Mexico has been in the news a lot in the past decade, mostly for drug-related crimes and political violence. The killing of many politicians and their family members has long been a problem throughout Mexico, and while trying to resolve this violence, not much has been done to permanently stop these attacks. There can be a couple of motives behind Mexico's political violence. 1. Drug cartels want to expand their routes or territories and look to bribing local politicians to ensure protection of their area. "Cartels are known to interfere in local campaigns to elect officials who will be
friendly to their interests." 2. Politician vs. politician--a quick and dirty way to get rid of the competition.
On July 7, 2013 Mexico's 14 states held elections. The violence against political figures leading up to these elections is said to have been the worst in many years, and many of the violet acts are keeping citizens away from polling areas. There were many politicians who dropped out of the race due to being scared for their lives and their families. According to
USAtoday, many of these acts of violence are occurring in city and towns where organized crime usually rules. These attacks may suggest that the certain political figure running for office did not agree, or want to help out the drug cartel in anyway. A leader of a leftist party of the Democratic Revolution was shot dead in sugar field in Oaxaca, and only a few days earlier in Chihuahua, a mayoral candidate for the Institutional revolutionary Party was
also found dead.
President Enrique Pena Nieto
Current President of Mexico, Enrique Pena Nieto, had
promised to control Mexico's violence, and has
said he thinks Mexico's struggle with violence has become better over the past decade. However, these political attacks before July 7's elections have not proven well for the new president. Opposition leaders demanded that Pena Nieto put army's in the streets to protect Mexico's voters and many are upset Pena Nieto has not fixed Mexico's political violence. "A state that cannot protect its candidates, is a state that cannot protect democracy,"
quoted by Ernesto Lopez Portillo, director of the Institute for Security and Democracy in Mexico City.
i like the article. i just really wonder if Mexico will take back control from the drug cartel and its crimes. i read in the news lately that Mexico had captured one of the largest drug cartel leaders there, which i think is good for them. but i believe obviously someone new will take the throne. Mexico needs better security in the county and need to control the drug trade that is creating much of the violence.
ReplyDeleteGreat blog post. I recommend a book by Roderic Ai Camp, "Mexico: What Everyone Needs To Know." His first chapter is about security and violence in Mexico. He goes into detail about the different families that control cartel zones in Mexico, as well as why this violence is occurring. The easy answer, the United States has a high demand for drugs. As long as this demand stays high, I don't see the violence dying down. But, what we are seeing in Mexico is Hollywood stuff: political candidates being assassinated, drug raids, drug leaders being taken down, violent death and crime to the people standing in between (usually innocent). It is horrible and sad.
ReplyDeleteGreat posting, thanks! I would be incredibly scared to be a politician in Mexico but they obviously need someone that will be a more influential voice than the cartels, and with way more power.
ReplyDelete