This archive report was first published on 15 July 2019.
On July 15, 2019, a remarkable social experiment took place in Cuauhtémoc, a town in Mexico's Chihuahua state, where the mayor, Carlos Tena, disguised himself as a disabled person to test the attitude of local public servants.
After receiving numerous complaints from disabled and socially disadvantaged individuals about the treatment they received from social workers, Tena devised an unusual plan to investigate the claims firsthand.
For two months, Tena worked on creating a convincing disguise, which included a thick turtle-neck sweater, a grey hat, black eyeglasses, and a bandage over his left ear to fake an injury.
Donning his disguise, Tena visited the Directorate of Social Development in a wheelchair, seeking assistance and a free meal, which disabled and poor citizens are entitled to under the law.
However, he was ignored, and the experience left him feeling disappointed in some of his colleagues.
Undeterred, Tena continued his experiment, visiting his own office and asking to speak with the mayor, only to be told that he was not available.
When he requested to speak to the Secretary of the City Council, he was rudely told to wait in the hallway, as the public servant wouldn't arrive for another hour and a half.
Convinced that the complaints he had been receiving were justified, Tena removed his disguise, leaving City Hall staff in a state of shock.
"The purpose of this experiment was to show the reality that citizens experience every day, the indifference and neglect they face from public servants," Tena told local reporters.
