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/idUSTRE62A44A20100311

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/wp-dyn/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