It should as no surprise to anyone that drug cartels have made many parts of Mexico violent, dangerous places that lead residents to seek refuge elsewhere. What might come as a surprise, though—well, at least it did to me—is just how bad it is.
When a police chief, Erika Gandara of Guadalupe, can be abducted and remain missing for a month and a half … it’s, well, bad. When she’s dragged out her home in …
… the morning early hours and her house is set ablaze behind her, it’s … you know, beyond bad.
[Gandara] was a former radio dispatcher for the police department in the town of 9,000, which is just across the U.S. border, one mile from Fabens, Texas. The previous police chief was murdered and decapitated; his head was found in an ice chest. Gandara, 28, a single woman with no children, was the only applicant for the job and its salary of $580 per month.
One policeman was murdered during Gandara’s first week on the job. By the time she became chief, the entire force of eight patrolmen had either been killed or fled. She was the sole law enforcement representative in a Juarez valley town that was part of the war between competing drug cartels for access routes into the U.S.
So for $580 a month, this woman was willing to take on what she knew must be pretty much a death sentence? That’s either really brave, really idealistic, or really stupid.
I guess her relatives felt much the same way, since they tried without success to talk Gandara out of her decision, particularly since Gandara didn’t hold back, “posing with her rifle for newspaper interviews”.
This may have been, in a way, almost like waving a red flag in front of drug cartels, the metaphorical bull. Unbelievable stories of life in Ciudad Juarez and the Tiffany Hartley debacle remind many of us how lucky we are to not have to worry so directly about this, but Erika Gandara certainly knew the score.
And she was, of course, well aware of her status as sole law and order in Guadalupe.
Many of the houses in Guadalupe have been burned down by the cartels, for whom drug-running is no longer enough. They want complete political control over towns and territories along access routes to U.S. highways and the lucrative drug market. So while the violence in big cities like Juarez has gotten a lot of media attention, little has been written about small towns like Guadalupe, where the situation is even worse.
Until now, of course … so perhaps the one great positive to this horrible, ugly mess is a world awareness of how dire the situation in small towns like Guadalupe is.
Guadalupe is not the only town in Mexico without a police force. In a small town near Monterrey, the entire force quit after two officers were found beheaded. And this week, the police chief of Nuevo Laredo, just across the border from Laredo, Texas, was gunned down along with two of his bodyguards.
Many of those who live in the towns without police protection have fled to other areas, or across the border to the U.S. But many are unable to leave.
“My house is here,” one construction worker told me. “I have nowhere to go and no money to leave. So at night when there is shooting we all just stay inside. Of course we are scared.”
This is just so unspeakably sad to me, and the worst part is that I can’t seem to fathom any sort of solution … any ideas for the Mexican government, oh wise Zelda Lily readers?
I heard Janet Napalitano on the news this morning talking about the heightened security alert for terrorism. This time its from terrorists already within our country. It seems that the Mexican cartels have discovered that there is big money in smuggling terrorists. Its nice that Arizona is trying to do something about it,but they also have another enemy another enemy to contend with,the Obama administration.
I found a blog the other day (it’s in Spanish though, but nevertheless hits hard) called El Blog del Narco. Check it out if you want to be much more grateful you live in the United States/Canada/Europe. It made me realize how much worse actually seeing pictures of the victims in Mexico is than hearing “5 found mutilated in a dark alleyway of Ciudad Juarez.”
How can I make this more about me?
Tell us about your job as weekend assistant night manager at Taco Bell.
Oh Joey I do heart you so much.
Lola, I realize you can barely handle the English language, but don’t disparage people who can think you’re a cuntwad in multiple languages.
Why you mad?
I think its something you may have said?
You can make it more about you by applying for the Police Chief vacancy, of course. $580 big ones per month and all the graft that you can handle.
The problems are poverty and corruption. Mexico will never eliminate these problems without a viable economy.
Honestly, unionization would be a boon to this country.
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Think about it. How many US companies have moved their factories to Mexico in the past 20 years? Many, many, many.
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These factory workers – many of whom live in hovels without even basic electricity and clean running water, are making washing machines (goods which they can’t afford, let alone have the utilities to run) for $7 to $10 per day. It ios a shame when you can’t afford to buy that which you make every day. Unionize them and their standard of living would go up, tax rates would increase- which would allow for increased police protection, and people would see less of a reason to turn to crime.
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Washing machines are just one example, but you get my drift. Until people are offered alternatives to crime, you are going to have a population that lives in poverty and fear. I can understand why this woman took this job. $589 per month is a nice living.
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It is an endless cycle of poverty, fear, ignorance and violence. It is easy to see where belonging to one of these drug cartels would be considered a “good” position.
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In all honesty, the only way out that I can see for Mexico right now is martial law.
Martial law will do nothing to solve the problem. The military is part of the problem. Ask any Mexican citizen who they trust, their local police or the military and most will respond that they trust neither. The only people who can solve this problem are the ordinary citizens being terrorized. Mexico needs a revolution. They need to take back their own country, and part of that is booting American companies out. NAFTA might have been a boon to us, but it has done nothing for Mexico. The US needs to tighten their gun laws. It’s far to easy to buy guns here, and that’s why most of the arms in Mexico being used were purchased in the US.
Boy that makes a lot of sense,your telling the people of Mexico that they need a revolution,but you don’t want them to be able to arm themselves. Leave our right to bear arms alone,its your only salvation against a corrupt government who happens to control the corrupt military. Soon you’ll see what happens to an unarmed population,the asshat prez of Egypt is fixin to send in the military to bust up the protesters,it’ll be a lot like Tiananmen square.
I’ve got to agree. Making it harder to buy guns makes it hard for the minority of law-abiding citizens to defend themselves. It’s not like the cartels will have any trouble getting guns, no matter the laws. That and the fact that the constitution specifically allows for an individual’s right to own a gun kind of negates the point. In the grand scheme of things, I think the US’s gun laws probably aren’t affecting Mexico much.
(See Joey, I’m a liberal who likes my gun rights :D)
Just what the world needs another drunken Irish with a gun.
We’re not talking about Ireland dear, go back to the kid’s table.
Your name is Erin, right? Then Erin go Bragh(less).
Guess what Douche,my names Joseph,and I’ve never given a pregnant virgin a ride on my donkey.
Try using English next time skunk spunk.
Awww Joey, I want a ride on your donkey. Can you make exceptions for non-pregnant non-virgins? And would Blurry be ok with it?
I’m having fantasies of you and me in a bunker!
I’m fine with it, but you’ll have to poll our other wives.
We’re very democratic.
You told me you guys were fine with anything that involves farm animals!
Hey! Don’t call me a farm animal! :D
I never agreed to farm animals.
Those PETA rat bastids will be everywhere.
I remember saying “anything NOT involving farm animals.”
Its probably time all five of us got some counseling.
Counsel this moonbeam.
Counseling? hahahahah…..What just so they can tell us that we aren’t “normal”. Hell we already know that and that’s why we love each other!
Legalize weed and coke. Problem solved.
That would make a huge difference.
I would support legalization of weed. It would knock the legs out from under some of the cartels, I’m sure it makes a nice profit for them.
Have to agree.
And provide another huge source of tax revenue.
I saw Justin in hollywood Last year when I was visiting my dad. After that, I started following him on his blog. I think he’s kind guy!