Mexican Marine on guard outside a Veracruz police station
Daylife/AP Photo used by permission
An entire municipal police force in Mexico has been disbanded as part of a campaign to root out corruption and improve security in the face of drug-related violence.
More than 900 officers in Veracruz-Boca del Rio are losing their jobs. The Mexican navy is taking over responsibility for law enforcement.
The move comes three months after 35 bodies were found dumped on a main road in the municipality, which includes part of the city of Veracruz…
Veracruz state governor Javier Duarte de Ochoa said the decision to disband the force was part of a national programme to reform the police.
“All those who belong to the now defunct Veracruz-Boca del Rio force can join the police again once they have past the tests of trustworthiness demanded by the national system of public security,” he said.
He did not say how long the navy would be in charge of policing the municipality, which is home to around 600,000 people and includes wealthy residential districts and popular tourist areas…
Corruption and infiltration of the police by criminals are among the biggest challenges Mexico faces in its fight against the cartels, says the BBC’s Ignacio de los Reyes in Mexico City.
As well as using troops to confront the gangs militarily, President Felipe Calderon has stressed the need to reform the police and judiciary as part of his strategy to restore public security.
More than 40,000 people have been killed in drug-related violence in Mexico since December 2006, when Mr Calderon began deploying the military to fight the gangs.
So, uh, anyone plan on spending the holidays in Mexico.
No – but, I plan on having a breakfast burrito at a Holiday Inn Express.
US is on a first steps toward the same. As soon as Government decides to enforce laws selectively as to conform to ideology in power seat, slippery slope starts. There is no fundamental difference between that and complete law enforcement corruption.
“The Mexican navy is taking over responsibility for law enforcement.” And O’Bama sobs. “If only I could do that…”
“anyone plan on spending the holidays in Mexico.” Actually a doc friend of mine, his wife and two children are flying out in the morning to spend the holidays in Cancun. It’s an annual thing. Of course, that’s Quintana Roo not Veracruz. Still, he told me last year they recommend you stay in the tourist areas where there is a substantial Federale presence.
Karma? Does that have a cheaper street price than black tar smacko?
Warlords are hard to dig out once they get a grip. Look at Somalia.
heh… the “good faction” in our military outta do the same to the WH and all those that voted for the NDAA. -only in our case, they get charged with treason and (hopefully) jailed for life.
The systemic corruption in our government makes the Mexican issue look like child’s play.
-s
Failed drug war policies. The US demand for drugs has fueled the corruption and breakdown in Mexico. Mexico will only recover if the USA can get a handle on its own drug problem, either by draconian measures such as jailing rich white users (very unpopular among the dope-using ruling class) or loosening of the laws and de-funding drug enforcement.
Spending so much money on a failed war on drugs is a luxury that we can no longer afford. America needs to figure out how to keep its kids off drugs because the government can no longer do it. How much worse can it be?
Drugs are not a new problem. China suffered from opium addiction for about 100 years. As many as 70% of people there were opium addicts until Mao came along and cured the problem in about 3 years time. He killed the drug dealers and any addicts that didn’t stop were also killed. How’s that for saying no to drugs?
#10–George for the win with this existential insight and summary: “How’s that for saying no to drugs?” //// Years ago the hypocrisy of USA’s war on drugs was brought home when the spraying of paraquat on Mexican marijuana was giving bad head to white kiddies in the USA so the program was stopped.
but that is just what “war” means. Innocent get killed to get at the bad guys. Absent majority support, its only that kind of heavy hand that will work.
BUT–40K killed just to support the illegal drug policies of the USA? I recall 3 separate times Mexico has moved to legalize drugs to stop this madness and each time the “Leaders” of Mexico get bought off.
Soooo many things are out right “common sense” and the laws/politicians/Pukes/moralists go in the opposite direction.
Sad that.
“All those who belong to the now defunct Veracruz-Boca del Rio force can join the police again once they have past the tests of trustworthiness demanded by the national system of public security”
Once the test agenda gets leaked, it shouldn’t be too hard to scam the system. And, who deems the testers trustworthy?
Probably a waste of time.
Here’s an idea that should help stop the violence in Mexico – Let’s sell them automatic weapons!
And to stop the flow of drugs into the US, how about putting in an unmanned border crossing in a remote area of Texas?
See? Simple.
…or you could just become a more pathetic and dysfunctional country than Mexico, and they would feel happier and better about themselves. It would also curtail illegal immigrants.
Corruption and infiltration of the police by criminals are among the biggest challenges Texas faces in its fight against the cartels.
Hard working people in Mexico are afraid and tired of all the killing, extortion, kidnapping, etc. They don’t care if the government makes a deal with the cartels (as before), as long as the chaos stops. Personally, I do not agree with this, but it might be a solution.
American youth and drugged adults will continue to intoxicate themselves as long as the illegal drugs are cheap and available, someone is getting impossibly rich!
Arms dealers in the US will continue to be happy selling all those weapons to little brown Mexicans, “Yeah, let them kill themselves, better them than us!”
Financial institutions, corrupt politicians and cohorts on both sides of the border will continue to benefit form all that cash helping stabilize the macro economic levels.
How long will this go on?
I really don’t see a short term ending, the profits are way too good, the social toll is not that high, the health issue is not critical in the short term.
Eventually the drug gangs will ultimately kill themselves off (they are kidnapping regular civilians to force them to join their lines), the drugs will get so effective and potent, and cheap, that people will die faster.
We all have to learn to control the fear of going out with the kids, an excursion to the volcano, a trip to visit relatives, in some places even going to get the groceries. We choose our routes, we avoid certain states, we live closer to others like us, taking care of ourselves as a community.
There’s always something good out of all this mess. It won’t go away but we choose to live fully. Yes, I am a proud Mexican living in Mexico.
#17–hwo==what are you proud of?
Oh men, you missed my point completely. Every country has its dark alleys, and we shouldn’t start looking very far, ‘cos the big USA has a long tail of dark moments. Fact.
BUT
The USA ideals of freedom and prosperity is something that has not occurred in any other country as it has there. Do you feel proud of your country’s ideals? Would you say you are proud in general of your winning teams, athletes, scientists, artists?
How about your (some) crooked politicians? Or the guys that helped ruin your economy. Military atrocities and all the rest of it. Please.
I am proud of the good things my country has given to the world; I am not proud, but sad, of the bad things.
My point is, despite all the mess we are immersed in, the (not all) corrupt government, police, drug lords, hit men, the country is not falling apart. TV will only tell you about the horror stories. Many people live very happy lives down here, sometimes the more modest the better!
It’s true, we have to be careful to avoid certain places, but don’t we all. The decision to live a fully life in the middle of a battleground of drug gangs is something to be proud of.
And I love tacos.
Say hwo==you know how to tell you are dealing with someone who is totally corrupt? You put them on notice you think they are totally corrupt and then watch them defend themselves by showing themselves totally unintentionally, in fact with then intent to do just the opposite, that they are totally corrupt. Ha, ha. Yes, the unintended revelation. Here are a few:
“Many people live very happy lives down here, sometimes the more modest the better!” /// THATS a rich man’s classic. Of course the poor enjoy being on welfare and are taking advantage of the rich in doing so. They don’t even pay taxes!!! Yes, THE MORE MODEST THE BETTER. Certainly, at the top of every free person’s list of choices?
“The decision to live a fully life in the middle of a battleground of drug gangs is something to be proud of.” /// What does that even mean? You mean private security services? Double row of broken beer bottles on that 10 foot cement wall surrounding your compound? THAT kind of proud???
But before those gems, how about a general comment about the rich always being criminal and the comeback is bragging about how rich one is? That and a borrowed lexicon? Ha, ha. What does bobo got to do with bobbo? Do you know that different letters in a word make for different words?
But c’mon hwo==you must have some other reasons why you are proud to be a Mexican living in Mexico? I mean reasons that someone not living in a wasteland can relate to? I think you may again unintentionally come close by saying you like tacos?
Its too classic.
Should I segue into a response regarding the proud worthiness of el Norte Americano? I will if desired, but its Christmas and I’m full of ……… good cheer.
Where in Mexico do you enjoy these good times?
All right.
About money and happiness.
There are some specific examples I could tell you that only another person that has lived here long enough would understand, so I’ll pass on that, it’s really boring to defend or attack our cultural differences. Let’s agree that we disagree on this.
Poor people and taxes.
Of course they don’t pay taxes, but you would be surprised how many people get away with not paying, rich or poor. Don’t tell me, it’s being like this forever (No, I’m not “proud” of that).
Living in the middle of a turf war and “pride”.
It’s obvious that you have not had a shoot-out, literally, on the roof of your home between drug gangs. Or have your long time friend loose his factory in a fire because the landlord was in drug business and they decided to kill him and destroy the building, in revenge, years of work gone forever. A mother of one of those thousands of kids that have been killed? Horror stories abound, and I don’t know why you got stuck with the pride thing, it’s no big deal. I was referring more to the dignity side of pride, rather than the satisfaction or pleasure.
About bragging how rich one is.
Hey, what are the odds? (I didn’t say rich)
bobbo
Hey men, don’t take it personal. Again, cultural differences.
Mexico is a wasteland?
I do think about this sometimes. It’s not the land of course, it’s what people has made of this land. I guess every country has its wasteland.
El Norte Americano.
Not familiar, I want to hear.
hwo–I will submit to the Dvorak.com/blog/modernizednestedcomments format as I think that is what you expect – – – but Oh, it rankles me so.
I think you have lost me: “Money and happiness?”/// No–it was: “What makes you proud to be a Mexican in Mexico” and as that may variously be misunderstood, it may be because, or a various combination of becauses, because:
1. You know what bobo means in Spanish
2. You think others don’t know Spanish, or the great filmography of Federico Fellini
3. Or you think being rich by any relative measure is something to be proud of without offset of any nature
4. You think surviving in a drug torn wasteland is a positive situation
5. Tacos are the highest cuisine in the hand held food world?==you certainly don’t eat it with a fork like the Donald does a pizza do you?
—or something else that my nog and beer induced fog does not recognize?
BUT TO BE FAIR, you are now responding as if you have been drinking yourself and have dropped all the pretenses of a boarding school education and are reveling in your simple humanity? Except for:
“and I don’t know why you got stuck with the pride thing, it’s no big deal. I was referring more to the dignity side of pride, rather than the satisfaction or pleasure.” /// and the fine distinction you wish for is what?
Let me simply ask you again: “What are you proud of?” A simple question. If you asked me why am I proud to be an American, I would say: “I never said that.” But lets assume I did???? What could I come up with??? I am proud, as an American, that every once in a while, we do something righteous on the world stage like funding Aids prevention in Africa or partial and withdrawn funding of family services around the world, or providing an example to the religiously oppressed in the world that SCIENCE can be an alternative. Its really all about allowing FREEEEEEEEDOM to ring and be an example of. Allowing alternatives, free choices, not going with the majority. Less and less pride as the years go by==and as stated, its a notion I don’t utter as it is undercut by so much.
But you finally got me at: “Mexico is a wasteland?
I do think about this sometimes. It’s not the land of course, it’s what people has made of this land. I guess every country has its wasteland.” /// Yea, verily, and if you kept this centermost in your machismo, maybe you would machisyes? Cheap shot, I agree.
Quick reread, you started with: “There are some specific examples I could tell you that only another person that has lived here long enough would understand,” /// Oh really? And why is that? I challenge you to post an example of the human condition that would leave me unconnected? Sorry hwo, but we are all in the family of man, all brothers, all very much akin and alike. Just more of your prideful BS getting in the way of your native intelligence. Everyone/Every Group==is the same and different at the same time. Thinking anyone can’t understand is only a metaphor for your lack of desire to be honest–or forthcoming==suggesting you do not have the courage of your convictions. So unsure of yourself you are.
Make reality your friend hwo. It won’t hurt after the first few efforts. Those poor people living a life of dignity with precious little are no different than you, assuming your dissociation with the base needs/desires/wants of all human beings has not been totally twisted out of shape.
Satisfaction with Life: Mexico 51 out of 178. Well below USA but higher than Paraquay? ((I’ve been to Paraguay–but only in the day time.)) High marks indeed:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satisfaction_with_Life_Index
speaking of pride: I am embarassed for USA’s showing at 23. We could and should easily be doing better. Proof positive that anyone that is not a shit head is embarrassed at his own country’s performance==not proud.
This is getting boring, and you are still fixed on the pride thing. Well, the examples you mentioned on why you would be proud as an American are all about what the country as a whole has made, for you, not what you do in your community. That is a very comfortable position.
Why am I proud of being Mexican? Because I AM! Enough of that.
And here’s two examples on why people could not understand (or empathize with, forgive my English as a second language, Milady) other people’s culture unless they have lived there long enough:
You pick a random person here on the street that has not lived or visited the US, you tell him/her about the rage that a small word like “negro” could provoke in certain places in your country. I bet you that this person would say: “they are exaggerating”. Why? because this random person was not there when the blacks in America were oppressed and could not understand the effect it had on your society. That word simply has a different connotation here, even if we use pejoratively.
So, many Americans could not understand how people here still live happy lives, even in the middle of a gang war. Many can’t leave their towns, they have to endure the fear, the killings, a tough life. The ones that can afford it leave to safer states. The ones who stay, probably in the millions, must have at least some courage to keep on going, a little hope, resignation, they live a fuller life, because they don’t know when it will be taken from them, in a crossfire, a kidnapping, or just plain bad luck. Could you empathize with these people?
Oh, and the “fine distinction you wish for” with dignity instead of satisfaction is choosing one of the meanings or senses in the word pride.
Eideard–whats going on here? A la Hudsucker Proxy are you being set-up by Dvorak to take a fall for large corrupt corporate interests? Or am I just so drunk again this Christmas Eve that I’m hallucinating about the most rigorous thread editorializing changes I have ever seen?
And all in a way to emphasize that we may not all be children from the same sow?
Emphasizing the conflict? Could this be worse than Fast and Furious??? TOTALLY FASCINATING? GUYS—GUYS====GUYES!!!!!!! Whats going on? I don’t get it. I should never mix eggnog and beer again.
hwo—ha, ha. Please continue reading and posting here. Everyone gets their turn in the barrel===unless===like Pedro and myself you are ALWAYS in the barrel. Rare for both of us to be on the same side, and rarer still to be joined by that international peregrinating bon vivant animby. A rare alignment in zyzygy very much concordant with your neck of the woods a la the Mayan 2012 disaster prophesies?
Gather your diamonds where you may.
For the record: momentarily (ie, about 60 minutes and two beers) I confused responding here and on the Ron Paul thread. “I was confused.” I apologize. My fault.
Foibles.
#29–Pedro==I must still be under the weather. Donate to what/who?
Whats the time zone in Mexico City or is there a black out and hwo’s generator was siphoned out of gas?
hwo–be of good cheer, Pedro and I can follow this thread a few days after it has gone cold should you chose to respond. Not so with Animby==he’s a with it, happening kind of guy, and always after the next sunrise. You gotta be fast with him, or……swish….he’s gone. don’t accent that swish too much. He ‘s just a new age sensitive guy.
Whatever time is in Texas is MXC time.
And I don’t live in Mexico City of course, I moved out years ago!
Yep–the farther South and West you go, the nicer it gets. Good UC Davis exchange program located in Oaxaca, but I barely remember the place. Was it a two lane paved road into the center plaza of town with dirt side streets, unattended vendor stalls, and an empty Church in the center or Town? Like all of Mexico? What a dismal place if you aren’t brain dead with Catholicism or have a view of the ocean?
I like Mexico City. Large. Cosmo. culture, History. Everything I like. Not the smog so much. I find people the world over pretty much the same. Its the governments that foul the place regularly. That, and the exchange rate.
Bobbo, assuming English is not his first language (despite his excellent orthography) I was going to let his words pass unchastised. “Many people live very happy lives down here, sometimes the more modest the better!” But it is very akin to “Let them eat cake!”
I lived in Mexico for several years and am still in contact with several good friends there. hwo will be happy to know they all live modestly, but happily feasting on tacos al pastor, which I admit are truly delicious.
More modest means that in the event that you can afford a new car with every paycheck (every 15 days), you sometimes decide to buy a smaller, cheaper sedan, more modest. With that you reduce your risk of being kidnapped if you live in Mexico City. That should prolong your happiness dose.
A seventeen year old high school kid from a low income family will not participate in trying to get the new Air Jordans at the retail store, he will get them from a vendor selling pirated stuff coming from China in the local market. Not the best practice, but he’s being modest, and happy.
Animby==as is so often the case, we are on the same wavelength. You were close: “Let them eat tacos.” Not meat or fish tacos though. How bout dirt tacos? You know, so much more modest. Enough to make the oligarchy proud.
I spend two months in a cab over camper going down thru Veracruz to Central thru Mexico City down to Alcapulco and then up the West coast. Some nice spots but poverty and ignorance everywhere.
I posted this once before but it is telling. On another vacation, got to downtown Mexico City and left the hotel for a bite to eat. In the restaurant–an “IHOP” type of place open at 1AM, we were at our cubicle seating with a piece of half inch thick glass separating ourselves from the beggars sleeping under cardboard near the steam vents. The next day, we sat next to the Aide to the Swedish Ambassador on our visit to the Valley of the Moon and complained about the poverty. Aide said he was quite surprised at how rich Mexico was. WE were outraged!!! People begging in the street, for scraps of food, not even a box to sleep in, just the cardboard. Well, the Aide had just served some place in Africa: people too weak to beg, no food to beg for anyway, no cardboard, no steam vents.
Its all context. Pride goeth before the fall for more than one reason or any explanation. I’m no saint, but I’m not totally self involved either.
#38–hwo==thats not BEING modest, that is trying to blend in because there is class combat going on in Mexico between the haves and the have nots==ie–NOTHING to be proud of.
I asked a very innocent generally applicable question a while back: what are you proud of? Tough to maintain the lies when you go outside your support group isn’t it?
So==I envy you. You have an existential opportunity to define for yourself, by your own values, just what you think your life and opportunities, and those of your country, really are. Looks like you’ve been late to do that with any authenticity at all.
As already stated, I am embarrassed for my country, verging on disgusted as the wealth disparity morphs into an outright attack on the lower 99%. Nothing proud about how the USA used Mexican labor as wage slaves in the Bracero program which had its pro’s and con’s over the greater abuses of an illegal worker program. All kinds of hypocrisy.
I remember a comment from a History Professor of mine: everywhere the Spanish went today you find poverty, the Catholic Church, and strong central governments still controlling the wealth of the governed. Where the British went, by comparison you find wealth, indigenous religions, and democracy. Its taking a few hundreds years, but the powers that be sure do like they are trying to go all Spanish on this great country of ours.
Be of humble appreciation==that could be you on the other side of the wall.