead cables to improve safety, streamline connectivity, and enhance the urban image with a comprehensive cables underground plan. On Thursday, July 10, 2025, Mexico City took a decisive step to modernize its urban landscape and bolster public safety by approving a new Telecommunications and Broadcasting Law that requires…
  • ensenada airportEnsenada international airport project unveiled The Ensenada international airport project will feature a new runway, passenger terminal and commercial zone near Valle de Guadalupe, boosting regional connectivity and tourism with an investment of MXN 5,500 million for the Ensenada international airport. Ensenada will soon join Mexico’s growing network of modern aviation hubs. During the International Civil Airports Council (ACI) congress,…
  • cancun-boosts-tourism-diversification-sargassumCancún boosts tourism diversification to counter sargassum surge Cancún tourism diversification expands beyond beaches to water parks, cultural sites, religious tours and nightlife to tackle sargassum challenges and keep visitors engaged. Cancún’s iconic beaches have long drawn sun-seeking travelers from around the world. This summer, however, an influx of sargassum seaweed threatens that draw. To keep visitor numbers strong and protect local businesses,…
  • texas floodsUS thanks Mexico for sending rescue teams to assist in Texas flood The US government publicly thanked Mexico flood rescue teams for sending firefighters and civil protection specialists to assist search and rescue efforts in Kerrville, Texas, after deadly July 4 weekend floods. The United States government on July 8, 2025, formally thanked Mexico for its swift deployment of emergency personnel to aid search and rescue operations…
  • baja california tourist taxGovernment expects 256 million pesos from Baja California Sur tourist tax The Government of Baja California Sur aims to collect up to 256 million pesos in 2025 through the new “Embrace It” foreign visitor contribution, funding infrastructure and sustainability. The Government of Baja California Sur (BCS) plans to raise as much as 256 million pesos in 2025 by expanding a fee charged to international tourists under…
  • quintana-roo-sargassum-beaches-report-july-12-2025Sargassum levels hit moderate to excessive on 68% of monitored beaches in Quintana Roo Today, July 12, 2025, 68% of monitored Quintana Roo sargassum beaches report moderate to excessive algae arrivals while 25% remain clean. See the full list of clean and affected shores and learn how authorities are tackling the influx. The annual surge of sargassum has returned to Quintana Roo’s shores, with 68% of monitored beaches reporting…
  • guanajuato-free-700-workers-human-trafficking-labor-exploitationGuanajuato Authorities Free 700 Workers in Human Trafficking and Labor Exploitation Case An inter-institutional operation in Dolores Hidalgo freed 700 people from a ranch in a human trafficking and labor exploitation case and led to a narcotics probe. Dolores Hidalgo, Guanajuato - The Guanajuato Attorney General’s Office executed a landmark raid on a rural ranch in Dolores Hidalgo, freeing approximately 700 people who had been subjected to…
  • ensenada airportSan Miguel de Allende new airport plan drives regional growth Learn how the San Miguel de Allende airport plan and four other new regional airports will boost tourism, logistics, and economic development across Mexico. On July 11, 2025, Carlos Manuel Merino Campos, director of Airports and Auxiliary Services (ASA), confirmed that the agency is evaluating the construction of a new airport in San Miguel de…
  • gender-revelation-pv-disappears-profepa-investigationGender Reveal Company at Center of Puerto Vallarta Controversy Disappears Revelación de Género PV vanished from social media after environmentalists and Profepa launched an investigation into its impact on Los Arcos de Mismaloya’s. Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco — Revelación de Género PV, the operator behind the recently popular “gender reveal” boat tours at Los Arcos de Mismaloya, has abruptly vanished from social media and disconnected its…