Mexico A Failed State?

I have been gathering data on the impact of the illegal drug business in Mexico. In today's paper there is another report of the ongoing killings that this time left 85 people dead in the last 24 hours. President Calderon keeps insisting that the “war” is the only way to go. This “war” is destroying Mexico. Back in the sixties I did two stints in Mexico evaluating the Vocational Training Programs of the Instituto Nacional La Juventud. Though I had some problems with the programs I had none with the country. I drove freely from one small mountain town to another. Sometimes lost in unmarked mountain roads but never feeling any danger. I would often rush back to Mexico City so I could hangout at Garibaldi square with the Mariachi Bands. After their gigs at the clubs they would come there to play for each other. One night even played with them. As people yelled “Come see the Gringo playing with the Mariachi.” I just loved that country.

From what I hear and what I read all that is gone. The Country is being taken over by the drug Mafia. Kidnapping is now an everyday occurrence. Doesn’t matter either for a few thousand or a million, whatever the family can afford to pay. But pay you must. Of the 31 States that make up the Republic I figure that close to half are being run by the drug Cartels. In many of the States if you want to get anything done you don’t bother with the government. You go directly to the Cartel bosses and you cut a deal with them. it’s a quid pro co. They do for you and soon you will do for them.

You ask, “how did this happen?” When Philipe Calderon took office as the President of Mexico in 2006 one of the first promises he made was to eradicate the Drug Cartels. Another dreamer going to “war” with the drug trade, Fifty thousand soldiers and twenty thousand Federal Police are assigned to this war and so far mostly what has happened is an increase in the blood letting in the streets. More than 25 thousand people have died in Mexico’s drug war since Calderon’s declaration. About 3500 so far this year. Things have gotten decidedly worse.

The crime syndicates that run the Cartels earn billions from production to the marketing of the drugs. Where is the biggest consumer demand coming from? Of course you guessed it. The good old USA. In the State of Michocan a recent estimate indicated that 85 percent of legitimate businesses are in one way or another connected to the Drug Cartels. Some years ago when the heat was on the Mafia here in New York there was a movement into legitimate business. Today it is very difficult to disagregate the Mafia or La Familia, as it is known in Mexico, from business activity that is legal to the criminal.

Recently, Robert Mueller director of the FBI said, “We have dealt a substantial blow to a group that has polluted our neighborhoods with illicit drugs and has terrorized Mexico with unimaginable violence.” This has got to be the umpteenth time in my life that I have heard that indignant self righteous crap in response to the drug trade, There have been an endless number of announcements about how we “have dealt a major blow. It is all bullshit.

The fact is that the drug trade in Mexico has infiltrated major parts of the government both locally and nationally. The country is reaching a point where the people no longer trust the local police anymore than they do the Federalies. That leaves a vacuum of authority.In many of the 31 States in Mexico that vacuum is being filled by LaFamilia.

In a small way this was already beginning to happen when I worked in Mexico back in the 60ies. I was given a phone number by the wife of the Deputy Police Chief in Mexico City. She explained saying, “Roberto if you get in any kind of trouble out there in those mountain towns you are not to try to deal with the locals. You are just to call this number.” “Whose number is this?” I asked. Never mind these are the people who really run this country.”

In a small mountain town, sure enough, I got clobbered. Well, not exactly me but the car I was driving. I had spent the afternoon observing some training programs, had dinner with some of the locals. Went to go back to Mexico City. Turned the key. Nothing nada. Picked up the hood and low and behold. Carburetor, distributer, battery, starter, alternator etc. all gone. Ahaa, the phone number, Made the call asked for english por favor, explained my predicament. Was instructed to stay right there with the car and it would be taken care of. Sure enough within minutes a guy pulls up in a pick up gets the parts out of the truck and puts them all back. I offer a tip. Absolutely not, no nessarrio. Wouldn’t take it. Unheard of in my experience down there. It was explained to me that this was the shadow organization that was already springing up as an alternative to a dysfunctional government.

This whole story of the drug Cartels tells me that Mexico is on the threshold of becoming a Failed State. Daily it is becoming clear that the agencies of government that are there to service its citizens are increasingly unable to do so. That is the definition of a Failed State, What’s Calderon to do? As I write the US is busy giving Mexico more helicopters as well as “training” on how to fight the drug cartels. Oh yes, this is like hiring the weasels to teach the fox to stay out of the chicken coop. Maybe when we figure out how to reduce the demand for the drugs in the US we might be in a position to help. Until then we should shutup and mind our own business of how to reduce the demand for drugs in this country.

President Calderon does have a golden opportunity to really change this whole Kabuki called “The War Against Drugs.” Please Mr. President just go ahead and LEGALIZE IT. That would be world shaking. It would put the responsibility squarely where it belongs on the user market where the demand comes from. Mexico could make a major step toward financial stability by taxing the hell out of the legalized drug. Not unlike alcohol and cigarettes. It would be equal to our repeal of Prohibition back in the 30ies. It works in Turkey where they sell Morphine to the US pharmaceutical companies to make pain killers like Oxycodone. The third biggest selling prescription drug in the US. President Calderon once and for all stop this Kabuki called the “War on drugs” Good luck, you will need it.