The Mexican Nation as a whole is corrupt from the top down. Their infrastructure wasn't built to withstand enemies as strong as the cartels, Esp. with the money that is flowing illegally through the country.

Yes, they are not strong economically and never have been, But the cartels clearly are the shadow government in Mexico through running billions worth of narcotics.

It will take an organization like Los Pepes (Columbian Group) for the the people of Mexico to rise up and eliminate the Cartels and violence, the government is too corrupt at this point to make a concentrated effort to fight organized crime in Mexico.