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.

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 . . .

Follow Us On Google News | Get Our Newsletter



Trending News on PVDN

  • Where do foreigners come from and where do they live in MexicoMexico City Protest on July 5 Challenges Gentrification and Airbnb’s Impact on Housing Residents of Roma and Condesa will gather at Parque México on July 5 to protest gentrification, rising rents, and Airbnb’s effect on local housing. This Saturday, July 5, Mexico City will witness its first organized citizen protest against gentrification—a peaceful but urgent gathering taking place at 3:30 p.m. at the Lindbergh Forum in Parque México,…
  • protests3Mexico City Protests: There is a fine line between anti-gentrification and xenophobia The line between anti-gentrification and racism is clear if you choose to see it: genuine activism targets policy and practice, not nationality or ethnicity. I have lived in Mexico for two decades, and I have never witnessed the level of anti-American sentiment that exists today. All of it is tied to the buzzword "gentrification," a…
  • puerto vallarta lettersPuerto Vallarta needs a new image to create meaningful reasons for travelers to visit Business leaders at Jalisco Tourism Secretariat forums stressed the need for renewing Puerto Vallarta image and diversifying attractions to appeal to national and international markets. Local business leaders and tourism specialists agreed this week that Puerto Vallarta needs a fresh look and a broader range of attractions to compete at home and abroad. In a…
  • puerto-vallarta-police-chase-bahia-de-banderasPuerto Vallarta police chase ends in deadly collision in Bahía de Banderas A Puerto Vallarta police chase along Highway 200 ended in a deadly collision in Bahía de Banderas, leaving two people dead. A high-speed chase that began in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, and ended in Bahía de Banderas, Nayarit, left at least two people dead and raised new questions about police engagement and road safety in the…
  • puerto-vallarta-rainfall-hurricane-flossie-july-2025Puerto Vallarta braces for torrential rains as Hurricane Flossie gains strength Puerto Vallarta faces a high risk of flooding as Hurricane Flossie intensifies in the Pacific. Torrential rains and overwhelmed drainage systems pose major challenges for the city. Puerto Vallarta, a city wedged between the Sierra Madre mountains and the Pacific Ocean, is no stranger to dramatic weather shifts—but this summer, the skies are testing the…
  • protestProtest graffiti and smashed windows mars anti-gentrification rally in Mexico City Residents and activists joined an anti-gentrification rally in Mexico Park, but the anti-gentrification rally Mexico Park turned destructive as masked youths defaced local shops and broke windows. A rally against gentrification held yesterday in Mexico City’s Parque México drew residents from Juárez, Roma, Condesa and Hipódromo alongside local activists. Organizers billed it as the city’s…
  • mexico city real estateGentrification in Mexico City is not the reason for the high cost of housing City housing shortage, not gentrification, drives prices skyward as planning lags behind demand and foreigner influence remains minimal. High real estate costs in Mexico City stem from a deep and persistent housing shortage—exacerbated by land constraints, tangled regulations and speculative investment—rather than by the presence of foreign residents. Despite headlines blaming “gentrification,” foreign-born residents make…
  • Body with signs of crocodile attack found in Ameca River, a leg was found last monthPurple Flag Warns Beachgoers after Crocodile at Los Muertos Beach Authorities raised a purple flag after a crocodile at Los Muertos Beach was spotted swimming near shore, advising visitors to avoid entering the water until safety checks ended. Local authorities recorded a crocodile swimming in the vicinity of Los Muertos Beach, one of Puerto Vallarta’s busiest tourist spots. Lifeguards spotted the reptile in shallow water…
  • José Luis Velázquez RodríguezSEAPAL Official Reported Missing in Puerto Vallarta Authorities in Puerto Vallarta have launched a search for José Luis Velázquez Rodríguez, SEAPAL's head of transparency, who has been missing since June 30. Family and officials are urging the public to report any information. Local authorities and civil protection units have launched a search operation for José Luis Velázquez Rodríguez, head of the Transparency…
  • puerto vallarta loses three blue flag beachesPuerto Vallarta retains four Blue Flag Beaches, down from eight Puerto Vallarta will enter the 2025–2026 season with four international Blue Flag distinctions in Puerto Vallarta, even after tourism-driven environmental damage cost it half of its previous honors. The Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) in Mexico confirmed that three resort flags will be revalidated at Marriott Puerto Vallarta Resort & Spa, The Westin Resort &…
Scroll to Top