Interesting Article On The Roots of the Drug War

I read an interesting article in the May 25th edition of The Nation magazine on line regarding the roots of the present drug war that go back many years. The article is entitled The Monster and Monterrey: The Politics and Cartels of Mexico´s War on Drugs. This is a fairly comprehensive summary of the reasons why we are where we are today here in Mexico. You may need to subscribe to The Nation on line to read it but that subscription is free and well worth the effort to read this compelling article.

Having just gotten back to Lake Chapala from our annual winter residency in Chiapas, I can assure all of you that the situation along the Chiapas/Guatemala border and in regions abutting that border is deteriorating and that border seems to be porous and very difficult if not impossible to control. And, anyway, controlled by whom? Just about everyone with authority down there is to be distrusted. Good luck.

AHHH...Senor, link favor...

Espiritu...,
Mil gracias..

Look here.

Thanks, Rolly, for the link. Very informative. It will take some time to digest all of this. Lizzy

bobnliz wrote:Thanks, Rolly, for the link. Very informative. It will take some time to digest all of this. Lizzy

As ten year residents of Mexico, my wife, who is French and I, an American, will never leave this beautiful country unless it devolves into chaos and simply becomes too dangerous for us to maintain a minimally civilized existence but if it degenerates here to the point it becomes unliveable we´ll head for France, not the United States. That will improve the food in our opinions but not the weather nor the cultural interests. Let´s hope it never comes to that but, as you can see, Lizzy, from reading this article thoughtfully, the corruption here has been ingrained in the bone for many decades and it seems to me that the end in sight,if there is one, is an accomodation between the law and the outlaw. Who really cares about the corrupt U.S. culture that feeds the anarchy with money to feed an insatiable appetite for drugs and illictly supplies advanced military style weaponry to the cartels for filthy lucre with which the gangsters defy whatever remains of honorable Mexican law enforcement. Let the U.S. have their drugs. Legallize drugs in Mexico and provide safe passage to "the land of the free and the home of the brave" and let them work it out on their home turf.

Yes everyone needs to have a back-up plan. I know we have one.........

Lake Arenal - Costa Rica

Not nearly as convenient as Lake Chapala but the climate is temperate (albeit probably more rain) and there is a gringo community.

Dawg ~ I just saw this posted on TOB. S o, what's your take on all this? Lizzy


From the Wall Street Journal - Chaos in Michoacan and from the Informador - border violence Michoacan/Jalisco leaves 12 dead.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304520804576346410044266434.html?KEYWORDS=Michoac%C3%A1n (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304520804576346410044266434.html?KEYWORDS=Michoac%C3%A1n)

....................The cartel has infiltrated local police forces and city halls throughout the state, experts say, and largely displaced local governments in many areas.

The situation is so bad that Mexico's three main political parties on Wednesday signed a joint statement saying they were exploring the possibility of fielding a single, unity candidate in November's gubernatorial race in an attempt to set aside partisan bickering and save the state.

"It's indicative of how badly the wheels are falling off," said James McDonald, an anthropology professor at Southern Utah University who lived for many years in Michoacán and is an expert on it. "I think Michoacán is lost, like Tamaulipas. And it could be the realization that they need to get together on this and deal with it, or else." .........

Here is just one border clash yesterday -

JILOTLÁN DE LOS DOLORES, JALISCO (28/MAY/2011 http://www.informador.com.mx/jalisco/2011/295742/6/enfrentamiento-entre-militares-y-sicarios-deja-al-menos-10-muertos.htm (http://www.informador.com.mx/jalisco/2011/295742/6/enfrentamiento-entre-militares-y-sicarios-deja-al-menos-10-muertos.htm)

Staff of the Fifteenth Military Zone reports on a confrontation between soldiers and gunmen from the cartel Familia Michoacana; report at least a dozen dead. The skirmish is recorded so far in the town known as La Loma, in the municipality of Jilotlán de los Dolores, Jalisco, adjacent to the state of Michoacán. Elements of the Fifteenth Military Zone and Removes region based in Zapopan, head to the place of confrontation.