

Losing the anti-drug fight?

An upsurge in killings in Mexico threatens confidence in the president

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There are some wrong premises the Mexican Government is fighting drugs cartels: first, that its forces are on its side; two, that drug dealers are only in some places; three, that the USA government works like the Mexican government; four, the rule of law; an five, among other, that the Mexican issue is important to the USA. First, in the last years, an it is documented, between 130 000 and 150000 military men have desserted from the army and joined the drug cartels and that All the people who is fighting, or almost all, the drug cartels have relatinship with the later and thus, all the data, operatives, and so on is easily filtrated to the cartels. It look like the dog looking its tail. Second, the cartels are in everywere in Mexico and at all levels. The money is inflirtating every sinlge part of the public administration and specially the military and police ones. Third, many people in Mexico thinks that the money offered by the USA government in the so called Merida Initiative, does not needs to be supervised by anyone, just like in Mexico, nobody is supervising what the government does or the parliament or the judiciary. There are too much ignorance in Mexico about how the USA government works,from there that nationalism is exacerbated by politicians, and doubt that some cartels are behind those politicians. It is obvious that if the money comes form the USA taxpayer, their representatives ask where the money goes and how it is being used. Not in Mexico. Her, nobody ask. And it is cultural and historical. If this issue is combined with the gratuit anti USA feelling, the result is a rejection of such certification. Four, In Mexico is part of every day life things like immunity and impunity. Nobody, or very few, respect a traffic light, the parking space for disabled, the pedestrians; only 8% of taxpayers are sustaining the country because the rest does not pay taxes, thousands of people and bussines does not pay energy and water services and the list is long. We as pepoples, close geographically, but very distant in political culture. And last point by now, Mexico, to be crude, it is not important in the USA politics and economics. Mexico´s economy is just a little bit lower than that of the Los Angeles County. No news are in USA news paper, but only tragedies; from time to time some important mass media put in its editorial to Mexico. John Mc Cain is right in considering Mexico only as part of national security only, the immigration issue,later, the money to fight drug cartels in Mexico, when they want it and under the USA Congress condition. Plenty logic. An the Mexican they think ther doing it right, and they are important to USA, a dream.


The handling of other drugs like Alcohol and Tobacco are examples of how a legalized drug can be controlled succesfully.Simple solution, legalize all drugs, remove the incentives and let society take care of the situation.Problem is there are too many interests invested in Law Enforcement agencies. Just think about the amount of unemployment and reduction in arms production such a measure would bring about.


Mr. Calderon’s approach to this war against the drug cartels in Mexico is wrong. He has declared war on those gangs without cleaning his own house first and nowadays he doesn’t know if policemen are being killed fighting the drug lords or in retaliation for deals gone bad. Corruption among government and law enforcement agents has marked the failures of drug cartels fights in other no far away latitudes. In Colombia for instances, drug cartels infiltrations made metastasis at all levels of government and turned that country into a narcostate. Narco-paramility groups elected 35% of Colombian congress in 02 and 06 and with the same support from these legislators, they elected and re-elected a president who gave them a slap in their wrist in exchange for giving up arms and trafficking routes. The problem remains and the light at the other side of the tunnel is dimmed. As far as I can see and according to the news coming from Mexico, this beautiful country is walking the same tortuous path walked by Colombia. Mr. Calderon should redesign his next moves. Sending an army trained to fight soldiers may no be the correct answer.

After learning from this experience, nothing wrong with consulting with the Colombian government on the subject, he should have formed and developed a secret special task force group to dismantle, prosecute, and imprison his corrupt agents and or government officials involved in trade and protection and or covert up and then declare the war. In other words, declare a war from the inside out.

As for the US and Mr. Bush particularly and his 500 million dollars helping hand, I have bad news. The state and local sponsored rehabilitation programs for drug addicts throughout main urban centers in the US have an average of 6 months waiting list to initiate counseling. I wanted to say that because the real question is: Is the US doing enough to fight drug consumption in its soil? I guess the answer is no. One doesn’t have to be a genius to think that if the demand shortens, the supply may will too, right


If Mexico were to magically eliminate the drug trade that passes though its borders on the way to the US market, I doubt the Columbian, Peruvian and Bolivian cocaine factories would close up shop. They'd just look for another route. Mexico is merely in the unenviable geographic position of being the closest and most direct route from source to demand. As long as big money is to made, drugs will find their way to the consumer.

Almost all of the drug related violence in Mexico stems from rival gangs fighting for control over access to the US market. The arms used in this inter-gang warfare come from the US. The money used to corrupt the Mexican police comes from sales to US consumers. Mexico would be well within its rights to criticize its northern neighbor for the drug violence afflicting its people.


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