John Ross was a rare human being. He was an incredibly astute analyst of Mexico. He lived and breathed the country and its leaders, its crooks, and its social movements. He understood it better than any other American I know. And, he believed deeply in social justice, so much so that he went on long, punishing hunger strikes when the injustice became too unbearable for his sensitive soul. Saul Landau introduced John to IPS and we were proud to have him as a friend and colleague.

John gave several presentations to IPS over the years. The most recent was in the spring of 2010, when he offered a brilliant dissection of everything that was wrong with the “war on drugs” in Mexico. He died a few months later, and the world is much poorer without him. If you want to hear how a great mind works, listen to these clips.

John Cavanagh