Even with the prospect of vaccines, many Mexicans face a holiday of tough choices, trying to celebrate while dealing with pressing needs.
MEXICO CITY (Times Media Mexico) – For many Mexicans, there will be no Christmas dinner nor gifts. The situation in the country is more challenging than ever. AMLO’s government has not supported companies in any way, and millions of jobs have been lost. For these millions of Mexicans, there are no choices. People will have to endure one of the hardest Christmases ever.
For José Luis, a former waiter in a restaurant in Mexico City, who financially takes care of his mother, wife, and two children, Christmas dinner will be ham and cheese tortas he managed to buy with the money he got from a loan-shark who took a gold chain and cross as collateral for the money. There will be no gifts this year.
Maria Luisa, his wife, used to work in a nail salon. She does not have a job either. They are months behind on the rent and bills. They have been struggling to afford Jose Luis’ mother medications she used to get through “Seguro Popular” now she has to find a way since there are no medicines. She has diabetes.
Carlos and his brothers are lawyers. For them, the pandemic has hurt but not financially. They lost their father to COVID-19 like thousands of other Mexicans. This is a holiday season to mourn more than to relish.
These are just a couple of stories of people facing the most dramatic moment of their lives. Like them, millions of other Mexicans are either running out of money, without jobs, or facing the death of family members. 2020 Christmas will be remembered by many for painful sacrifices and not the joy of exchanging gifts and partaking in festive meals with family and friends.
The arrival of vaccines comes too late to salvage this year’s celebration, particularly with the prospect that 2021 could bring the pandemic’s darkest days for Mexico, and an unsustainable financial situation, mostly when more than 60% of the country lives with an average of $6,000 a month… when they have a job.
Many of Mexico’s jobless are from industries like hospitality, travel, dining, and entertainment, which are suffering from the pandemic’s initial strike in past March when lockdowns and restrictions arrived in the country.
If you are in a position to help a Mexican family, please do so. Throughout the country, many organizations are willing to take all the help that is given.
All we can do is keep hope alive and hold on to better days ahead. Quoting William Shakespeare, in Hamlet. “This, too, shall pass”.
