Teaching Comparative Government and Politics

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Threat to the Mexican regime?

News of Mexico via Al Jazeera? Think globalization.

This is probably a bigger threat to the regime than the uprising in Chiapas or the strikes and protests in Oaxaca. Would your students agree? Why?

Mexico's 'narco' uprising

"The warning note was written in a scrawling handwriting and nailed to the town hall of the Mexican city of Ciudad Juarez near the border with the United States.

"'For those who don't believe it we will do it,' it said, followed by the names of 17 police officers.

"Days later, four of those on the list were dead, ambushed by masked attackers firing automatic weapons and driving brand new mini-vans.

"The murders of the Juarez officers are part of a recent wave of attacks on Mexico's law enforcement agents as Felipe Calderón, the Mexican president, tries to crack down on heavily-armed drug cartels...

"Analysts say the orchestrated attacks show that Mexico's longstanding drug violence has entered a new phase.

"In the past, rival gangs fought over billion-dollar smuggling routes... Now, the gangs are working together to defend these routes from the federal government...

"In the last two decades, hundreds of police, soldiers and politicians have been convicted of working for the cartels.

"One entire unit of army special forces deserted in the late 1990s to form a paramilitary commando called the Zetas, who work as bloody enforcers for the Gulf Cartel...

"Calderón's reliance on the military to take on the cartels has also sparked criticism.

"In recent weeks, groups including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and the United Nations have highlighted accusations of soldiers torturing, raping and killing civilians during their missions against drug gangs...

"Louise Arbour, the UN high commissioner for human rights, said in Mexico City earlier this month, 'The Mexican army is not made for the fight against crime.'"


See also

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