Mexico - a cradle of violence? Anni Kasari, University of Bath
The news ”Mexico president struggles as drug war explodes across the country” (The Telegraph, 19 Mar 2010) ”Mexico's drug wars rage out of control” (The Guardian, 24 Mar 2010)
”Mexico is at risk of becoming a failed state” (The Wall Street Journal, 16 Jan 2009)
The facts President Calderón's crackdown on drug cartels since 2006 and the end of a pax mafiosa between cartels has resulted in an escalation of violence
Total of deaths (2006-2009 approx): 16.500 2009: 6.500 2010: 2.000+ Ciudad Juárez has become the world's murder capital ”...death squads roam the streets at night and criminal anarchy reigns” (The Observer, 4 Oct 2009)
Unsafe country?
Homicide rates (per 100,000 inhabitants)
Mexico 2009: 14 (1997: 17)
Brazil 2006: 25
Venezuela 2009: 54
Mexico City: 9 vs Washington, DC: 32
Source: http://observadorglobal.com/mexico-zona-de-guerra-contra-la-droga-n5549.html http://www.dlc.org/ndol_ci.cfm?kaid=108&subid=900003&contentid=255032 http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE62A44A2010031 1
Geography of the conflict
• → localised violence in 6 out of 32 states
A regional conflict •
”Visitors to the U.S. – Mexico border region, including cities such as Tijuana, Ciudad Juarez, Nuevo Laredo, Nogales, Reynosa, and Matamoros, should remain alert and be aware of their surroundings at all times.” –
US Dept of State
Source: http://media3.washingtonpost.com/wpdyn/content/graphic/2005/06/16/GR2005061600053.gif
The reality
There is undoubtedly a real problem of insecurity, but the deterioration of the public image of Mexico is also due to the perception of Mexico as an unsafe country. (Calderón, March 2010)
The future?
Sources
CHABAT, J., 2005. Narcotráfico y estado. http://letraslibres.com/pdf/8033.pdf
DEVEREUX, C., 2010. Venezuela murder-rate quadrupled under Chavez: NGO. http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE62A44A20100311 DLC., 2009. World Murder Rate. http://www.dlc.org/ndol_ci.cfm?kaid=108&subid=900003&contentid=255032 FRIEDMAN, G., 2010. Mexico and the Failed State Revisited. http://www.stratfor.com/weekly/20100405_mexico_and_failed_state_revisited GRILLO, I., 2010. Why Mexico's Drug War May Become Its Iraq. Time, 21 February. KURTZMAN, J., 2009. Mexico's Instability Is a Real Problem. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123206674721488169.html LEONARD, T., 2010. Mexico president struggles as drug war explodes across the country. The Telegraph, 19 March. MELGAR, I., 2010. México es satanizado por los mexicanos, dice Calderón http://www.exonline.com.mx/diario/noticia/primera/pulsonacional/mexico_es_satanizado_por_los_mexicanos,_ dice_calderon/905534 Metropolitan Police Department: City Annual Statistics: Washington 2008 http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/cius2008/data/table_08_dc.html OLSON, A., 2010. How dangerous is Mexico? Despite drug war, it’s less deadly than it was a decade ago. AP, 7 February. http://www.streetgangs.com/news/020710_mexico_lessdeadly
PUCCI, C., 2010. How safe is travel in Mexico? Seattle Times, 16 March.
ROSENHECK, D., 2010. The Drug War Is Not Mexico's Iraq. Newsweek, 24 March.
TUCKMAN, J., 2010, Mexico's drug wars rage out of control. The Guardian, 24 March.
VULLIAMY, E., 2009. Life and death in Juárez, the world's murder capital http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/oct/04/mexico-drugs-death-squads-juarez