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The Monster and Monterrey: The Politics and Cartels of Mexico's Drug War

Thank you for helping unmask the “monster”

I want to say thank you for a very deep analysis of the current wave of violence that plagues Monterrey. I grew up there and I still have family and friends that tell me how little by little they are losing that great city to the insanity of violence and the lack of security. I would only hope that the society and government in the US would reflect on their actions that in part help perpetuate the cycle of violence that the drug traffic causes. I find it amusing if not pathetic that the only way to get media coverage on this subject is when the innocent victim is a US citizen or the violence spills over the border. Keep up the good work, and I'll do my best to share this article among friends and family.

The Monster and Monterrey: The Politics and Cartels of Mexico's Drug War

So-called narco wars

The horror gripping Mexico (and many other “narco” states), and its portrayal in the media worldwide need to be put in some kind of context. As this article shows, there are no easy solutions when the very state and government, the forces of “law and order” are themselves so corrupt and brutal that they have created the mess in the first place. Mexico’s first cartel was the PRI dictatorship that ruled the country for seventy years, brooking no opposition. It took seventy years to create this mess and it will take perhaps 700 years to undo it.

This is not a war between different “narco” cartels and a helpless population caught between the military and the criminals. Government, by its very nature is authoritarian, oppressive, brutal and criminal if allowed to exercise its power unfettered by civilian authority. What is happening in Mexico is the result of allowing government to become a vicious and corrupt police and military dictatorship. When government is corrupt, what is to stop the population from being the same and worse? What Calderon is doing with US help is pouring gasoline on a fire. It will consume Mexico, and who knows if a phoenix will rise out of the ashes? Mexico is mired in so much blood that the solution is obvious. Nonviolent resistance in the Gandhian vein, starting with across-the-board general strikes bringing the country to a standstill for as long as it takes. This would be a start.

The Monster and Monterrey: The Politics and Cartels of Mexico's Drug War

One mistake

It is fascinating to read a very detailed article about what is going on in my hometown Monterrey, Nuevo León. Every piece of information was accurate and interesting, only the name of Nuevo León's governor was misrepresented. His name is Rodrigo Medina de la Cruz, not Rodrigo de la Cruz. “Medina” and “de la Cruz” are both his last names, as in México we legally use a paternal last name and maternal last name (“Medina” is his paternal).