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The Official Blog for the University of Arkansas at Little Rock's Spanish 4362/Language 7313.
Monday, September 6, 2010
Mexican Drug Carteles
In light of the massacre of some 72 Central and South American migrants, this article from the BBC discusses the power of the Zetas and includes a map of the regions controlled by Mexico's most powerful carteles. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-11189017
This is crazy! I don't understand how one group of people can be so powerful and so unstoppable. They've killed over 28,000 people in just 4 years; one would think that something more would be done to stop the Zetas. I know that Calderon has been criticized a ton, and he has been said to be stepping up his initiative to stop the drug wars, but it doesn't seem that he has done such a great job. Something else that I find interesting is that the Zetas recruit such young members to do their dirty work. The fact that such young "children" (for that's essentially what they are) can close off an entire city for hours; where was the government?! For that matter, what were the one million citizens of Monterrey doing during that time? I can't believe that that many people would sit idly by and let their city be taken over without at least trying to stop it.
Katlyn, what do you mean where was the government. Dont you know that the government in Mexico is so corrupt. I mean in certain places girls can be raped and even murdered and the government turns there cheek. Especially if the girl did something like be permiscuous the crime is justified as an "honor crime". Alot of the government itself is paid by the drug cartels to leave them alone or even aid them in doing dirty work. And yes they do recruit very young members even children because who else is easier to train than a young person who doesn't know the difference between right or wrong or who only knows what they are told. It is sad but training young people to do bad things is strategically smart and effective.
The U.S. is also responsible for alot of what is going on at the border. I mean the U.S. is the biggest drug consumer of Mexico. We buy more drugs from them than anyone else and by doing so their economy benefits largely. There are certain towns like Sinoloa that have benifitwated so much that simple things that we consider necessities have become available to them (like electricity) which they have the drug cartel to thank for it. Because the government doesn't give poor people welfare or other assistance the drug cartels often step in and take the role of assisting their hometowns and are praised by people more so than the corrupt Mexican government. So the government is largely to blame. Just as is the U.S. in fact with all you hear on television about border control I have inside sources that tell me at this moment there are people crossing the border illegally and for a certain amount of money some U.S. immigration official will even help them cross illegally or turn their head the other way.
I understand that a large part of the Mexican government is corrupt; the problem that I don't understand is that the President is supposed to be "stepping it up" and trying to help with some of these issues, but in reality, little change can be seen (unless you consider the problem getting worse as change). Although, I guess that, overall, it seems to me like Calderon has made more of an impact (as far as the drug cartels) than the other presidents of Mexico, who kind of just let things slip by. My point is that, although much of the government is corrupt, there's no way that ALL of it is corrupt, and it amazes me that there isn't anyone to stand up for the rights of the people of Mecxico. I think that, like you said, the illigal crossing of immigrants is a problem for which both the U.S. and Mexican governemnts should be faulted. Both countries keep promising stronger border control, but neither side ever lives up to its end of the deal. Really, it's just sad.
Oh, but actually think of Obama and his so called immigration reform. What ticks me off and what would make me even more mad if I was a latino is that he promised that he would "help" make the situation better for them and it seems to me since he has been in office more people are being deported under ridiculous circumstances. For example, last year not long after Obama became President a very close friend of mine was stopped for no reason, jailed, suppossedly for not having a drivers license and treated very unfairly. Because he was Mexican or an illegal immigrant the police of saline county did not give him a towel or means to bathe for three days. He said he was given spoiled milk to drink and treated like an animal rather than a human being. Another close friend of mine's dad was awoke to police knocking on his door at home in the early hours to be arrested and deported soon after. This 50+ year old man was deported and soon after died in Mexico because he did not have insulin for his diabetes and was not given any medical care while in jail before his deportation. So yes immigration is "stepping up" I would say!
I was saying that the Mexican government was supposed to be stepping up; I don't really know what Obama has promised as far as immigration, as the whole ordeal surrounding immigration in the U.S. is bizarre. Calderon has been said to be stepping up concerning the stopping of drug trafficking; I don't know about immigration in this instance either, as I was discussing drug trafficking rather than immigration.
Es triste ver la cantidad de crimenes que occurren en Mexico. Es un hecho que Mexico es uno de los paises mas peligrosos para los periodistas y la gente en general. Sabemos que el govierno es un corrupto y asi a sido por muchas decadas. Se esta tratando de atacar a los narcos y a los oficiales corruptos, pero no se puede cambiar un sistema en poco tiempo. El cambio, si se intenta, tardara decadas en notarse. Yo creo que en el problema de la immigracion, Mexico deberia de hacerse responsable de proveer a sus ciudadanos trabajos con sueldos competitivos, porque mucha de la gente que estudia no puede encontrar trabajo. Por otro lado, Los Estados Unidos deberian de buscar la forma de parar el consumo de drogas en este pais y evitar que las armas de fuego lleguen a suelo Mexicano. Las naciones deberian trabajar en comun acuerdo para beneficiar a sus respectivos ciudadanos.
7 comments:
This is crazy! I don't understand how one group of people can be so powerful and so unstoppable. They've killed over 28,000 people in just 4 years; one would think that something more would be done to stop the Zetas. I know that Calderon has been criticized a ton, and he has been said to be stepping up his initiative to stop the drug wars, but it doesn't seem that he has done such a great job. Something else that I find interesting is that the Zetas recruit such young members to do their dirty work. The fact that such young "children" (for that's essentially what they are) can close off an entire city for hours; where was the government?! For that matter, what were the one million citizens of Monterrey doing during that time? I can't believe that that many people would sit idly by and let their city be taken over without at least trying to stop it.
Katlyn, what do you mean where was the government. Dont you know that the government in Mexico is so corrupt. I mean in certain places girls can be raped and even murdered and the government turns there cheek. Especially if the girl did something like be permiscuous the crime is justified as an "honor crime". Alot of the government itself is paid by the drug cartels to leave them alone or even aid them in doing dirty work. And yes they do recruit very young members even children because who else is easier to train than a young person who doesn't know the difference between right or wrong or who only knows what they are told. It is sad but training young people to do bad things is strategically smart and effective.
The U.S. is also responsible for alot of what is going on at the border. I mean the U.S. is the biggest drug consumer of Mexico. We buy more drugs from them than anyone else and by doing so their economy benefits largely. There are certain towns like Sinoloa that have benifitwated so much that simple things that we consider necessities have become available to them (like electricity) which they have the drug cartel to thank for it. Because the government doesn't give poor people welfare or other assistance the drug cartels often step in and take the role of assisting their hometowns and are praised by people more so than the corrupt Mexican government. So the government is largely to blame. Just as is the U.S. in fact with all you hear on television about border control I have inside sources that tell me at this moment there are people crossing the border illegally and for a certain amount of money some U.S. immigration official will even help them cross illegally or turn their head the other way.
SOURCE: various people, Mexican friends
I understand that a large part of the Mexican government is corrupt; the problem that I don't understand is that the President is supposed to be "stepping it up" and trying to help with some of these issues, but in reality, little change can be seen (unless you consider the problem getting worse as change). Although, I guess that, overall, it seems to me like Calderon has made more of an impact (as far as the drug cartels) than the other presidents of Mexico, who kind of just let things slip by. My point is that, although much of the government is corrupt, there's no way that ALL of it is corrupt, and it amazes me that there isn't anyone to stand up for the rights of the people of Mecxico. I think that, like you said, the illigal crossing of immigrants is a problem for which both the U.S. and Mexican governemnts should be faulted. Both countries keep promising stronger border control, but neither side ever lives up to its end of the deal. Really, it's just sad.
Oh, but actually think of Obama and his so called immigration reform. What ticks me off and what would make me even more mad if I was a latino is that he promised that he would "help" make the situation better for them and it seems to me since he has been in office more people are being deported under ridiculous circumstances. For example, last year not long after Obama became President a very close friend of mine was stopped for no reason, jailed, suppossedly for not having a drivers license and treated very unfairly. Because he was Mexican or an illegal immigrant the police of saline county did not give him a towel or means to bathe for three days. He said he was given spoiled milk to drink and treated like an animal rather than a human being. Another close friend of mine's dad was awoke to police knocking on his door at home in the early hours to be arrested and deported soon after. This 50+ year old man was deported and soon after died in Mexico because he did not have insulin for his diabetes and was not given any medical care while in jail before his deportation. So yes immigration is "stepping up" I would say!
I was saying that the Mexican government was supposed to be stepping up; I don't really know what Obama has promised as far as immigration, as the whole ordeal surrounding immigration in the U.S. is bizarre. Calderon has been said to be stepping up concerning the stopping of drug trafficking; I don't know about immigration in this instance either, as I was discussing drug trafficking rather than immigration.
Es triste ver la cantidad de crimenes que occurren en Mexico. Es un hecho que Mexico es uno de los paises mas peligrosos para los periodistas y la gente en general. Sabemos que el govierno es un corrupto y asi a sido por muchas decadas. Se esta tratando de atacar a los narcos y a los oficiales corruptos, pero no se puede cambiar un sistema en poco tiempo. El cambio, si se intenta, tardara decadas en notarse. Yo creo que en el problema de la immigracion, Mexico deberia de hacerse responsable de proveer a sus ciudadanos trabajos con sueldos competitivos, porque mucha de la gente que estudia no puede encontrar trabajo. Por otro lado, Los Estados Unidos deberian de buscar la forma de parar el consumo de drogas en este pais y evitar que las armas de fuego lleguen a suelo Mexicano. Las naciones deberian trabajar en comun acuerdo para beneficiar a sus respectivos ciudadanos.
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