Last Thursday an explosion at the headquarters of Mexico’s national oil giant ripped apart one of the country’s biggest skyscrapers and killed 36 people. It was a devastating event. And the rumour mills quickly sprung into operation. US geopolitical analysts Stratfor suggested that Mexico’s drug gangs may have played a role. And these stories were picked up by mainstream international news outlets, who began speculating who was behind the attack.

In the end, however, it emerged that the cause of the disaster was much more prosaic, with investigators finding evidence of a gas leak and an electrical fault.

The speed with which the international press jumped on the violence rumours shows just how badly Mexico is perceived by the mainstream media. When I first told people to invest in Mexico back in July, it certainly proved controversial. Several readers pointed out the country’s problems in the comments section, with security and corruption topping the list.

via The New World: Why you should be excited about Mexico – MoneyWeek.