Drug War in Mexico Raises Human Rights Concerns

Drug War in Mexico Raises Human Rights Concerns

story.mexicostar.com

The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, is concluding a weeklong visit to Mexico, where she expressed concern over abuse of citizens by police and soldiers fighting organized crime groups. The major effort against drug cartels and other criminal organizations that began shortly after Mexican President Felipe Calderon took office in December, 2006, has now claimed around 40,000 lives. Experts say ending official corruption and impunity is the biggest challenge the government faces in trying to win the war.

(visit the link for the full news article)

There are privacy invasions like never before and I've heard a few first-hand stories about things much worse.. The Drug War has become and excuse to break all rules and violate citizen right, plus it has become a doorway to abuses of all types.

"I view with concern the increasing reports of human rights violations attributed to state agents in the fight against organized crime," Pillay said.

She said authorities should not view respect for human rights as an obstacle, but as part of the solution in combating crime.

President Calderon responded that the worst abusers of human rights in Mexico are the criminal gangs that have tortured, mutilated and killed thousands of people. The drug cartels are fighting the government and each other as they compete for lucrative smuggling routes and drug profits.

Laughable. They kill thousands of each other. If this is a war that is what soldiers do, they kill each other. In Mexico or in the US the Drug War is a convenient term that puts it in a gray area of martial law when it suits the authorities use those differentiations. There is a different set of rules for either instance, the Drug War can put it in either court whichever is most convenient.

The Drug War is more addicting than the drugs, the governments have tasted this power "high" and continually are graduating to the "hard stuff." Once they've used it they can't get enough.

Citizen attitudes about police in Mexico may be part of the problem. Surveys have shown that Mexicans have little respect for their police and that paying small bribes to avoid such inconveniences as a traffic ticket is still common practice in much of the country. Mexican police are usually paid little and given only minimal training.

For the government to tackle such problems it will need public support in both spiritual and material terms. George Grayson says Mexicans in the upper and middle classes, who have been absent from this effort, need to do more and pay more.

That's called "mordida", a bite, and it is the way of life here, much easier to pay your traffic violation on the spot and avoid dealing with city hall, but the Drug War has only emboldened the police and military to use that as an excuse to search and shake-down the people until they can find something might require a mordida. The idea that the Mexican middle and upper classes need to pay more does sound like something and American "expert" on Mexico would com up with - throw more money at any problem. That never seems to make it go away though.

Unless one is involved with the cartels they would not expect to encounter them, but the government authorities are ubiquitous and hassling everyone. You might be a "narco." They don't know until they rifle through your personal spaces to find out. They expect to find at least something to compromise you with. I bet that could maybe start to happen in the US as well, no?

story.mexicostar.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

the drug war has claimed more lives in mexico than the war on terror, 9/11, afghanistan and the iraq war combined and in less time.

i'm glad to see that trillions of dollars are being spent by the genius's in the whitehouse, on a relatively minor threat, compared to the monsoon that is ready to hit america.

reply to post by Erongaricuaro


Thanks for reporting from the front....so to speak.

I imagine that the average Mexican citizen would be getting pissed by now. They not only have to live in fear of the Cartels, but also the Police. Caught between a rock and a hard place.

I have traveled to Mexico quite a few times whenever I went Ft. Huachuca or Bliss, and have always been warned of the corruption amongst the police, to never give them any guff. This was before things went south to the extent they are.

I was one of those idiot Soldiers who prefered to avoid the tourist traps and travel amongst the ordinary folk. I was lucky, I guess and always had a fun time.

I went to Reynosa with my folks last December and it felt like I had been transported back to Iraq, with the exception I wasn’t the one on patrol. It gave me a whole new perspective on things from the other side. My folks however, seemed to be clueless and wondered why I was looking in all directions.

I have nothing but respect for people who still carry on with their lives in such a situation.

Thanks for the info. I was thinking about you today when I was reading the news about the drug war. It's good to have somebody who is actually there to give us the real low down.

Stay safe.

Sad, this world makes me sad, all about greed, power, and control. Why can't we all just get along, lose the bs, and evolve onto better things? Wishful thinking? Maybe...but I'll still think it.

reply to post by seeker11


Thanks, and I hope you too are doing well. It seems things are tough all over.

Although I go about my day without seeing or hearing any of the narco wars the news about it comes to me mainly because I am looking for local news for my expats info and discussion board and bigger news articles for ATS.

This past month all hell has been breaking loose throughout the state of Michoacán yet when the narcos staged a blockade last Thursday at all the highways going in or out of this state capital city of Morelia I live in I was not aware of any of it even though I was out and about town running errands that day. A municipal bus, several cars, and a truck or two were torched and burned at those highway exits/entrances and similar occurrences elsewhere in the state simultaneously. I knew nothing of this until I got back home and someone e-mailed me about it.

It is real, it is happening, but unless you are unfortunate enough to be right there at the right (or wrong) time little is effected. We hosted World Cup games (FIFA U-17 games) here in Morelia with the opening ceremonies for all of Mexico here without incident, concerts and fiestas in the parks and plazas without incident, yet the Drug War incidents happen almost unnoticed by most of the residents, cleaned-up and sanitized within an hour or so.

What I do see are police checkpoints, with perhaps good reason to have them, but those of us expats with US license plates are getting stopped and hassled for some obscure violation - not having some document or just having a copy instead of the original, a good target for "mordida" on threats of impounding our vehicles. I doubt that is helping the Drug War effort but that is the excuse for the intrusion.

A few years ago it was not like this, nor the violent incidents that occur but mostly involve the narcos and police. A body count of almost 40,000 is being reported, and that is all within the past 4 years or so. But I am ambivalent, it is not like living in a war zone and the police intrusions usually don't cost but less than $10. I would much rather be here than back living in California for a multitude of reasons and hoping things will return to normal once again. The Drug War is very unpopular with the people here and is sure to effect the upcoming elections.

The Drug War has been a tool to erode rights and privacies. I saw it happening while living in the US but it is fairly new here, and there is still more expectations of privacy here than across the border. I believe it will find its ending here, but if not then it will become a problem the rest of the world will have to deal with. The Drug War has many agendas but its publicly-stated purpose of stopping drug traffic is apparently not one of them.

Deleted - double post

Originally posted by randomname
the drug war has claimed more lives in mexico than the war on terror, 9/11, afghanistan and the iraq war combined and in less time.

That's not true. Even the most modest estimate would put that number near or above one million people, as opposed to the 40,000 in the Mexican drug war.

In a way, it seems difficult to determine who is fighting who. And from the sounds of it, the war is extending into Central America. Hopefully, 2012 brings a better atmosphere. Stay safe Amigo.

Found this article that I found interesting. May be too graphic for some.

intermexfreemarket.blogspot.com...

So what does "The UN" suggest be done?Occupation by "peacekeepers"?Sounds like a laed up to occupying other countries that dont act right...like maybe the US?

Originally posted by Homedawg
So what does "The UN" suggest be done?Occupation by "peacekeepers"? Sounds like a laed up to occupying other countries that dont act right...like maybe the US?

The US already occupies almost every other country. Who is left to occupy the US?

reply to post by Erongaricuaro


Oh,BS on that....we dont occupy Russia,China or most of Africa or the Euro nations...thats just more Hate-The-USA crap

Originally posted by Homedawg
Oh,BS on that....we dont occupy Russia,China or most of Africa or the Euro nations...thats just more Hate-The-USA crap

The US does have 700+++ military bases in 60+++ countries and has deployments in 150 countries... not to mention the only bona fide fleet of aircraft carriers in the world and covert CIA bases everyplace the US does not officially have a colony.

Originally posted by Erongaricuaro
The Drug War has been a tool to erode rights and privacies. I saw it happening while living in the US but it is fairly new here, and there is still more expectations of privacy here than across the border.

...the only thing "fairly new" about it is the name...

Originally posted by Erongaricuaro
I believe it will find its ending here,

...i dont...

Originally posted by Erongaricuaro
but if not then it will become a problem the rest of the world will have to deal with.

...the rest of the world doesnt give a damn - too busy worrying about their own problems... they might pay lip service but thats about it...

Originally posted by Erongaricuaro
The Drug War has many agendas but its publicly-stated purpose of stopping drug traffic is apparently not one of them.

...stopping drug traffic was never the purpose (here or there)...

...take care...

Originally posted by Wyn Hawks

Originally posted by Erongaricuaro
The Drug War has been a tool to erode rights and privacies. I saw it happening while living in the US but it is fairly new here, and there is still more expectations of privacy here than across the border.

...the only thing "fairly new" about it is the name...

Not sure of the history here. Fairly sure the prohibition came after that in the US. Up to about 1970 pot was a nothing matter, whatever laws there were it was widely ignored. do you know some specifics?

Originally posted by Erongaricuaro
I believe it will find its ending here,

...i dont...

End, get worse, or see somewhat of a "cease-fire" but the prohibition remains in effect. those seem to be the extent of the choices. I expect at least a temporary end to the "War" hostilities. What do you see, then?

Originally posted by Erongaricuaro
but if not then it will become a problem the rest of the world will have to deal with.

...the rest of the world doesnt give a damn - too busy worrying about their own problems... they might pay lip service but thats about it...

Seems to me a number of other countries have their own problems with global prohibition policy. "The rest of the world" may have been a stretch but certainly Mexico isn't the only place facing difficulties, though has perhaps the worst at this time.

Originally posted by Erongaricuaro
The Drug War has many agendas but its publicly-stated purpose of stopping drug traffic is apparently not one of them.

...stopping drug traffic was never the purpose (here or there)...

...take care...

Hmmm... you're probably right. I don't recall anyone saying in just a few words what its purpose is/was. They certainly didn't bring up all the ramifications of it. Just tried to imply it was for our own good.

Thanks. Cuidate.

Originally posted by Erongaricuaro
I don't recall anyone saying in just a few words what its purpose is/was.

...regardless of what kind of war it is, where it is or the propaganda used to justify it, the real purpose of war is always the same... control the masses via fear and add to the already bloated coffers of the wealthy...