Headless corpses? Acid baths? This is a distorted picture of Mexico's drug wars

Headless corpses? Acid baths? This is a distorted picture of Mexico's drug wars

www.guardian.co.uk

I study Mexico: a diverse and fascinating country which, when it makes the news, usually does so because of narco-violence – an important phenomenon, to be sure, but one that deserves sober reflection, not sensationalism.

Juárez is not typical of the country. In fact, it is a grotesque aberration – seven times more homicidal than Mexico as a whole, 13 times more than Mexico City (the capital's homicide rate, by the way, is about one-third that of Washington DC). In other words, drug-related violence is highly variable within Mexico; Yucatán's homicide rate is less than Canada's.

(visit the link for the full news article)

That is true, even in my "hot-spot" state of Michoacán life just goes on as usual, for the most part. Things heat-up a bit when something happens to create instability, which seems to be more the aim than putting the cartels out of business.

The efforts made seem very counter-productive to accomplishing what we are told are the objectives. One must suspect other motives at play.

Of course, the manner of conducting contraband (a very old story along the border) depends not only on demand in the US, but also on political and criminal organisation in Mexico (another old story). Thus, while demand has grown, central political control – once exercised by the mighty ruling party, the PRI – has given way to chaotic, decentralised conflict, in which rival cartels and their gang affiliates battle for power and profit.

Legalisation, Vulliamy says, is of "tangential importance". However, increasingly, informed opinion in Latin America – including Mexico – is seriously discussing it. Two ex-presidents (Zedillo and Fox) advocate this course; and Mexican public opinion favours an open debate, which President Calderón – his military crackdown having, thus far, failed – now also encourages.

At one time there was centralized control over these enterprises. One senses those days are over but that the de-centralization makes Mexico's structure weaker. Even the cartels seek some order in these endeavors and achieve some but the strategy of the war is to create instability. A larger objective is being focused-on from outside Mexico. Whose game is being played?

It is the US's War, in reality, and they have a number of other countries fighting it for them. Latin America is where it would seem most likely to finally be a turnaround to this whole sordid business. Alas, i believe they may be stumbling upon the solution to actually putting those cartels out of business.
www.guardian.co.uk
(visit the link for the full news article)

This is a social issue, not breaking alternative news.

But yeah, the media tends to focus on the worst of the worst when it comes to Mexican drug cartels, obviously as propaganda. But the truth is as many atrocities as they tend to focus on, there are many more even worse crimes being committed here in the states on a daily basis.

Although it does get bad in mexico at times, it isnt as bad as the american media portrays it to be..I think "americans to hate mexico" is more of the medias aim..My parents are from zacatecas and we visit mexico frequently and besides the hot spots like the OP said,its a pretty honest place.Theres a border city here in AZ called nogales that was a tourist kingdom,great bars, restaurants, malls, etc.. and now,thanks to the media has begun to struggle economically due to tourism dwindling..I should add that the city of nogales,despite bieng a huge drug trafficking area,has had less than 3 homicides in the past two years..

I like this thread. It shows how our American media is obviously used as a propaganda tool to convince the country that the drug war needs continued funding but in reality if drug trafficking and drug use wasn't sensationalized in the media then there would not be so much usage of illegal narcotics.

"Out of sight, out of mind" not sure who said this but its so true.

anyone interested in what goes on and where should check out borderlandbeat.com

reply to post by VicDiaz89


You might want to check your sources, in the last few years Nogales has become a very dangerous place to find yourself.

Nogales, the main city in the region, which shares a border with the Arizona city of the same name, has had 131 murders so far this year, nearly surpassing 135 for all of 2009, according to a tally by the newspaper Diario de Sonora. That includes two heads found Thursday stuffed side-by-side between the bars of a cemetery fence.

Mexican drug cartel killings near Nogales increase

Nogales, Mexico which is just across the border from Nogales, Arizona has had 131 murders during the first 6 months of 2010 compared to 135 for the entire year 2009.

Is it Safe to Visit Nogales Mexico?

OP, I'm not understanding what your headline on this thread is supposed to imply. "A distorted picture of Mexico's drug wars?" I seem to read quite often about beheadings in Mexico. In fact, it seems to me Mexican drug cartels love to chop off heads. Is this not a reality? Are you saying this is a lie? How is this a distortion? I understand that this stuff isn't going on all across Mexico, but the murder stats speak for themselves. They are through the roof. Is this a fabrication? Frankly, I wouldn't travel to Mexico for any reason with all this drug cartel violence.

It's unfortunate that all of Mexico has to be bear the burden for what these drug cartels are doing, but unless you are gonna prove that the statistics are wrong, that top law enforcement officials and politicians haven't been murdered, and some police departments have had almost all their officers quit out of fear, then this "Mexico is getting a bad rap" argument is rather weak.

I have seen a couple take-downs of some cartel leaders in the past month that rated big hoopla in the media but had less backlash in the streets than one might expect. I am going to make a couple observations.

With the coming election year in Mexico and other parts of the world there has been a lot of discussion going about the Drug War policy that is working against the politicians who back it. I believe the War is starting to "cool-down" a bit. I have a feeling there are concessions being made.

The Drug War has been a public-relations nightmare and the people are looking fondly to the "good old days" of just a few years ago. The Drug War violence does not bode well for President Calderón's PAN party and they would love to have things quiet in Mexico for the next year or so, also would like to declare their Drug War a success.

I suspect there are deals being made to back-off the government's attack on the cartels in exchange for a hushed-up "cease-fire" arrangement. The cartel bosses that have been captured recently are to be paraded in front of the cameras to show the success of the war, then receive a few years of "country club" style retirement locked-up as their pay-off.

If Mexico violence drops out of the news and we only see some cartel bosses being paraded then escorted away one can expect this is what is happening. I am predicting things will be much quieter here for awhile. Part of the deal would be to keep prohibition in-place and let the black market continue on but without the pressures of the past few years. The alternative would be for some real drug policy reform but that would not be the favored solution of either the government nor the cartels. Continued prohibition benefits them both.

I love the Mexican Culture! I love the food, I love the People, and I especially love their zest for Living both in Life and in Death (All Saints Day). I love the family life and I love the gatherings!

I believe all those things exist regardless of which side of the border we live on, but I also see how the element of "bad" exists on both ends and is guilty on both sides.

I recently heard that Mexico is asking for the ATF Officials to be extradited under crimes against the State, those who purposely allowed the guns to be given to the Cartel! If this is true I say Right On! Hand them over and let them face the real life! Let them be an example for them all! It will certainly put a few bad ones on the right track, and the good people will feel better!

One day we will all want to be part of Mexico! I see this because I believe GOD has a great sense of humor!

As for Cuidad Juarez, I am as ashamed for them as I am for El Paso, it is an armpit that will never heal until the Industry of cheap labor and overpriced homes coupled with drugs and the like come to an end. GOD help them all!

Originally posted by NightGypsy
OP, I'm not understanding what your headline on this thread is supposed to imply. "A distorted picture of Mexico's drug wars?" I seem to read quite often about beheadings in Mexico. In fact, it seems to me Mexican drug cartels love to chop off heads. Is this not a reality? Are you saying this is a lie? How is this a distortion? I understand that this stuff isn't going on all across Mexico, but the murder stats speak for themselves. They are through the roof. Is this a fabrication? Frankly, I wouldn't travel to Mexico for any reason with all this drug cartel violence.

It's unfortunate that all of Mexico has to be bear the burden for what these drug cartels are doing, but unless you are gonna prove that the statistics are wrong, that top law enforcement officials and politicians haven't been murdered, and some police departments have had almost all their officers quit out of fear, then this "Mexico is getting a bad rap" argument is rather weak.

To answer, the headline is not mine but as per BAN forum rules it is the article's headline. There have been a few heads rolling but it is not an everyday occurrence nor was it a random act of violence as is more customary in the US where virtually no one is safe. This War is largely confined to the rules of war where the cartel soldiers battle each other and the police and military for turf. Civilian casualties are rare except in the border zones where there is more spill-over.

I live in Mexico in the capital city of Michoacán and this is no war zone even though we are on the US State Department danger list. What you see in the media are incidents that have most likely happened somewhere but they would portray it as us not being able to leave our homes without tripping over dead bodies. It is not like that at all. Because this War is being fought between cartel and government soldiers there is little danger to the civillians. I feel safer walking in my city at night than I did almost anywhere I lived or visited in California.

The media gives a rather biased view of what goes on here.

reply to post by Drunkenparrot


i wasnt talking about nogales,sonera i was talking about nogales,arizona

I understand how the media has managed to destroy mexicos rep..by not being specific as to where the danger is,they use the countries name instead of the proper region that associates with gang activity.It would be like the united states bieng reported as a drug and murder nation based on statistics and reports from only detroit,south east l.a and compton..

reply to post by VicDiaz89


My apologies, I assumed you had referenced the southern side of the Nogales municipality as the thread title is in reference to violence in Mexico.

Yes, the Az side of Nogales has a much lower murder rate per capita than its twin.

I would add that I have travelled both Sonora and Baja and have never been treated with anything but kindness and respect.

If you go to Mexico looking for trouble,sure there is plenty to be found. As long as you mind your manners and remember you are a guest and no better or worse than anyone else there are honestly parts of Los Angeles I would fear more than the communities I have visited.

reply to post by Erongaricuaro


Central Americanaz
Quoetzacotal- Brotheren this petty game of the rich rulling the poor will end whether some believe in Higher observation or not. The blood touches the Earth from the many slain. And sends a message of distress in that region. Its wild there are MANY who share evol pathetic energy to rule over others yet they hide out in the nicest family houses with military protection but CAN'T smell a STAR comming to bring the same glory. The tears and blood from Central Americanaz have had no choice but to be heard. Its just what's hearing them is Extremely frustrated more then all the attitudes in centralicanaz and when its that sectors time. One can only prey for the souls of the lost senders. This is a sapiens sapiens issue. And a very sensitive one due to all the money shared globally. Its to hard for sapiens sapiens to fix the issue alone. See because many cannot controll money hunger so money finds their weakness and some bodies killed here and there and the money pays for the family house of the rich man captin KING and well paid OFF slave. You receiving this. These have to face the same judge as me and you the JUDGE that watched All play and forgot as they forgot he. Be strong

remember
Quoetzalcotal be well

My brain is very fuzzy tonight (maybe I shouldn't be posting), but I'd like to check if my understanding is correct.

Parts of Mexico are relatively normal, and parts have muder and crime rates I can only imagine (such as over four times the homicide rate of D.C. per the OP). The solution being put forth is for the police to stop agresively hunting the cartels, and the cartels will not kill as many civilians. (I suppose it would be allowed for one cartel to attack members of the other cartels.)

The reason for the Mexican violence is the War on Drugs, which should be stopped.

As I say, I'm fuzzier than usual. Have I got the discussion right?

Originally posted by charles1952
My brain is very fuzzy tonight (maybe I shouldn't be posting), but I'd like to check if my understanding is correct.

Parts of Mexico are relatively normal, and parts have muder and crime rates I can only imagine (such as over four times the homicide rate of D.C. per the OP). The solution being put forth is for the police to stop agresively hunting the cartels, and the cartels will not kill as many civilians. (I suppose it would be allowed for one cartel to attack members of the other cartels.)

The reason for the Mexican violence is the War on Drugs, which should be stopped.

As I say, I'm fuzzier than usual. Have I got the discussion right?

The whole business is so convoluted it is hard to make sense of. Apparently many border towns are a real mess, but all I know for them is what I have seen on the news. My area, Morelia, Michoacán, has not been without incident but is hardly a war zone and life goes on as usual, fiestas, concerts, exhibits in the plazas, etc., all without incident.

Hard to say what an immediate solution should be, besides the obvious. This monster has been long in the making but it seems reasonable he would settle down a bit if we quit jabbing him with a stick.

The reason for the Mexican violence is the War on Drugs, which should be stopped.

I think we can agree on that.

Originally posted by Erongaricuaro

Headless corpses? Acid baths? This is a distorted picture of Mexico's drug wars

www.guardian.co.uk

I study Mexico: a diverse and fascinating country which, when it makes the news, usually does so because of narco-violence – an important phenomenon, to be sure, but one that deserves sober reflection, not sensationalism.

Juárez is not typical of the country. In fact, it is a grotesque aberration – seven times more homicidal than Mexico as a whole, 13 times more than Mexico City (the capital's homicide rate, by the way, is about one-third that of Washington DC). In other words, drug-related violence is highly variable within Mexico; Yucatán's homicide rate is less than Canada's.

(visit the link for the full news article)

Haha, Mexico's drug wars. More like the US Governments war to control the Mexican drug trade. Dont be fooled, they control the drug trade and when you you try to interfere with this, you end up like the innocent people who unfortunately have merely seen the truth, or tried to get a piece of the pie.

You wanna know how they do it. One of the most efficient ways is from Mexico and Sth America to Oil platforms, and then into the US with the oil equipment that does not get checked by customs.

There is even video in past of the US army loading bails of marijuana onto planes. This for the citizens of the US.

reply to post by Erongaricuaro

If Mexico violence drops out of the news and we only see some cartel bosses being paraded then escorted away one can expect this is what is happening. I am predicting things will be much quieter here for awhile. Part of the deal would be to keep prohibition in-place and let the black market continue on but without the pressures of the past few years. The alternative would be for some real drug policy reform but that would not be the favored solution of either the government nor the cartels. Continued prohibition benefits them both.

Thanks, OP. That gives me a better picture of what you mean. Those are interesting points you make, and I'm anxious to see how this plays out. It seems to me that Calderon's approach did nothing but exacerbate the whole problem. Do you think any drug policy reform that is implemented would have any effect at all? It seems to me these cartels would still do as they please no matter what the government's policies are.

never knew this stuff was happening..thanks for sharing..