Walmart Uses Bribes to Break Laws, Subvert Public

Wal-Mart longed to build in Elda Pineda's alfalfa field. It was an ideal location, just off this town's bustling main entrance and barely a mile from its ancient pyramids, which draw tourists from around the world. With its usual precision, Wal-Mart calculated it would attract 250 customers an hour if only it could put a store in Mrs. Pineda's field.



One major obstacle stood in Wal-Mart's way.

After years of study, the town's elected leaders had just approved a new zoning map. The leaders wanted to limit growth near the pyramids, and they considered the town's main entrance too congested already. As a result, the 2003 zoning map prohibited commercial development on Mrs. Pineda's field, seemingly dooming Wal-Mart's hopes."*

What does Walmart do when it wants to build on land where they've been prohibited? Make huge bribes. That's what a New York Times investigation found had happened when Walmart wanted to build in Mexico. Ana Kasparian and Ben Mankiewicz break it down.

*Read more from David Barstow/ New York Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/18/business/walmart-bribes-teotihuacan.html?hp...

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