Mexico and the Evolution of the Gang Strategy

Alejandro Faini,

Editor (North America)

 

MEXICO CITY — Mexico has struggled during the past seven years against the control and violence cause by the constant rivalry between the different criminal bands, which have settled in Mexico to control the drug traffic to the US. During the last couple of years, the situation has escalate even more affecting now the different mayors and city council around the Mexican territory.

The northern states of Mexico have been mostly affected being the most important location for the drug trafficking operation to the US. Mexican police fought a ruthless fight during the past seven years loosing more than 880 members during the Calderon government. Nowadays the threats have been focus on members of the government, specially mayors.

It is reported that almost 50% of the 2,400 mayors and different municipal offices have been threatened by the gangs in Mexico during the past six years. Moreover, 45 mayors have been killed by drug gangs and 30 have been reported as missing since the beginning of the drug war.

Mayors have begun to talk about the different strategies used by criminal organisations to gain power in a region. For example its is well-known that in states such as Michoacán and Guerrero, mayors have been forced to accept and hired companies linked to crime gangs. But perhaps the most problematic issue is the use of threats to get some of the municipal budget, already low due to the different cuts by the government in recent years.

Despite the use of military force to strengthen the power of the state in different regions of the Mexican territory, situations like this are still happening all around Mexico, showing the power and influence of the gangs in the different aspects of society in the country. Experts have compared the situation with the violence lived in Colombia during the 90’s.

The drug related violence in Mexico has been responsible for 70,000 deaths, and what was once believed to be finished has started again, this time threatening the official of the state instead of the Security forces.

Image Courtesy: By aldomouzinho (Mexican_Flag) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons