Americas MexicoBlog

U.S.-Mexico Relations: Major Obama Donors Are Tied to Pepe Cardona, Mexican Fugitive

2012-02-07T14:53:00.000-06:00

NYTimes.com: "Two American brothers of a Mexican casino magnate who fled drug and fraud charges in the United States and has been seeking a pardon enabling him to return have emerged as major fund-raisers and donors for President Obama’s re-election campaign." read more

Mexico Youth: 600,000 young people leave their studies each year

2012-02-07T14:48:00.000-06:00

Milenio: "The Deputy Secretary for Secondary Education called the desertion of the students who join the productive sector a great "drama" because--despite the efforts of the federal government--each year 600,000 young people drop out." Spanish original

Mexico drug war: How one DEA killing began a brutal war

2012-02-07T13:56:00.000-06:00

BBC News: "Twenty seven years ago, the kidnap, torture and murder of a US Drug Enforcement Administration agent by Mexican drug traffickers sparked one of the biggest manhunts the US government has ever launched in North America. It also offered an ominous warning of things to come." read more

Mexico Politics: Mexico bicentennial tower a monument to its failings, critics say

2012-02-07T11:58:00.000-06:00

latimes.com: "If Mexico's bicentennial tower knew what people were saying, it might slink off and hide (if 341 feet of stone could skulk, that is). Since opening last month, the soaring twin slabs made of translucent quartz panels have been scrutinized, argued over and widely jeered. Some people already want to tear the monument down." read more

Mexico Politics: Presidential nominee resurrects a holy ghost of Mexico's past

2012-02-07T11:54:00.000-06:00

Opinion by Luis Hernández Navarro, the opinion editor of Mexico's La Jornada

guardian.co.uk: "The triumph of Josefina Vázquez Mota in Sunday's primary election puts the final piece in place for Mexico's presidential elections, set for 1 July.

... Vázquez Mota, a federal representative, resorted (as did Ernesto Cordero, her main opponent) to the same old corrupt methods used for decades by the political party, which has ruled Mexico for most of the 20th century, the Institutional Revolutionary party (PRI); threats, giving food to poor voters and using public resources to favour candidates were all commonplace in PAN's primary.

Coming from a highly conservative, private sector guild, Vázquez Mota also enjoyed the support of an important coalition of ultra-rightist forces, among them the notorious El Yunque (the anvil), a secret society who want to "defend the Catholic religion and fight against the forces of Satan, even through violence" and to "establish the kingdom of God on Earth". Its members have infiltrated the federal government's ranks since PAN's Vicente Fox was elected president in 2000." read more

Mexico Presidential Race: Woman's candidacy tests Mexico's culture of machismo

2012-02-07T09:06:00.001-06:00

CBS News: "Mexico's conservative ruling party is gambling that this country known for machismo is ready for a female president and have chosen a devout Roman Catholic and popular former congresswoman who says she sympathizes with the causes of the poor. Josefina Vazquez Mota, a 51-year-old economist, became the first female presidential candidate from any of Mexico's major parties late Sunday when she convincingly won the National Action Party's primary.

Her victory marks a milestone for women in Mexico, a country where they were not allowed to vote until 1953. ... National Action hopes Mexico is ready to follow in the footsteps of Brazil, Argentina, Costa Rica, Chile and other Latin American countries that have elected female leaders recently." read more

Immigration Crackdown: DHS Appoints Advocate for Immigration Complaints

2012-02-07T08:54:00.000-06:00

Fox News Latino: "The Department of Homeland Security appointed a new public advocate to handle questions and complaints about the agency's immigration policies. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director John Morton said Monday that senior ICE adviser Andrew Lorenzen-Strait will lead the effort.

... Morton said the position was created to ensure that the public and immigration advocates understand various changes being made within the department and what the changes mean for those immigrants being jailed by immigration authorities or those facing deportation. Lorenzen-Strait will also address concerns about ICE enforcement involving U.S. citizens." read more

Drug War Politics: Vazquez Mota promises tough line in Mexican drugs war

2012-02-07T08:40:00.000-06:00

ReutersAlertNet: "Bidding to become Mexico's first female president, ruling party candidate Josefina Vazquez Mota has vowed to protect families from the fallout of a drugs war that has killed about 50,000 people in the last five years.

... Vazquez Mota was not thought to be President Felipe Calderon's preferred candidate in the PAN primary race but she has been a firm supporter of his policies, and has promised to continue his campaign against powerful drug gangs. "There will be no truce, no surrender, to organized crime," she told a cheering crowd of thousands of supporters on a campaign stop in the central state of Tlaxcala on Friday." read more

Mexico Drug War: Narcos accept "papal truce" according to banners hung in Guanajuato

2012-02-07T08:21:00.000-06:00

Excelsior: "Yesterday, an alleged organized crime group hung 11 banners in seven municipalities of the state of Guanajuato, accepting the request made by Archbishop Jose Guadalupe Martin Rabago on January 22, when he called upon the criminals to reduce violence during the visit of Pope Benedict XVI to Mexico, which will be held from March 23 to 26.

However, sources with the State Attorney General said that the criminal group conditioned the truce upon its also being accepted by a rival cartel operating in Guanajuato. On January 22, Martin Rabago made his request to members of organized crime: "That they may at least cooperate, allowing all these people to come to a totally respectable event. They won't benefit by doing something that might lead to an experience of grief and death," he said." Spanish original

Mexico Politics: Cash Seizure Foretells Heated Campaign Season

2012-02-06T13:21:00.000-06:00

STRATFOR: "Officials from rival political parties in Mexico continued to exchange accusations Feb. 2 following the Jan. 27 seizure of 25 million pesos (about $1.9 million) in cash. Escorted by Veracruz state government employees from the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), the cash was discovered on a government-owned airplane by authorities from the Attorney General's Office (PGR). The PGR claims to have been conducting a random search of the plane." read more

Human Rights Violations: I am afraid, I don't understand what is happening: Norma Andrade

2012-02-06T10:06:00.000-06:00

La Jornada: "I am very afraid. I do not understand what's happening," says activist Esther Norma Andrade after the attack she suffered last Friday at the door of her house in the Culhuacan neighborhood in the Borough of Coyoacán, which left her injured.

In an interview with La Jornada, the founder of the organization Our Daughters Return Home--which seeks justice for victims of femicide in Chihuahua--expressed rage, anger and helplessness, because "I have to hide myself in my own country."

Last December, Andrade and his daughter Malu Garcia were attacked by a stranger with a gun in Ciudad Juarez, so she sought refuge in Mexico City. "I thought that I would have no problem here, I have kept a low profile, I have not spoken to the press. But I see that it isn't so." Because of this, she is demanding that the federal government and the government of Chihuahua implement the protective measures called for by both the National Commission for Human Rights and the Interamerican Commission for Human Rights after the attack in December.

She remembers that in 2002 the then coordinator of the PAN bloc in the House of Representatives, (now President) Felipe Calderon, met with her and other mothers of femicide victims. "He said, 'I put myself in your shoes'. Today I wonder: Where is the gentleman who was going to put himself in my shoes? Why, if I am Mexican, do other countries have to offer me protection and I can't get it in mine?

Physically I go out, but not psychologically. I feel very afraid.That makes me angry because it's not my nature. I hate to have to hide. Perhaps it was overconfidence. In Juarez, when you go out, you look in all directions, trying to notice if someone is following you in a car, but here in Mexico City, I forgot that. I felt safe, tranquil.

... Andrade knows that her safety is at risk and her greatest concern is for her two grandchildren. That's the main reason she is considering the possibility of leaving the country.

"Actually, I have no expectations that they will capture the person who attacked me. I do not trust the authorities. I have not heard a word from Calderon, not even to show that he is aware. Why, if I am Mexican, do I have to hide like a thief? Where is my President? Maybe I'm the lowest (from the lower class) of Mexico, but why do I have to go? Why can't my government protect me? ... I wonder: where is that deputy who, in 2002, said he would put himself in my shoes?" Spanish original

Mexico Drug War: What the Emergence of a New Gang Promises for Juarez

2012-02-06T08:32:00.000-06:00

InSight Crime: "The emergence of an aggressive new gang in Juarez has sparked a wave of attacks on local police, demonstrating just how complicated an endeavour it is to engineer an enduring improvement to security is in Mexico’s most violent city.

The New Juarez Cartel, or NCJ for its initials in Spanish, earned headlines last week for a series of messages promising to kill local police unless Chief Julian Leyzaola resigned, and the group’s possible links to the killings of at least eight officers this year. In response to the threats, Mayor Hector Murguia announced that local police will be allowed to carry their weapons even when off duty, and have been encouraged to start living out of hotels." read more

Mexico Politics: Josefina Vazquez Mota is the PAN candidate for president

2012-02-05T21:58:00.000-06:00

Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador

Josefina Vazquez Mota

Enrique Peña Nieto

With Josefina Vazquez Mota's election, by her party, the three candidates for the Mexican Presidency are set. The other two are Enrique Peña Nieto for PRI (Institutional Revolutionay Party) and Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (known by his initials as AMLO) for PRD (Party of the Democratic Revolution).

CNN Mexico: "On Sunday, Josefina Vazquez Mota became the virtual presidential candidate in the National Action Party (PAN), after winning the primary election. Jose Espina, president of the National Elections Commission of the party, announced that Vazquez Mota has 55% of the votes cast by members and adherents with 86.7% of polling stations counted.

Enrique Peña Nieto and the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) are the real adversaries, said Josefina Vazquez Mota after the results become known. "I have no doubt that, next July 1, together we will win the presidency of the Republic (...) I'll be the first female president of the country."" Spanish original

Mexico Politics and Rule of Law: Mexican senator says congressional initiatives to combat orgainzed crime are not likely to be passed this session

2012-02-05T20:56:00.000-06:00

La Jornada; "The chairman of the (Mexican) Senate Committee on Public Safety, Felipe Gonzalez, acknowledged it will be very difficult in this session to adopt pending initiatives submitted by the President for combating organized crime, as there is no consensus among the political forces.

Asked about the demand that President Felipe Calderon made on Monday to PAN senators to do battle to carry out pending initiatives, particularly the constitutional reform to establish a unified command police (at the state level, eliminating municipal police forces) and a modification that creates a new offense, called the criminal chain (which would hold all members of a criminal group guilty for the acts of any one member), the senator said the two are stuck.

The PAN legislator stressed that the case for reform to create a police command for each entity of the Republic was opposed even by PAN legislators, as well as by mayors' associations in the country, and the National Governors Conference, which had spoken to favor of these changes, but which withdrew its support in the end. It is an issue, he stressed, that has been discussed for two years in the Senate, but without reaching a consensus. ... Amendments to the Code of Military Justice with regard to jurisdiction (the trial of military personel in civilian courts when charged with violating civilian rights) are also stuck." Spanish original

Human Rights Abuses: Mexican government failed to fulfill agreement to protect Norma Andrade

2012-02-05T11:36:00.002-06:00

La Jornada: "The Secretariat of Government (SG) failed to fulfill the agreement made last December to provide protection for activist Esther Norma Andrade. Since coming to Mexico City after suffering an attack in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, the activist lacked the necessary measures to safeguard her physical integrity, contrary to the orders of the Interamerican Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), said the lawyer for the organization Our Daughters Return Home, Karla Michel Salas.

After being discharged from the hospital yesterday, after a knife attack outside her home (in Mexico City), Norma Andrade and her family discussed the possibility of leaving the Federal District and even leaving the country, in the absence of State authority able to ensure their safety.

Michel Salas recalled that for a month and a half before Andrade came to Mexico City, as part of the precautionary measures issued by the IACHR, protection by the Secretariat of Government (Interior Matters) was asked for the human rights defender, and the secretariat promised to provide an escort, which did not happen.

It was not until after the attack, last Friday morning that she she was guarded by officers from the capital city and federal police. Only the government of Mexico City has expressed its commitment to provide her with permanent protection, said Malu Garcia, daughter of the activist.

Ms. Michel-Salas explained that, since 2004, members of Our Daughters Return Home have been victims of threats and attacks at least 30 times, which in most cases have been reported to authorities in Chihuahua and the federal Attorney General's Office (PGR), but until now, those responsible have not been caught." Spanish original

Drug War and the Arts: Photo project focuses on 31,000 people who haven't lost hope amid violent drug war in Mexico

2012-02-05T08:52:00.003-06:00

Here is a remarkable effort by two Mexican photographers to humanize what is happening in Mexico and engage their countrymen and women in making a statement for change. Their photos and videos may be viewed on their website: 31Kproject.com And see other links to "Art Addresses the Issues" in this blog's left column.

austin360.com: "... instead of focusing on the deaths of 31,000 people, Diego Huerta and Daniela Gutiérrez (photographers from Monterrey, Mexico) embarked on an ambitious photo project that highlights the lives of 31,000 people across Mexico, as well as some in Austin, who hope for a more peaceful future.

... One year and thousands of photos later, "31K Portraits for Peace" has come to the Mexic-Arte Museum, featuring faces from across Mexican urban and rural landscapes. The exhibit, which runs through April 1, shows the breadth of lives lost but also captures a glimpse of the faith that many in Mexico still hold." read more

Border Security: Congressman Cuellar of Texas to host meeting between Defense Department and local politicians and law enforcement

2012-02-04T11:02:00.000-06:00

MexicoBlog is on Congressman Cuellar's email list. We received this announcement of his setting up a meeting between the Deparment of Defense and local political leaders and police forces as part of his effort "to transfer technology and equipment from the Department of Defense to federal, state and local first responders."

Dear Friends of the 28th District of Texas:

I am honored to host a meeting with the Honorable Paul N. Stockton, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense and America’s Security Affairs at Laredo Community College on Friday, February 10, 2012.

I extend an invitation to local first responders and community leaders including: mayors, judges, sheriff’s departments, police departments, constables and fire departments. Secretary Stockton will join me in our efforts to transfer technology and equipment from the Department of Defense to federal, state and local first responders.

The meeting will be broadcast in Floresville, Texas, and Mission, Texas. The meeting is open only to first responders and government officials at the request of law enforcement agencies. First responders, if you are interested in attending please contact one of my congressional offices.

Sincerely,

Congressman Henry Cuellar

Immigration Crackdown: Arizona Immigration Law's Supreme Court Oral Argument Set For April

2012-02-04T09:31:00.000-06:00

Huffington Post: "The Supreme Court announced Friday that it will hear oral arguments over Arizona's controversial immigration law on April 25, the Court's final day of hearings for the term." read more

Immigration Politics: Arizona candidate says English challenge an abuse of power

2012-02-04T09:21:00.000-06:00

Reuters: "An Arizona city council candidate struck from the ballot over her limited English skills concedes she isn't fluent in the language but called the legal challenge an abuse of power that could keep her from serving a poor border community where most residents speak only Spanish.

A Yuma County Superior Court judge touched off a furor last week when he disqualified Alejandrina Cabrera, a candidate for city council in San Luis, Arizona, from running for office over what he called a "large gap" between her English proficiency and that required to serve as a public official.

Cabrera's lawyers have appealed the decision, made in response to a lawsuit by the town's mayor, and the Arizona Supreme Court is expected to rule on the case on Monday -- in time for the city to print ballots the next morning." read more

Border and Immigration: Couple rides bikes across entire US-Mexico border for immigration reform

2012-02-04T09:18:00.000-06:00

You can learn more about Katy and Eric’s travels at http://borderbybicycle.blogspot.com/

ValleyCentral.com: "For five long and educational months a couple from New York and Minnesota have been on a quest to learn about border realities. ... They're biking and blogging every minute of their exploration

“Each part of the border has it's distinct reality,” said Eric Wright. “We knew that and we were interested in what was going on in each part of the border.” “And we felt an obligation to teach as we go,” said Katy Brandes.

After ... working as volunteers at a shelter for migrants in El Paso, Katy and Eric decided to explore the border. In September, they got on their bikes and started pedaling a little north of San Diego, California, final destination Boca Chica, Texas." read more

Border Control?: Border Patrol Overtime up as arrests drop

2012-02-04T09:02:00.001-06:00

San Jose Mercury News: "Border Patrol agents have racked up daily overtime at a cost of about $1.4 billion in the past six years while the number of arrests of illegal border crossers has fallen to the lowest level in nearly 40 years, an Associated Press analysis of agency records finds." read more

Drug War: Violence in Mexico

2012-02-04T08:45:00.000-06:00

Mexican embassy spokesman, Ricardo Alday, responds to a New York Times article .

NYTimes.com: "“Mexico Drug War Bloodies Areas Thought Safe” (front page, Jan. 19) provides a sensationalist vision of what is actually happening in Mexico. I disagree with the essential premise of the article: that criminal violence has expanded geographically.

Deaths related to rivalries between criminal gangs remain geographically concentrated. From January to September 2011, 55.7 percent of all deaths related to rivalry between criminal organizations took place in just 5 out of 32 states: Chihuahua, Sinaloa, Guerrero, Tamaulipas and Nuevo Leon.

Your article cherry-picks data in the case of municipalities. We simply do not agree that violence is spreading to more cities: 91.6 percent of the country’s 2,441 municipalities do not experience a serious public security problem, defined by the benchmark of more than 10 organized crime-related homicides a year." read more

Drug War: Security Surge in Michoacan to Confront Familia-Knights Templar Battle

2012-02-03T17:05:00.000-06:00

InSight Crime: "Mexico deployed approximately 4,000 troops to the western state of Michoacan, where rival criminal gangs are engaged in a heated battle over control of the Tierra Caliente agricultural region.

... The deployment appears to be in response to a wave of violence seen in Michoacan's rural Tierra Caliente region since late 2011. In the most serious incident, 13 men were found dead outside the town of Zitacuaro on January 9." read more

Human Right Violation: Activist Norma Andrade suffers another attack in Mexico City

2012-02-03T16:42:00.001-06:00

CNN Mexico: "The activist against femicides in Mexico, Esther Norma Andrade, was attacked Friday morning in Mexico City, where she is a refugee after suffering a shooting attack in Ciudad Juarez last December, Malú Garcia Andrade, daughter of the activist, told CNN in Spanish .

Andrade, a native of Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, was attacked and stabbed outside her home in southern Mexico City, according to information provided by the Attorney General of the Federal District. The attack caused cuts to Andrade in the neck, near her face, according to the agency. The activist is in stable condition at a hospital in Mexico City, said Malu Garcia, director of the organization Our Daughters Return Home AC." Spanish original

Drug War: U.S. and Mexico share protected witness central to murder of U.S. agent and investigation of Tamaulipas governors

2012-02-03T13:35:00.002-06:00

This is complex and important story for several reasons. Soto Para is a big "catch" in the drug war and he is emerging both as being the reason behind the murder of American immigration agent Jaime Zapata and as the informer regarding the possible corruption of the threeTamaulipas governors. The story also reveals more about the growing cooperation between the U.S. and Mexico governments in their use of informants in the drug war. Translated by CIP intern Michael Kane.

La Jornada: Miguel Ángel Soto Para, founder of the Los Zetas cartel, is one of more than 50 protected witnesses who U.S. and Mexican authorities have shared. According to officials involved in the national security cabinet, he was being transported by agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) when they were attacked on a highway between Mexico City and Querétaro, resulting in the death of the American, Jaime Zapata.

The information shared by the authorities also refers to the accusations Soto Para has leveled against former governors of Tamaulipas, Eugenio Hernández, Manuel Cavazos and Tomás Yarrington, which has led the Attorney General to consider the former PRI leaders as collaborators with the Gulf Cartel, for which they reportedly received varying amounts of money.

The officials interviewed indicated that Soto Parra, who was detained in 2009, is considered by US agencies to be an “internationally-protected person” and has provided information on both his own Los Zetas cartel as well as the supposed links between Gulf Cartel members and public officials. Los Zetas and the Gulf Cartel parted ways after the extradition of Osiel Cárdenas Guillén and they have battled to maintain control over their zones of influence.

The sources reported that the armored, luxury SUV with diplomatic plates that members of Los Zetas attacked on February 15, 2011, leaving the American Jaime Zapata dead, was ferrying a protected witness from Nuevo León to Mexico City. The “internationally-protected person,” according to the information obtained, was Miguel Ángel Soto Para, who aided ICE agents in the identification of centers of operations of Jesús Enrique Rejón Aguilar, El Mamito, another founder of Los Zetas who focused his activities on the states of Querétaro and San Luis Potosí.

The attack against the ICE agents was led by Julián Zapata Espioza, El Piolín, who recently was detained in the United States, charged with “the crimes of murder of an American federal employee or official; attempted murder of an American federal employee or official; attempted murder of an internationally-protected person and using a firearm in the commission of a violent crime.”

After the attempt, Soto Parra was moved out of the country, but he continues to cooperate with the Attorney General and has become the only witness who has claimed that three former governors of Tamaulipas have alleged links with organized crime. However, at press time, they had not been charged with any crimes nor had the Federal Public Ministry issued a summons to any of them so that they may clarify or confront the assertions of the protected witness." Spanish original

Mexico Drug War, Corruption and Politics: Mexico Investigates Governor Trio in 'Politically Motivated' Corruption Probe

2012-02-03T11:14:00.000-06:00

InSight Crime takes a closer look at the charges against three former governors of Tamaulipas and at the larger context of the power of Mexican state governors and their influence as middle men between national and local political levels.

InSight Crime: "A federal investigation into three former governors of a Mexican border state may be a sincere attempt to crack down on political links with organized crime, but has sparked accusations of politically motivated law-enforcement.

... While investigations into such high-profile officials are rare, the suspicions about Tamaulipas politicians being linked to criminal groups are not. The state government has long been accused of protecting the Gulf Cartel and fostering the rise of the Zetas over the past decade. In 2009, renowned journalist Carlos Loret de Mola said the state was “without a doubt” the most dangerous in Mexico in terms of “the social decomposition and the penetration of drug traffickers in all of the structures.”" read more

Immigration and the Border: Tearing down the walls of hostility

2012-02-03T10:50:00.000-06:00

Beautiful, powerful statement from the peaceful Mennonites

Mennonite Weekly: "I stood on the hill in the twilight in Nogales, Ariz., looking down over the U.S.-Mexico border wall into Mexico. How broken our relationships must be in order to make necessary a wall like this one, 20 feet high for hundreds of miles. I was with a group of staff from Mennonite Central Committee from all over the Americas who had gathered in Tucson to strategize our future work together to help tear down this wall." read more

Border Control: U.S. Senate unanimously approves anti-border tunnel bill

2012-02-03T10:44:00.000-06:00

Nogales International News: "The U.S. Senate this week unanimously approved a bill meant to combat illegal tunnel activity along the Southwest border. The Border Tunnel Prevention Act of 2011, authored by U.S. Sens. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) and Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) builds on a related law that the two legislators authored in 2006 and that was signed into law in 2007.

... The Border Tunnel Prevention Act of 2011 specifically makes the use, construction, or financing of a border tunnel a conspiracy offense; includes illegal tunneling as an offense eligible for wiretaps; and makes it easier for U.S. authorities to seize assets in tunneling cases." read more

Drug War at the Border: U.S. border cops nab go-kart hauling Mexican pot

2012-02-03T10:36:00.000-06:00

Those drug moles just keep finding other ways to cross the border.

Reuters: "U.S. border cops in far-west Arizona have seized an off-road go-kart and trailer packed with marijuana, in the latest bizarre attempt by Mexican smugglers to beat beefed up border security. ... "It's not something that we see very often," agent Spencer Tippets said of the attempt. "Smuggling organizations are always trying to adjust and change their tactics," he added." read more

Drug War Weapons Traffic: Slain border agent's family files $25M claim against U.S.

2012-02-03T10:29:00.000-06:00

Slain border agent's family files $25M claim against U.S. – USATODAY.com: "The family of slain Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry filed a $25 million wrongful death claim Wednesday against the federal government, saying he was killed because U.S. investigators allowed murder weapons into the hands of criminals.

Terry died Dec. 14, 2010, when his special-operations unit got into a shootout with border bandits in a remote canyon area near Rio Rico. At the scene, investigators found two AK-47s that were traced back to a gun-smuggling probe by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives." read more

Immigrant Rights March Starts Along U.S.-Mexico Border

2012-02-03T10:25:00.000-06:00

KPBS.org: "A march to remember migrants who died along the U.S.-Mexico border gets underway Feb. 2 in San Diego. ... The group will start in San Diego, head to Arizona and then to Sacramento to lobby for migrants and farm workers rights. ... Border Angels, the organization, which sets out water in the desert for migrants crossing the border, has been organizing the event for seven years. ... This year, the march will focus on the legacy of Cesar Chavez." read more

Immigration and the Mexico Economy: Mexico sees 1st big remittances rebound since 2008

2012-02-03T09:39:00.000-06:00

Editor's note: Statements such as this one--about Mexico's major sources of foreign income--always leave out the source that is likely the biggest or second biggest: "illegal" drug sales in the U.S.. Estimates for this range from $19 to $30 billion. It is impossible to know the amount, as it is part of the "informal economy" of Mexico, outside any system of government accounting.

BusinessWeek: "The amount of money Mexican migrant workers sent home in 2011 increased by 6.86 percent over the year before, the first major rebound in remittances since the 2008 economic downturn, Mexico's central bank announced. Remittances totaled just over $22.7 billion in 2011, up from $21.27 billion in 2010, the bank said Wednesday. ... Remittances are Mexico's second-largest source of foreign income after oil exports." read more

Immigration Politics: Romney Immigration Position at Odds With Mormon Church

2012-02-03T09:27:00.000-06:00

NYTimes.com: "While Mitt Romney is taking a hard line on immigration even as the Republican primaries head toward the heavily Hispanic states of Nevada, Colorado and Arizona, the Mormon Church to which he belongs has become a decisive player in promoting policies that are decidedly more friendly toward immigrants.

The church was instrumental last year in passing controversial legislation in Utah that would provide “guest worker” permits to allow illegal immigrants with jobs to remain in the United States. The church also threw its weight behind the Utah Compact, a declaration calling for humane treatment of immigrants and condemning deportation policies that separate families, which has been adopted by several other states." read more

Drug War Weapons Traffic: US Attorney General Faces Renewed Criticism Over Mexico Gun Operation

2012-02-03T09:21:00.000-06:00

Voice of America: "U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder has faced a new round of Republican criticism over a controversial tactic in which U.S. authorities allowed gun buyers to move arms into Mexico, destined for drug cartels.

In testimony to Congress Thursday, regarding "Operation Fast and Furious" ... Holder said, "The tactic of not interdicting weapons, despite having the ability and legal authority to do so, appears to have been adopted in a misguided effort to stem the alarming number of illegal firearms that are trafficked each year from the United States to Mexico. ... to be sure, stopping this dangerous flow of weapons is a laudable and critical goal, but attempting to achieve it by using such inappropriate tactics is neither acceptable nor excusable."

... The head of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, California Republican Darrell Issa, has accused Holder of protecting staff, deceiving the public and obstructing the panel's investigation.
At the hearing Thursday, he warned of possible congressional action to force the Justice Department to provide information to the committee." read more

Week's Top Articles on Mexico: Jan. 27 - Feb. 2, 2012

2012-02-03T08:29:00.001-06:00

Drug war news brings an investigative report from Newsweek on how U.S. government use of informers from the Sinaloa cartel may have unwittingly served its capo, 'El Chapo' Guzmán, in defeating his rivals. A report from a Ciudad Juarez hospital says that 80% of the children it serves suffer from post traumatic stress as a result of exposure to violence in the city.

On the side of reforming drug policy and ending the drug war, Colombian President Santos once again says he would support decriminalization of drugs, "if the rest of the world goes along." In an extended interview, Javier Sicilia, leader of the Mexican Movement for Peace with Justice, talks about non-violent protest and dialogue with the powers that be. And artists and actors join with the Movement in a media endeavor to put the Mexican public in "The Shoes of the Other," i.e., in the shoes of families who have lost loved ones to the drug war.

Human rights, the rule of law and Mexican political news intersected in several ways this week. A Mexican general was accused of serious human rights violations, including extrajudicial killings. A report by Global Financial Integrity revealed that the Mexico economy has lost billions of dollars to crime, corruption and tax evasion. And a report by Mexico's Attorney General's Office (Justice Department) acknowledged that it is rife with corruption.

Meanwhile, two potential political scandals erupted in Mexico as campaigns for the presidency heat up. First, 25 million pesos (about $1.9 million dollars) were found in the suitcases of two Veracruz government employees at the airport in Mexico State. The employees were first arrested and then released when the Veracruz state government said the cash was to pay bills for three state festivals. In the heat of the presidential campaign--in which the PRI candidate and former Mexico State governor Enrique Peña Nieto is in the lead in the polls--the leftist party, PRD, smells a possible scandal and the blood that could go with it.

Second, rumors--and then an official government statement--revealed that three former governors of the drug-war-plagued border state of Tamaulipas were under federal investigation for possible links to drug cartels. Then it was revealed that the chief source of information implicating them was a former member of the Zetas cartel who is a "protected witness" of both the Mexican and U.S. governments, and that after two years of investigation, his claims have not been corroborated.

The Articles:

Drug war

'Tinker, tailor, soldier, kingpin'
Newsweek: "How Sinaloa cartel boss 'El Chapo' Guzmán got U.S. agents to help him become Mexico's most powerful drug lord." read more

80% of children in medical care in Ciudad Juarez suffer post-traumatic stress
Milenio: "A study of children aged between five and 12 years of age attending the Children's Hospital showed that 80 percent suffer from post traumatic stress disorder caused by violence." read more

Colombia President Calls Drug War a “Stationary Bike”
Pan-American Post: "During a panel discussion, Nicaraguan writer Sergio Ramirez stated, “I know this cannot be an opinion of the state and the president of a republic cannot express it, but as an ordinary citizen, I can. The solution is decriminalizing drugs.” President Juan Manuel Santos, also on the panel, responded: ¨I say as president of a republic: this solution would be acceptable to Colombia, if the rest of the world goes along.”" read more

A Conversation With Javier Sicilia
North American Congress on Latin America: "The Movement for Peace with Justice and Dignity (MPJD) has campaigned against the spreading criminal and state violence in Mexico, and ... against the militarization of Mexico’s Drug War and what Sicilia sees as the concurrent militarization of Mexican society. ... here are some interview excerpts on the questions of nonviolence and the process of dialogue:" read more

Mexican Movement for Peace Starts Campaign "In Another's Shoes"
Milenio: ""In Another's Shoes" is a campaign to raise the awareness of Mexican society regarding disappearances in the drug war. The group, "The Strongest Cry" --actresses, actors, filmmakers and journalists, in alliance with the Movement for Peace-- has developed a media campaign proposing that people put themselves "In the Shoes of the Other." A video and spots in the media will relate the experiences of families of the disappeared." read more

Human Rights, Rule of Law and Mexican Politics

Military General Accused of Ordering Executions in Chihuahua, Mexico
Justice in Mexico: "Major General Manuel de Jesús Moreno Aviña has been accused of systematic abuses between April of 2008 and August of 2009 in front of the military garrison of Ojinaga, Chihuahua. According to Reforma, General Moreno Aviña is responsible for at least seven extrajudicial executions." read more

Global Financial Integrity Mexico Report
Center for International Policy: "Crime, corruption and tax evasion cost the Mexican economy more US$872 billion between 1970 and 2010 according to a new report from Global Financial Integrity (GFI).... The illicit financial outflows averaged a massive 5.2% of GDP, and grew significantly ... from $1 billion in 1970 to $68.5 billion in 2010. “This is a devastatingly large amount of money for any developing country to lose,” said Raymond W. Baker, director of GFI." read more

Attorney General admits senior staff members commit “illegal activities”
La Jornada: "The Attorney General of the Republic of Mexico (PGR) faces weaknesses: "tasks improperly performed by senior staff, deficient criminal investigations, and arrest warrants that are not executed" according to a report by the Inspector General ... The Secretariat of Civil Service (SFP) also reported that in the past six years, 7,550 public servants have been punished for committing crimes." read more

PRD calls for clarification of the money claimed by Veracruz officials
Milenio: "The president of the PRD (Party of the Democratic Revolution), charged that the 25 million pesos (about 1.9 million dollars) seized from Veracruz officials (in the Toluca airport in Mexico State) was being diverted to the presidential campaign of the PRI (candidate Enrique Peña Nieto). He demanded that the legal status and the origin of money be clarified." read more

Mexico investigating 3 former border state governors from old ruling party
The Washington Post: "Mexican federal prosecutors said Tuesday they have launched an investigation of former officials from the violence-wracked northern border state of Tamaulipas, and three ex-governors say they are the among those being probed." read more

Former head of the Zetas is source for investigating three former governors
La Jornada: "The investigation by the (Attorney General's office) against (three) former governors of Tamaulipas,... is based mainly on statements made by a former member of Los Zetas cartel who, in 2009, became a protected witness for the Mexican government and U.S. agencies. Officials said that... many of the statements (of the informant) have not been confirmed." read more

Week's Top Articles on Immigration and the Border: Jan. 27 - Feb. 2, 2012

2012-02-03T08:28:00.000-06:00

Immigration news brings an announcement from the Catholic hierarchy of California that it is opposing the federal government's Secure Communities program that pulls undocumented immigrants into deportation when they are arrested for any reason. Mitt Romney, now the likely Republican presidential candidate, makes his most extensive statement about immigration to a Latino audience in Florida.

In Kansas, the Chamber of Commerce and other business groups propose setting up a legal guest worker program, in opposition to the secretary of state, Kris Kobach, who has drafted many of the immigrant crackdown laws for other states. Meanwhile, a study by a University of Alabama professor concludes that that state will lose billions of dollars because of its crackdown law.

And in Mexico City, Amnesty International members create a unique protest to highlight the plight of Central American migrants who cross the country on their way to the U.S. border: they hang worn out shoes on clothes lines in front of the Secretariat of the Interior.

From the border, an article from Las Cruces, New Mexico, introduces us to photojournalist Bruce Berman, who provides a very up-close and personal look at the realities of the border. We invite you to visit his Border Blog. And another unforeseen consequence of barricading the border with Mexico is brought to our attention: the original boundary markers are now on the Mexican side of the wall.

Finally, with the anniversary, on Feb. 2, of the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, in which Mexico surrendered half of its territory to the U.S., we are presented with a very good account of the disconnect between U.S. awareness of its impact on Mexico and the reality of that impact for Mexico. Something to keep in mind as the U.S. carries on, via Mexican proxy, a second Mexican-American War that tries to keep the "drug problem" on the other side of that line in the sand called "the border".

The Articles:

Immigration

California's Catholic hierarchy takes stand against illegal-immigration dragnet
San Jose Mercury News: "The Catholic Church in California is throwing its weight against a federal immigration dragnet (Secure Communities) that in the past two years deported more than 6,500 people from the region....Catholic priests ... are championing a humanitarian approach, condemning what they describe as "selfish" demagoguery." read more

Mitt Romney on Immigration
Fox News Latino: "On Friday, Romney spoke about immigration to an audience of over 600 Hispanic leaders at the Hispanic Leadership Network, a center-right advocacy group, conference in Miami. ... Here are the takeaways from Governor Romney's remarks:" read more

Kansas prepares for clash of wills over future of its unauthorised immigrants
guardian.co.uk: "A coalition of 20 of the most prominent businesses and trade groups in Kansas is seeking to introduce legislation that would help undocumented immigrant workers find jobs with the blessing of the federal government.

... the state legislature will debate two conflicting approaches. The first is that of the business coalition ... The second is an Arizona-style clampdown ... proposed by the secretary of state, Kris Kobach, a Republican who is credited with being the architect of many of the toughest immigration laws, including those in Arizona and Alabama." read more

Immigration crackdown costing Alabama billions, study reports
chicagotribune.com: "Alabama's crackdown on illegal immigrants could cost the state's economy up to $10.8 billion, according to a new study. ... The cost-benefit analysis by University of Alabama economist Samuel Addy estimated up to 80,000 jobs could be vacated by illegal immigrants fleeing the crackdown, costing Alabama's economy up to $10.8 billion. The lost jobs would cost Alabama up to $264.5 million in lost state sales and income taxes, and as much as $93.1 million in lost city and county sales taxes, it found." read more

Amnesty International hangs shoes at the Mexican Ministry of Interior in support of migrants
La Jornada: "Amnesty International’s (AI) Mexico office organized a rally in support of the international campaign “Migrants desperately need socks,” to raise awareness about the plight of thousands of Central Americans who venture across the country with hopes of reaching the United States.

In front of the doors of the Ministry of Interior building, AI placed two clothes lines of shoes: “They are a symbol of the hundreds of shoes that are lost and abandoned every year in the desert. They represent the fate of thousands of migrants who cross the Mexican border and penetrate the U.S. desert in search of the ‘American Dream.’” read more

The Border

Camera gives glimpse of life in border state
Las Cruces Sun-News: "Bruce Berman is an assistant professor of journalism and mass communication and a researcher at New Mexico State University.... The closest thing he has to a laboratory is the iMac in his office. His high-tech instrument: the Nikon camera he always keeps around his neck or on the passenger seat right next to him while out and around the desert Southwest and the U.S./Mexico border region.

"If you are doing good journalism, you are finding information for other people to use," Berman said of his style of research. "My job is to go out and try to learn as much as I can and then give that information to an audience who might need to know what I've learned."" read more

New Fences Block Access To U.S.-Mexico Border Monuments
Fronteras Desk: "Before there was a fence, all that marked the border between Mexico and the United States were stone and steel monuments, 276 of them dotting the southwestern landscape. They were installed by Mexican and American surveyors starting in 1850, after the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ended the Mexican-American War and the two countries agreed to define their shared border.

But as the U.S. Border Patrol has reinforced the boundary with a new fence, many of these bi-national monuments have been left entirely on the Mexican side of the barriers." read more

Another shadow to pay attention to on Groundhog Day: Mexico's
NJ.starledger.com: "Today, Feb. 2, Groundhog Day, marks a more momentous event in North American history that most Americans can’t remember, and most Mexicans can’t forget. On that date in 1848, negotiators for the United States and Mexico signed the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo, formally ending what we, north of the border, call the Mexican-American War and what our neighbors to the south still call “the American Invasion.”

Under the terms of the treaty, Mexico surrendered 525,000 square miles to the United States, more than half of its territory. Considering this includes all or part of present-day California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Utah, Nevada, Wyoming and Colorado, you would think that, on Feb. 2, the treaty would at least compete in the national consciousness with Punxsutawney Phil." read more

Mexico Drug War: Veracruz: More than a Temporary Calm?

2012-02-02T19:20:00.000-06:00

InSight Cime: "Mexico's authorities have claimed a recent drop in violence in crime-ridden Veracruz as the fruit of military operations, but given the preceding months of spiralling violence, it remains unclear if this more than a blip." read more

Drug War Collateral Damage: Drug, Paramilitary Violence Creates Ghost Towns in Mexico

2012-02-02T18:08:00.000-06:00

InSight Crime: "Three towns in Mexico have lost large portions of their residents in recent years, as locals fled worsening violence at the hands of drug gangs and paramilitaries, according to a report from Animal Politico. Animal Politico says that between 2005 and 2010 the municipalities of Santo Domingo Ixcatlan, Praxedis G. Guerrero, and Guadalupe lost 44.5, 43.6, and 29 percent of their populations." read more

Drug Trafficking: Collected maps of suspect trafficking

2012-02-02T15:21:00.000-06:00

From our colleagues at Just the Facts:

Just the Facts: "Here, we share our collection of maps, produced by the U.S. Southern Command's Joint Interagency Task Force-South, showing the trajectories of boats and planes suspected of trafficking drugs toward the United States from South America.

Image quality varies here: we take what we can get. The maps we have obtained over the years depict trafficking patterns in 2005, 2007, 2010 and 2011." read more

Immigration crackdown costing Alabama billions, study reports

2012-02-02T10:20:00.002-06:00

chicagotribune.com: "Alabama's crackdown on illegal immigrants, widely seen as the toughest in the United States, could cost the state's economy up to $10.8 billion, according to a new study. The Alabama law, passed in June, requires police to detain people they suspect of being in the U.S. illegally if they cannot produce proper documentation when stopped for any reason, among other measures.

The cost-benefit analysis by University of Alabama economist Samuel Addy estimated up to 80,000 jobs could be vacated by illegal immigrants fleeing the crackdown, costing Alabama's economy up to $10.8 billion. The lost jobs would cost Alabama up to $264.5 million in lost state sales and income taxes, and as much as $93.1 million in lost city and county sales taxes, it found." read more

Immigration Politics: Kansas prepares for clash of wills over future of its unauthorised immigrants

2012-02-02T10:16:00.001-06:00

This should prove interesting--a battle in Kansas over immigration.

guardian.co.uk: "A coalition of 20 of the most prominent businesses and trade groups in Kansas is seeking to introduce legislation that would help undocumented immigrant workers find jobs with the blessing of the federal government. ... the Kansas proposal would provide a safe and above-board route for illegal immigrants to obtain work.

The coalition is led by groups such as the Chamber of Commerce, the Farm Bureau and various building and manufacturing firms, many of whom are traditionally conservative-leaning. The conviction of these groups is that a ready supply of Hispanic labour is critical to the continuing economic prosperity of the state's 3 million people, of whom around 45,000 are undocumented.

...The coalition's move sets up an almighty clash of wills in Kansas over the future of its immigration policy. .. the state legislature will debate two entirely conflicting approaches. The first is the proposal by the business coalition ... The second is an Arizona-style clampdown that would punish any business in Kansas that employs workers who are undocumented and penalise any individual or concern that "harbours" illegal immigrants.

The hardline option is being put before the assembly by the secretary of state of Kansas, Kris Kobach. A Republican politician and former law professor, Kobach is credited as having been the architect of many of the toughest new immigration laws, including those in Arizona and Alabama and a plethora of other states." read more

U.S.-Mexico Relations: Another shadow to pay attention to on Groundhog Day: Mexico's

2012-02-02T10:02:00.000-06:00

Very good account of the disconnect between U.S. awareness of its impact on Mexico and the reality of that impact for Mexico. Something to keep in mind as the U.S. carries on, via Mexican proxy, a second Mexican-American War, the drug war.

NJ.starledger.com: "Today, Feb. 2, also known as Groundhog Day, marks a more momentous event in North American history that most Americans can’t remember, and most Mexicans can’t forget. On that date in 1848, negotiators for the United States and Mexico signed the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo, formally ending what we, north of the border, call the Mexican-American War and what our neighbors to the south still call “the American Invasion.” Under the terms of the treaty, Mexico surrendered 525,000 square miles to the United States, more than half of its territory.

Considering this includes all or part of present-day California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Utah, Nevada, Wyoming and Colorado, you would think that, on Feb. 2, the treaty would at least compete in the national consciousness with Punxsutawney Phil." read more

Immigration Crackdown: Rinku Sen Appears on ‘Nightline’ to Talk Families Separated By Deportations

2012-02-02T09:24:00.000-06:00

COLORLINES: "On Wednesday night Colorlines.com’s publisher Rinku Sen appeared on ABC’s “Nightline” to provide context on a story about a young child who was put up for adoption because his biological mother is undocumented. Sen cited our “Shattered Families” investigation, which found an estimated 5,000 U.S citizen children lingering in foster care due to the detainment or deportation of their parents. " read more

Mexico Politics: Groups warn against attempts to dismantle the secular state and benefit one church

2012-02-02T09:18:00.002-06:00

The Catholic Church was the wealthiest and one of the most powerful political forces in the colony of New Spain. From the civil War of Reform (1858-61) through the Mexican Revolution (1910-1917), its disestablishment from being a state church--with the consequent reduction of its wealth and power--was a major and violently divisive political issue.

The Constitution of 1917 defined Mexico as as a secular state. Church property was taken by the government, worship outside churches and religious education in public schools were prohibited and the number of priests restricted. The Cristero War (1926-29) was a rebellion against this severe secularization. Subsequently, compromises were worked out and, over time, the Catholic Church was allowed to regain limited property and to function within its precincts.

Currently, a constitutional amendment is being considered in Congress to allow the church to officiate at public events and teach Catholicism in the public schools. The protest reported here is a response to this possible change.

La Jornada: "Around 3,000 members of Protestant religious groups, social organizations, citizens and intellectuals demonstrated (in the center of Mexico City) against the constitutional reform of Article 24, approved by the House of Representatives last December. They are arguing that constitutional change is the basis for dismantling the secular state and provides benefits to the Catholic hierarchy, rather than guaranteeing freedom of religion that it claims to defend.

The demonstrators presented the "Citizens' Declaration for a Secular Mexcio," signed by more than 800 evangelical religious organizations and 1,600 citizens and intellectuals, and addressed to the Senate, that began its regular session yesterday, to reject that amendment and approve amendments to Article 40 to strengthen the constitutional status of the secular Mexican state.

On 15 December, the House hurriedly passed a bill to amend the said article that opens the door to the Catholic Church to officiate at public ceremonies and disseminate media without permission from the Interior Ministry, and allows the instruction of religion in public schools.

... In the document--sponsored by the Civic Forum for a Secular Mexico, a civil organization formed as a result of the proposed reform--the protesters "reject any constitutional reform aimed at stipulating privileges, we regret that you use our civil liberties as a matter of political negotiation and that a constitutional reform such as this is done in a hurry, secretly and without transparency, and we defend the secular state." Spanish original

Drug War and Mexico Politics: Former head of the Zetas is source for investigating three former governors

2012-02-02T08:26:00.000-06:00

La Jornada: "The investigation by the Office of Special Investigations into Organized Crime (OFDI) against the former governors of Tamaulipas, Manuel Cavazos Lermas, Tomás Yarrington and Eugenio Hernández, is based mainly on statements made by the former member of Los Zetas cartel, Miguel Soto Parra, who, in 2009, became a protected witness for the Mexican government and U.S. agencies, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Officials from the Attorney General's Office (PGR) revealed that this investigation is in the exploratory phase and after two years, many of the statements of Soto Parra have not been confirmed, including those regarding trips made by the former governors, and some of their relatives, to meet with leaders of the Gulf Cartel." Spanish original

Drug War: United States gives Mexico $ 17 million for drug technology

2012-02-02T08:07:00.000-06:00

La Jornada: "As part of the Merida Initiative, the U.S. government has given Mexico 17 million dollars in drug technology to implement the Technology Transfer Network for the Care of Addictions (Renadic). This was announced yesterday by the Ministry of Health (SSA ) during a presentation by the agency.

The objective is to link more than 400 sites attending to addictions at the national level and 32 state observatories on drugs. This will allow the electroninc registration of clinical cases, including those seen in 332 New Life Centers. It will also enable the monitioring of strategic information on drug use, such as knowing the population at risk and age of onset, as well as enable the communication of epidemiological reports.

During the presentation, the Under Secretary of State of the United States, Wendy Sherman, noted that the resources are part of the Merida Initiative, as both nations share a commitment and interest to put in place new programs to reduce drug use." Spanish original

Mexico Climate Politics Heats Up

2012-02-02T07:45:00.000-06:00

CIP Americas: "History has not been kind to the indigenous Raramuri people of the northern Mexican state of Chihuahua. Pushed to remote mountains of a harsh land by Spanish and mestizo colonists, the Raramuri managed to hang on to their culture while eking out an existence based on rain-fed farming and small herd grazing. In recent decades their lands have been invaded again, this time by cattlemen, loggers, miners, dope growers, tourism developers, and soldiers." read more

Mexico Violence: American missionaries found slain in north Mexico

2012-02-01T20:06:00.000-06:00

msnbc.: "An American missionary couple has been found slain in their home near the violence-plagued industrial city of Monterrey, the U.S. Embassy and family members said Wednesday.

The embassy in Mexico identified the couple as John and Wanda Casias, former residents of Amarillo, Texas.
Valerie Alirez, the eldest child of John Casias, told The Associated Press from her home in Greeley, Colo., that one of her brothers found her father and stepmother Tuesday dead in their home in Santiago, Nuevo Leon." read more

Human Rights Violations: Mexican General and Troops Charged in Border Town Atrocities

2012-02-01T20:02:00.000-06:00

Mexican General and Troops Charged in Border Town Atrocities - NYTimes.com: "An army general and soldiers under his command sent to fight drug cartels in a border town have been charged in military court with carrying out killings, torture, drug dealing and other crimes, government officials confirmed this week.

The general, Manuel de Jesús Moreno Aviña, and his subordinates have been charged with systematically ordering the killings of at least seven civilians in Chihuahua State, according to Reforma, which cited statements in the investigation and an interview with a military prosecutor." read more

Drug War Collateral Damage: 80% of children in medical consultation in Ciudad Juarez suffer post-traumatic stress

2012-02-01T15:40:00.000-06:00

Milenio: "A study of children aged between five and 12 years of age attending the Children's Hospital, showed that 80 percent suffer from post traumatic stress disorder caused by violence. The head of the Psychology Department at Children's Hospital, Leila Ruiz Escalona, said the study was carried out among children who were inpatients or outpatients attended the Children's Hospital in the last year.

... Post-traumatic stress is generated by high levels of violence and if the patient is silent and says nothing, symptoms begin to occur, which in turn generate more problems until therapy becomes essential, she said." Spanish original

Mexican Movement for Peace Starts Campaign "In another's shoes"

2012-02-01T13:36:00.002-06:00

Milenio: ""In another's shoes" is a campaign that is being initiated to raise the awareness of Mexican society regarding disappearances in the war against organized crime.

The group "The Strongest Cry," a group of actresses, actors, filmmakers and journalists took on the task of developing a campaign through the mass media, which proposes "a very simple action: to put one's self "In the Shoes of the Other" and plans the distribution of a video and spots in the media that tell the experiences of families of the disappeared.

...With the support of the arts community, voice is being given to the families of the victims of the war. Because they deserve to be heard and we seek to join forces. "If we start in our home, then in our neighborhood, in our town, our city, if one sees what others see and feels what others feel, in this way we can contribute to the reconstruction of this country. It has to do with recognizing ourselves in the other."" Spanish original

Mexico Corruption: Attorney General admits major staff members commit “illegal activities”

2012-02-01T13:04:00.001-06:00

Here the core problem of the Mexican government. The Attorney General's Office (Justice Department) is rife with corruption. The current attorney general, Marisela Morales Ibáñez, who took office on April 1, 2011, has been focusing on reducing corruption in the department. Translated by CIP intern Michael Kane

La Jornada: "The Attorney General of the Republic of Mexico (PGR) is currently facing weaknesses, such as "tasks improperly performed by major staff members (federal agents, prosecutors, and experts), deficient criminal investigations, and arrest warrants granted by judges that are not executed" according to a risk assessment carried out by the Inspector General as part of a plan to combat corruption in the institution.

This report was released as part of the inauguration of a series of "corruption seminars" in which the Secretariat of Civil Service (SFP) reported that in the past six years, 7,550 public servants have been punished for committing crimes.

During the event, PGR representative César Alejandro Chávez Flores noted that the PGR had already carried out an assessment of the risks in order to find out why those who work in the department become corrupted. He explained that, among the factors, what stood out was that there is a lack of sufficient oversight over those who have access to information, which causes leaks that later affect the investigations.

Additionally, he said, those who work in the PGR believe that there is an inability to sanction those who violate rules. Added to these factors is the lack of public confidence in the institution.

In this context, under-prosecutor Miguel Ontiveros Alonso revealed that between April 2011 and January of this year, the strategy to combat corruption has resulted in 1,790 public servants being investigated for the violation of rules and acts of corruption; another 655 finding themselves subject to administrative sanctions, and 188 public employees--of which 120 were delegates, subdelegates, or directors of their area--undergoing criminal proceedings.

Max Kaiser, chief of staff of the Secretariat of Civil Service, said that for the first time in the history of the institution, 7,500 members of staff have been disqualified or fired and 3,629 economic sanctions have been imposed due to corruption." Spanish original

Mexico Drug War Bloodshed: January was the most violent month in half a year

2012-02-01T11:30:00.000-06:00

Milenio: "During January there were 960 executions in 24 states in Mexico, representing the most violent month since July last year when 1,036 executions were committed.

In the month that ended yesterday, 55 percent of homicides related to organized crime occurred in five states, 230 were killed in Chihuahua, which has been on the top of the list for more than two years. Nuevo Leon was in second place, accounting for 83 deaths,...doubling the 39 recorded in December.

Also, the increase in executions in the State of Mexico stands out, where they went from 18 in December to 69 in January, an increase of almost 400 percent. ... In Guerrero, 69 executions were carried out, three more than December. Despite being the third most violent state, the number in January does not come close to the 132 murders committed in October 2010.

Another of the states that had a significant increase was Michoacan, where 66 murders occurred related to organized crime. The figure not been as high in that state since June of last year. ... In Jalisco, homicides increased 115 percent over the last month of 2011, 64 deaths occurring in January, 21 of them committed on January 27.

In contrast, in Sinaloa, the number of executions fell by more than 200 percent over the previous month. 51 murders were recorded in Sinaloa, which is the lowest figure for the state since October 2009. ...

The most violent day of the month was recorded on January 27, when 61 people were executed in 12 states: 21 of them were committed in Jalisco, 15 in Chihuahua and more 13 more persons were killed in clashes in Veracruz, Tamaulipas and Zacatecas.

During January 35 police were killed, 19 of them were municipal police, nine were state and four were federal. Two soldiers were also killed. Also killed were 32 women, 19 minors and three people who were working as civil servants" Spanish original

Mexico Politics: Mexico investigating 3 former border state governors from old ruling party

2012-02-01T09:36:00.001-06:00

The Washington Post: "Mexican federal prosecutors said Tuesday they have launched an investigation of former officials from the violence-wracked northern border state of Tamaulipas, and three ex-governors say they are the among those being probed." read more

Mexico Politics: Political Firestorm in Mexico over 1.9M in Cash Found in Suitcase

2012-02-01T09:33:00.000-06:00

Fox News Latino: "Months before Mexico's presidential elections, political rivals are trading accusations over $1.9 million in cash found stuffed into a state official's luggage at a Mexico airport, a find that has inflamed rampant speculation about the possibility of organized crime or illegal campaign money influencing the July 1 presidential election." read more

Mexico Drug War: Wave of cop killings forces Ciudad Juarez Police to stay in guarded hotels

2012-02-01T09:20:00.000-06:00

kvue.com Austin: "Police in the Mexican border city of Ciudad Juarez are spending their time between shifts in heavily guarded hotels after a wave of killings targeting police. Eight officers were gunned down in January. Most were off duty. The murders are the latest challenge for police chief Julian Leyzaola as he works to restore law and order in Mexico’s murder capital." read more

Drug War: Breaking the chains of violence in Mexico, with Saúl Reyes Salazar

2012-02-01T08:34:00.001-06:00

This is part of a speaking tour in the Bay Area of California and Portland and Corvallis, Oregon, from Feb. 1 to 6. For the schedule see FOR's Mexico Campaign

Fellowship of Reconciliation: "Veteran activist Saúl Reyes Salazar has lost six members of his family in the last two and a half years to gun violence in Mexico. In January, he was granted political asylum by the United States. The United States has played an important part in the escalating war for drug prohibition. Mexican activists like Saúl are reaching out to people in the U.S. to support efforts for justice and help forge a different path." read more

Drug War: Mexican youths abducted by drug gangs, forced into lives of crime: rights groups

2012-02-01T08:28:00.001-06:00

National Post: "Young Mexicans are being abducted from poor towns and villages and forced to work for drug gangs, rights groups say, alleging the authorities are failing to do anything to stem the problem. Stories of young people disappearing, as if swallowed up by the earth, are spreading .... Non-governmental groups in the northern states of Nuevo Leon, where Monterrey lies, as well as Coahuila and Michoacan, to the west, have documented more than 1,000 disappearances from 2007 to 2011." read more

Drug War: Heckled during speech, Mexico's president defends drug war

2012-01-31T21:18:00.000-06:00

latimes.com: "Mexican President Felipe Calderon has once again clashed with a citizen angry about the effects of the country's drug war, this time during a speech in which a man in the audience shouted, "How many more dead?"

... A man identified by local news outlets as animator Tonatiuh Moreno reportedly went on: "When will this war be over? Where will you live when your term is finished?" Calderon appeared to take the shouts gamely, and took the opportunity to defend his policies. He responded quickly to the last question, "Maybe here in Guadalajara, mi estimado," a phrase meaning "my dear" or "my esteemed."" read more

Human Rights and Rule of Law: Military General Accused of Ordering Executions in Chihuahua, Mexico

2012-01-31T15:41:00.002-06:00

Justice in Mexico: "Major General Manuel de Jesús Moreno Aviña has been accused of systematic abuses between April of 2008 and August of 2009 in front of the military garrison of Ojinaga, Chihuahua. According to Reforma, General Moreno Aviña is responsible for at least seven extrajudicial executions." read more

Central American Migrants: Amnesty International hangs shoes in front of the Mexican Ministry of Interior in support of migrants

2012-01-31T15:09:00.001-06:00

A creative demonstration, Mexican style, in support of protection of Central American migrants. Translated by CIP intern, Michael Kane.

La Jornada: "On Thursday, Jan. 26, in front of the offices of the Mexican Ministry of Interior, on Paseo de la Reforma (Mexico City), Amnesty International’s (AI) Mexico office organized a rally in support of the international campaign “Migrants desperately need socks,” through which they hope to raise awareness about and highlight the plight of thousands of Central Americans who every year venture across the country with hopes of reaching the United States.

In front of the doors of the Ministry of Interior building, AI placed two clothes lines of shoes: “They are a symbol of the hundreds of shoes that are lost and abandoned every year in the desert. They represent the fate of thousands of migrants who cross the Mexican border and penetrate the U.S. desert in search of the ‘American Dream.’”

Why a campaign to donate socks to migrants? AI’s Daniel Zapico explains: “When the organization asked the migrants – in interviews that were done to investigate the issue – what would they take with them when they left their country, the answer was ‘socks.’”

Zapico added: “we are here to denounce yet again--despite the Mexican government’s promise to change--these laws and other official methods, no matter how small; abuses, kidnappings, extortion, and threats against migrants all continue.” Spanish original

Drug War: Mexico Says Drought Also Hurting Marijuana Growers

2012-01-31T12:42:00.000-06:00

ABC News: "The drought in northern Mexico is so bad that it has hurt even illicit drug growers and their normally well-tended crops of marijuana and opium poppies, a Mexican army commander said Monday. One effect of the lack of rains is that drug planting has "declined considerably," said Gen. Pedro Gurrola, commander of army forces in the state of Sinaloa, the cradle of the drug cartel by the same name." read more

Drug War: Drug cartel member confesses to 75 murders

2012-01-31T12:36:00.000-06:00

CBS News: " Police in northern Mexico have captured an alleged member of the Zetas drug gang who confessed to killing at least 75 people, including many who were pulled off buses, authorities said Monday.
Enrique Elizondo Flores told investigators 36 of his victims were bus passengers traveling through the town of Cerralvo, near the border with Texas, said Nuevo Leon state security spokesman Jorge Domene.

Elizondo was detained Jan. 20 in the town of Salinas Victoria, but authorities delayed announcing his arrest so they could verify details of his confession, state Attorney General Adrian de la Garza said." read more

Drug War: Eugene Jarecki, Sundance Grand Jury Winner, On His Drug War Documentary 'The House I Live In'

2012-01-31T12:32:00.000-06:00

Huffington Post: "In 2005, Eugene Jarecki's documentary "Why We Fight" won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance for its incisive deconstruction of the military-industrial complex. At this year's festival, he won the award again with a follow-up of sorts, titled "The House I Live In," which examines the unimaginable damage wrought by America's prison-industrial system and the so-called War on Drugs." read more

Mexico Corruption: Mexican officials reportedly barring exit of 3 former governors

2012-01-31T12:29:00.001-06:00

latimes.com: "Federal authorities in Mexico are seeking to keep three former governors from leaving the country, apparently as part of a corruption investigation, Mexican media reported Monday.

The federal attorney general's office has issued advisories to Mexican border officials and other agencies to block the possible exit of the three ex-governors, all from the violence-plagued border state of Tamaulipas, according to various news reports." read more

Movement for Peace with Justice: A Conversation With Javier Sicilia

2012-01-31T12:23:00.002-06:00

The first of a series of blogs presenting an extended interview with Javier Sicilia, leader of the Mexican Movement for Peace with Justice

North American Congress on Latin America: "A few days ago, I had a wide-ranging talk with Javier Sicilia, the founder of the nonviolent, anti-violence group called Movement for Peace with Justice and Dignity (MPJD).

Since its inception last March, following the murder of Sicilia’s son in Cuernavaca, the group has campaigned against the spreading criminal and state violence in Mexico, and more specifically against the militarization of Mexico’s Drug War and what Sicilia sees as the concurrent militarization of Mexican society.

... here are some excerpts on the questions of nonviolence and the process of dialogue:" read more

Drug War Politics: Obama Just Says No to Answering Drug Prohibition Questions

2012-01-30T22:03:00.000-06:00

Border Lines: "Today YouTube ignored a question advocating marijuana legalization from a retired LAPD deputy chief of police that won twice as many votes as any other video question in the White House's "Your Interview with the President" competition on the Google-owned site. They did, however, find the time to get the president on record about late night snacking, singing and dancing, celebrating wedding anniversaries and playing tennis." read more

Drought and Cold Snap Cause Food Crisis in Northern Mexico

2012-01-30T21:58:00.000-06:00

NYTimes.com: "A drought that a government official called the most severe Mexico had ever faced has left two million people without access to water and, coupled with a cold snap, has devastated cropland in nearly half of the country.

The government in the past week has authorized $2.63 billion in aid, including potable water, food and temporary jobs for the most affected areas, rural communities in 19 of Mexico’s 31 states. But officials warned that no serious relief was expected for at least another five months, when the rainy season typically begins in earnest." read more

Mexico Politics: Veracruz treasurer resigns after the seizure of 25 million pesos

2012-01-30T21:47:00.001-06:00

More developments in the Veracruz money case

Milenio: "The head of Finance of the government of Veracruz, Victor Benitez, presented his resignation after the retention of 25 million pesos--transported in suitcases to the airport in Toluca--was made known. Veracruz's government announced it had accepted the resignation of the official and in the coming hours will announce who will replace him. ... State spokeswoman Gina Dominguez acknowledged that this is an unusual situation, but said no crime had been committed." Spanish original

Mexico Politics: PAN official asks for investigation of possible links to the election in the transfer of 25 million pesos

2012-01-30T21:22:00.001-06:00

The National Action Party (PAN), the party of President Calderón, chimes in on the Veracruz money case.

Milenio: "The secretary for Goverment Action of PAN (National Action Party), Juan Molinar asked for an investigation into possible links between the (presidential) election and the transfer of 25 million pesos from the government of Veracruz to the state of Mexico. The PAN spokesman said there must be a thorough and specific investigation regarding the resources of the Veracruz administration that were seized.

"When there are 25 million pesos in two suitcases in a capital that has a PRI government, coming from the capital of another PRI government, one has the right to think that maybe something should be investigated there," he said. However, he admitted that, so far, the National Action Party has no specific facts on which to make a formal complaint, and he requested that the audit unit of IFE (Independent Election Commission) make the appropriate investigation of the case." Spanish original

Mexico Politics: PRD calls for clarification of the money claimed by Veracruz officials

2012-01-30T20:57:00.003-06:00

The plot thickens in the story of the 25 million pesos found in the suitcases of two Veracruz government employees at the airport in Mexico State. The employees were first arrested and then released when the Veracruz state government said the cash was to pay bills for three state festivals. In the heat of the presidential campaign--in which the PRI candidate and former Mexico State governor Enrique Peña Nieto is in the lead in the polls--the leftist party, PRD, smells a possible scandal and the blood that would go with it.

Milenio: "The president of the PRD (Party of the Democratic Revolution), Jesus Zambrano, charged that the 25 million pesos (about 1.8 million dollars) seized from Veracruz officials was being diverted to the presidential campaign of the PRI. Therefore, he demanded that the legal status and the origin of money be clarified.

The leader of the Democratic Revolution Party (PRD) discredited the attempt to justify the destination of the money--discovered by the Attorney General´s Office at the airport in Toluca, Mexico State--as being "to pay creditors," and being legally managed public money .

"We have total confidence that it is a diversion of resources from the state government (of Veracruz)" in favor of the PRI's presidential candidate (Enrique Peña Nieto), or "Is it, perhaps, dirty money from drug trafficking?" he expounded.

Zambrano warned that the truth ought not to be left unclear, "let alone the audacity of the government of Veracruz", which is demanding that federal authorities return the money...." Spanish original

Mexico Politics: Veracruz PGR requests the return of seized 25 million pesos

2012-01-30T12:59:00.004-06:00

Mexico has a large "informal economy," up to 40% of the total, which is composed of street vendors and small enterprizes that operate outside the formal structure. In the formal economy, where businesses are registered with the government, taxes are paid and, in return, government social benefits such as health care are provided to employees. In the informal, cash economy, these taxes are avoided. By far, this Veracruz transaction is the biggest "informal" transaction we have heard of.

CNN Mexico: "Two officials of the government of Veracruz who were carrying 25 million pesos in cash were arrested by Federal Police last Friday at the airport in Toluca, as confirmed by the Ministry of Finance of the state government. The federal Attorney General's Office (PGR) seized the cash, so on Monday the government of Veracruz reported that it is requesting the return of those funds.

According to the state government, the money was to be used to pay for "various events to be held in coming months," referring to the three busiest festivals in Veracruz already in process of being organized. This Tuesday the celebration of Candelaria Tlacotalpan begins, February 14 is the Veracruz Carnival and on March 17 is the Tajin Summit Conference. The state expects two and a half million tourists to attend the three festivals.

In the statement, the government said that the names of "collaborators" arrested are Said Zepeda and Miguel Morales, who were commissioned to carry the millions in cash. Both have been released. The 25 million "was sent to Mexico City" for hiring artists, assembly of scenery and production of promotional materials, said the finance secretary of the government of Veracruz, Tomas Ruiz Gonzalez. Of the total amount, two million would go to La Candelaria, 15 million for Carnival and eight million for the Tajin Summit.

In the statement the state authorities do not explain why these resources were sent in cash and not through a bank transaction. Tomas Ruiz explained that the transaction was justified according to the Financial Code of the State of Veracruz. However, he said the state government "will review the legal procedures to avoid such situations." "No crime was committed by the transportation of cash amounts, whose origin and destination are fully accredited by the appropriate authority," says the official announcement." Spanish original

Mexico Corruption: Global Financial Integrity Mexico Report

2012-01-30T12:30:00.001-06:00

Center for International Policy: "Crime, corruption and tax evasion cost the Mexican economy more US$872 billion between 1970 and 2010 according to a new report from Global Financial Integrity (GFI), a Washington, DC-based research and advocacy organization. The illicit financial outflows, which averaged a massive 5.2% of GDP, grew significantly over the 41-year period studied from just US$1 billion in 1970 to US$68.5 billion in 2010.

“This is a devastatingly large amount of money for any developing country to lose,” said Raymond W. Baker, director of GFI. “This is $872 billion lost, which could have been used to develop the Mexican economy, to invest in education, to build roads, or to fight the drug cartels. The negative ramifications are huge for everyday Mexicans.”" read more

Mexico Corruption: Mexico’s Underground Economy and Illicit Money Outflows

2012-01-30T11:39:00.002-06:00

Latin America's Moment: "Yesterday Global Financial Integrity released a new report, “Mexico: Illicit Financial Flows, Macroeconomic Imbalances, and the Underground Economy,” which provides an in-depth look at flows of illicit money from Mexico. The study finds that nearly $1 trillion in illicit capital left Mexico from 1970-2010, averaging about $50 billion a year this past decade.

... The report’s most interesting finding is that this illicit capital is not necessarily or mostly drug money. Instead it comes from Mexico’s large underground economy. In these markets the goods being traded are not necessarily in and of themselves illegal. What’s illegal is the under-the-table way that they are bought or sold. The report finds that the vast majority (80 percent) of the money leaving Mexico does so through a method called “trade mispricing”. " read more

Mexico Human Rights: No limit on federal spending for protection of journalists: Attorney General's Office

2012-01-30T11:30:00.002-06:00

Milenio: "The deputy for legal and international affairs of the Mexican Attorney General's Office (PGR), Alejandro Ramos Flores, said the federal government will spare no expense to clarify and punish crimes against journalists in the country. This was stated after he received a delegation from the International PEN organization, headed by John Ralston Saul.

During the meeting with the organization, which promotes freedom of expression, the PGR official referred to the protective measures not only for journalists and communicators, but also those who write in print and electronic media. Ramos Flores stressed the importance of the Special Prosecutor for the attention to crimes against freedom of expression, saying that its results help to ensure the free exercise of journalism in Mexico.

He stressed that our country is going through a transition in terms of legal enforcement and administration of justice, and human rights protection, with two major constitutional reforms passed in 2008 and 2011. Finally, he said that there is a proposal in Congress to reform the federal criminal code so that it will included a special chapter on crimes committed against journalists and thereby give the PGR total authority for such acts." Spanish original

U.S.-Mexico Border: Camera gives glimpse of life in border state for New Mexico State University researcher

2012-01-30T10:08:00.006-06:00

An introduction to the work of photojournalist Bruce Berman and his Border Blog. We invite you to take a look at the blog and listen to his words. He provides a very up-close and personal look at the realities of the border. In our own way, MexicoBlog and the Americas Program share his mission, "to go out and try to learn as much as (we) can and then give that information to an audience who might need to know what (we)'ve learned."

Las Cruces Sun-News: "Bruce Berman is an assistant professor of journalism and mass communication and a researcher at New Mexico State University. He doesn't own any lab coats, just jeans with big enough pockets to hold his "Plan B" batteries, memory cards and lens filters. The closest thing he has to a laboratory is the iMac in his office. His high-tech instrument: the Nikon camera he always keeps around his neck or on the passenger seat right next to him while out and around the desert Southwest and the U.S./Mexico border region.

"If you are doing good journalism, you are finding information for other people to use," Berman said of his style of research. "My job is to go out and try to learn as much as I can and then give that information to an audience who might need to know what I've learned."" read more

Drug War and the Rule of Law: Law-Abiding Mexicans Taking Up Illegal Guns

2012-01-30T09:56:00.000-06:00

NPR: "In Mexico, where criminals are armed to the teeth with high-powered weapons smuggled from the United States, it may come as a surprise that the country has some of the most restrictive gun laws in the world. Law-abiding Mexicans who want a gun to defend themselves have no good options. Either they fight government red tape to get a legal permit, or they buy one on the black market.

After an outbreak of violence, one embattled community in northern Mexico called Colonia LeBaron has begun to ask if it's time for the country to address its gun laws." read more

Human Rights and Rule of Law: Writers condemn violence against Mexico journalists

2012-01-30T09:52:00.000-06:00

BBC News: "A host of international authors - including seven Nobel laureates - have called for an end to attacks on journalists in Mexico. The writers took out a full page advert in Mexican newspaper El Universal to defend the right of all journalists to be free from fear and censorship.

The statement by the PEN International writers group was signed by 170 of the world's most acclaimed authors. PEN says 67 journalists have been murdered in Mexico since 2000." read more

Drug War Weapons Traffic: Justice Department Changes Inquiry Response Procedures To Congress After Fast And Furious

2012-01-30T09:48:00.001-06:00

Fox News: "The Justice Department is tightening procedures for responding to information requests from Congress in the aftermath of a troubled arms trafficking investigation. ... The Justice Department told three congressional committees in a letter Friday night that it has improved coordination between agents and their managers in carrying out arms trafficking investigations.

... Some ATF agents with direct knowledge of what had gone on with Operation Fast and Furious were talking to Congressman Grassley's office. In contrast, the Justice Department was relying on information from top ATF officials in Washington and the U.S. attorney in Phoenix, who all incorrectly denied that ATF was allowing weapons purchases by "straw" buyers to transport guns into Mexico.

In the letter to Congress on Friday night, Deputy Attorney General James Cole said the department must solicit information directly from employees with detailed personal knowledge of the subject matter at issue and consult records relevant to the inquiry if such records are available." read more

Mexico Politics: Veracruz government employee caught at airport carrying 25 million pesos in cash

2012-01-30T09:42:00.018-06:00

See followup article reporting that the Veracruz state government says this was part of a legitimate transaction to pay for services at three festivals in Veracruz and it wants the cash back. The arrested men have been released.

Milenio: "The federal Attorney General's Office (PGR) is investigating the origin of 25 million pesos (about $1,800,000 dollars) that were found in the suitcase of a Veracruz government employee at the airport in Toluca, Mexico State on Jan. 27. Authorities reported that Miguel Morales Robles was handed over to federal authorities to determine the source of the cash and the probable commission of any crime. Morales Robles arrived at the Toluca airport from Jalapa, Veracruz, (the state capital) and could not explain the origin or destination of the money." Spanish original

Drug Legalization: Colombia President Calls Drug War a “Stationary Bike”

2012-01-30T09:27:00.001-06:00

Pan-American Post: "President Juan Manuel Santos expressed more support for the legalization of illicit drugs while speaking at a panel at the Cartagena Hay Festival of Literature and Arts. As Semana reports, his remarks followed a comment by another panelist, Nicaraguan writer Sergio Ramirez, who stated, “I know this cannot be an opinion of the state and the president of a republic cannot express this, but as an ordinary citizen, I can. The solution is decriminalizing drugs.”

Santos responded: ¨And I say it as president of a republic: this solution would be acceptable to Colombia, if the rest of the world goes along.” " read more

Drug War: 'El Chapo' Guzmán, Mexico's most powerful drug lord, gets the U.S. to help him

2012-01-30T08:13:00.002-06:00

Newsweek.The Daily Beast: "How Sinaloa cartel boss 'El Chapo' Guzmán got U.S. agents to help him become Mexico's most powerful drug lord." read more

Drug War: The Carnage In Mexico: Do We Care?

2012-01-29T22:11:00.000-06:00

Huffington Post: "The U.S. has given birth to the killing fields of Mexico. Does that even matter, at all, to those in this country who are in a position do something about it? American drug policy, and our gutless, unreasoned refusal to change it, has caused the epic violence south of the border." read more

Immigration Politics: Mitt Romney on Immigration: Four New Takeaways and Gutierrez’ Reaction

2012-01-29T12:14:00.001-06:00

Fox News Latino: "On Friday, Romney spoke about immigration to an audience of over 600 Hispanic leaders at the Hispanic Leadership Network, a center-right advocacy group, conference in Miami. The conference was co-chaired by former Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez and former Florida Governor Jeb Bush.

Here are three takeaways from Governor Romney's remarks followed by Secretary Gutierrez' reaction.

#1To protect legal immigration, stop illegal immigration.
• Build a better fence.
• Have enough personnel to protect the border.
• Put a card and verification system in place that works, allowing employers to know immediately whether or not a job applicant is authorized to work.
• Crack down aggressively on employers that hire people who are not authorized to work.

#2: Implement constructive solutions for people waiting to immigrate legally and for people who immigrated illegally and live in the U.S.
• For the 4.5 million people waiting to immigrate legally, make legal immigration easier and more transparent.
• For the 11+ million people who immigrated illegally and live in the U.S., they’d need to get a temporary work permit, return to their home country to apply for residency (“self-deportation”), and get in line with those waiting to immigrate legally.

#3: Substantially expand legal immigration, including implementation of a program that matches visas to employers’ needs in all sectors..”" read more

Immigration Politics - Washington State: Farmers, immigrants unite against E-Verify

2012-01-29T12:08:00.001-06:00

Seattle Times: "In Olympia (Washington state capital), it's not too often immigrant-advocacy groups and farmers are on the same side of a proposed bill. But the unlikely allies have teamed up in this session of the Legislature to push a measure aimed at stopping more cities and counties from adopting a federal program that checks an individual's eligibility to work in the U.S." read more

Mexico Drug Violence : 'Business is Business'

2012-01-29T11:50:00.000-06:00

Translated and posted by our compañeros at World Meets Us.

La Jornada, Mexico: ""The most serious element of these policies of war and business is not only the fact that such massive expenditures are being spent on the destruction of our country, but that it is now a business that benefits Mexican 'entrepreneurs' who are in collusion with President Calderón. … Obama's 'war on drugs' has resulted in gigantic business opportunities for companies tied to the interests of the U.S. Democratic Party."" read more

Drug War - Fast and Furious: Obama administration reveals new ATF gun probe rules

2012-01-28T08:02:00.000-06:00

Reuters/chicagotribune.com: " The Obama administration on Friday revealed new reforms undertaken to improve how it conducts undercover gun trafficking investigations in the wake of a botched operation in which scores of weapons disappeared.

The reforms require additional oversight of undercover operations, including those that involve more than 50 firearms, and, in most cases, ends the practice of paying gun dealers to serve as confidential informants. Additionally, a new review committee has been established to monitor sensitive undercover cases or those that would have a "significant regional or national impact," according to theJustice Department." read more

Drug War - Fast and Furious: Justice Department official suggested to Mexican officials letting guns cross border

2012-01-28T07:51:00.000-06:00

AP/Washington Post: "Newly released Justice Department emails sent to Capitol Hill for a congressional inquiry into a gun-smuggling operation indicate that the head of the department’s criminal division suggested letting some illicit “straw” weapons buyers in the U.S. transport their guns across the border into Mexico where they could be arrested.

According to the emails turned over to the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on Friday night, the Justice official, Lanny Breuer, made the suggestion to Mexican officials because it “may send a strong message to arms traffickers.”" read more

Immmigration Politics: California's Catholic hierarchy takes stand against illegal-immigration dragnet

2012-01-28T07:44:00.002-06:00

San Jose Mercury News: "The Bay Area's biggest religious institution, the Catholic Church, is throwing its weight against a federal immigration dragnet that in the past two years deported more than 6,500 people from the region.

As Republican presidential contenders clash ... over the harshness or softness of their stands on illegal immigration, Catholic priests here and across the country are championing a humanitarian approach and condemning what they describe as "selfish" demagoguery.

"It is heartbreaking to hear the painful stories of unjust deportations pouring in from our congregations. California can do better," San Francisco Archbishop George Niederauer said " read more

Immigration Politics: 'Inexcusable' language on immigration alienating Latino voters, Republicans told

2012-01-28T07:39:00.000-06:00

guardian.co.uk: "Senior Republicans including the brother of the former president George Bush have warned the party to avoid using "harsh, intolerable and inexcusable" language about illegal immigration or risk alienating Latino voters. The Florida senator, Marco Rubio, and the state's former governor Jeb Bush made their appeal before Tuesday's primary, being contested by Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney.

The Republican frontrunners clashed over illegal immigration in a debate earlier this week. The issue is emotive in Florida, which has the third largest Latino population in America." read more

Drug War's Invisible Victims

2012-01-27T18:33:00.001-06:00

A report from Americas Program director, Laura Carlsen, who is traveling this week with the Nobel Women's Initiative through Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras.

FPIF: "It’s rare to hear the voices of the women who bear the brunt of the drug war. Their pain doesn’t make headlines. Some need anonymity to remain alive. Many have been granted protective measures by the government or international human rights organizations because of the extreme threats they face.

Despite all these difficulties, some 70 women told their stories amid tears and despite fear for their lives in Mexico City on January 22. The meeting called by the Nobel Women’s Initiative brought an international delegation led by Nobel Peace Prize winner Jody Williams together with Mexican women victims of the violence and women human rights defenders." read more

Week's Top Articles on Mexico: Jan. 20-26, 2012

2012-01-27T18:24:00.000-06:00

Human rights and the rule of law dominated the news this week in Mexico. Human Rights Watch reported that, in fighting the drug war, security forces in Mexico have committed numerous human rights violations and that soldiers enjoy impunity in these cases.

The Mexican government initially issued a detailed critique of the report. But by the end of the week, it was making more conciliatory statements about its "openness" to the work of human rights organizations such as HRW.

Mexican human rights organizations welcomed the report for linking the government's strategy to worsening violence and reinforcing their demand for a change in security policy.

At the same time, the Nobel Women's Peace Initiative began a ten-day investigative tour of Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras to focus on femicides, other abuses of women and government impunity regarding these human rights violations. Indigenous women of Guerrero presented particularly powerful testimonies.

Drug war news brings a new year's assessment of shifts in drug cartel power. The Stratfor security group concluded that the Sinaloa and Zeta cartels have consolidated their control of the drug trade and territory, each dominating about half of Mexico's 31 states. Possibly related to this, the army announced that it was adding five new bases in northern states ravaged by battles with and between cartels.

Meanwhile, data obtained by the Mexican Institute for Access to Information showed that less than 50% of those arrested on federal charges--including organized crime and drug trafficking--in the past five years were actually held for trial. (Murder is a state, not a federal, offense.)

Finally, there is the powerful and poignant story, as told by the local priest, of how the drug trade is devastating the youth in the Tarahumara Mountains of Chihuahua state.

Immigration and border news centered on the Obama administration's pilot review of deportation cases, with a goal of closing those of migrants who pose "no security risk". Some 16% qualified. However, this is no relief for undocumented migrants who are not in deportation proceedings.

Meanwhile, the Applied Research Center reports on the sorry fate of children who are placed in foster care when their parents are detained or deported for lack of valid visas. And data released by the government reveals that fewer undocumented immigrants are crossing the border multiple times in a single year.

And lastly, anthropologist Jason De Leon collects worn sneakers, dirty backpacks and empty water bottles in the Sonoran desert to document the stories of migrants' struggles, hopes and determination in crossing the desert into the U.S..

The Articles

Human Rights and Rule of Law

Violence has increased horribly in Mexico, says Human Rights Watch
Milenio: ""We have evidence that violence has increased in Mexico horribly in recent years and that there is no system for judging the military so that there is justice." " read more

HRW report does not reflect real situation in Mexico: Interior Ministry
Milenio: "The federal government said that the report by Human Rights Watch (HRW)... contains categorical and generalized statements about the country that do not reflect the real situation in Mexico." read more

Mexico open to public scrutiny on human rights: Secretary of Interior Poiré
Milenio: "Mexico is open to public scrutiny on the matter of human rights and will attend to the recommendations, criticisms and concerns of the various organizations on the basis of solid, consistent and verifiable information." read more

Mexican human rights groups demand change in anti-crime policy
La Jornada: The report, (civic organization leaders) said, is important because "it indicates that the strategy has exacerbated the violence in the country, and we insist that the liability is Calderón's, because his policies foster a climate of serious human rights violations." read more

Nobel Prize winner Jody Williams denounces impunity for femicides in Mexico
EFE/CNN Mexico: "The Nobel Peace Prize winner, Jody Williams, denounced impunity regarding crimes against women in Mexico... Her visit is part of an investigation being carried out by the Nobel Prize winner Rigoberta Menchú regarding murders of women in Mexico, Honduras and Guatemala." read more

Nobel Women´s Initiative hears testimony of indigenous women of Guerrero
La Jornada: "Militarization, organized crime, rape by soldiers and police and impunity, neglectful bureaucracy and abuse of authority, plunder, murder and extreme labor exploitation, and the customary assumption that women, or "the old women"--to put it in their terms--are useless. These are the themes of stories told to the Nobel Women's Initiative by indigenous women of Guerrero. read more

Drug War

Polarization and Sustained Violence in Mexico's Cartel War
Stratfor: "Over the past year it has ... become evident that a polarization is under way among (Mexican) cartels. Most smaller groups (or remnants of groups) have been subsumed by the Sinaloa Federation, which controls much of western Mexico, and Los Zetas, who control much of eastern Mexico. ... these two groups have solidified themselves as the country's predominant forces. " read more

Mexico Plans 5 New Military Bases in Zeta Territory
InSight Crime: "Mexico's government upped its offensive against the Zetas with the announcement that five new military bases will be installed in the group's primary areas of operation. Four bases will be located in Tamaulipas and another one in Nuevo Leon, which are both among the northern border states most affected by drug violence." read more

Of 463,000 arrested in 5 years, only 215,000 were charged with crimes
La Jornada: "Since December 2006... 463,000 suspects were arrested on federal charges, of which 163,000 were considered members of organized crime, 17,000 were allegedly drug dealers and 6,500 were allegedly members of gangs of kidnappers. However, on average only four in 10, i.e., 215,000, were detained and the rest were released by the Federal Public Ministry." Spanish original

Drug trade, not a lack of food, the biggest problem in the mountains of Chihuahua
La Jornada: "Though it is very serious, the greatest crisis in this part of the Tarahumara Mountains in Chihuahua is not the food shortage, but the presence of narcotrafficking and its quota of violence: “the Rarámuri communities are being crucified by organized crime.” read more

Immigration and the Border

In Test of Deportation Policy, 1 in 6 Offered Reprieve
NYTimes.com: "A review of virtually all 7,900 deportation cases before the immigration court (in Denver) has identified about 1,300 foreigners — 16 percent — who pose no security risk and will be allowed to remain in the United States, although with no new legal status...The Department of Homeland Security plans to extend the review to 300,000 deportation cases before the courts nationwide." read more

Mixed feelings about deportation reviews, even from ‘low priority’ immigrants
scpr.org.Multi-American: "Immigration officials reviewing deportation case files ... in Denver and Baltimore indicated that 1,600 people will be spared deportation, allowing them to stay in the country. ... Stuck in the middle are people who fit the low-priority criteria but are not in deportation proceedings." read more

Immigrant Children Face Uncertain Futures, Foster Care
Huffington Post: "More than 5,000 children of immigrants are ... in state foster care nationwide because their parents ... were detained or deported by federal immigration authorities. ... A report by the Applied Research Center (ARC) found that when immigration enforcement methods intersect with the child welfare system, consequences for immigrant families can be devastating and long-lasting." read more

Captured crossers returning less often
azstarnet.com: "Fewer illegal immigrants are crossing the border multiple times in a single year.... The percentage of people apprehended two or more times by the Border Patrol within the same fiscal year ... has declined each of the last four years, according to a new report from the Congressional Research Service. The rate was 20 percent in fiscal 2011, down from 28 percent in fiscal 2007, the report says." read more

Researcher Documents Belongings Left Behind While Crossing The Border
Huffington Post: "Not many people consider the human side of immigration, let alone document the belongings left behind by the migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. ... Each object tells a story of struggle, hope and determination. Recently, anthropologists began to collect them "to provide insight into the realities" of migration." read more

Immigration Politics: Debating Amnesty and Immigration Policy

2012-01-27T12:07:00.000-06:00

From the blog of Shannon O'Neil of the Council on Foreign Relations

Latin America's Moment: " Mexican migrants--given the combination of absolute number caps on legal visas combined with the large number of Mexican family members here, parents, kids, and siblings--have to make the choice of growing up (for years potentially) apart, waiting for a legal family visas, or coming illegally. So do you want to wait and do the paper work and hope you get to see your 4 year old when he/she is 8-9 years old? Or do you bring them illegally? That is an inhumane law, and should be changed." read more

Border Control: New Fences Block Access To U.S.-Mexico Border Monuments

2012-01-27T10:39:00.000-06:00

An interesting article about another unforeseen consequence of barricading the border with Mexico.

Fronteras Desk: "Before there was a fence, all that marked the border between Mexico and the United States were stone and steel monuments, 276 of them dotting the southwestern landscape. They were installed by Mexican and American surveyors starting in 1850, after the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ended the Mexican-American War and the two countries agreed to define their shared border.

But as the U.S. Border Patrol has reinforced the boundary with a new fence, many of these bi-national monuments have been left entirely on the Mexican side of the barriers." read more

Drug Violence in Mexico--Graphs of the data

2012-01-27T10:19:00.000-06:00

Rehab International:

This link, provided via Global Post, is to a very clear, graphic presentation of data about the drug war in Mexico--number of deaths per year, distribution across the 31 Mexican states--and main facts about the various cartels.

Drug War Bloodshed: In Mexico, eight men are executed in downtown Monterrey

2012-01-27T09:12:00.001-06:00

latimes.com: "Eight men were executed and left on the street early Thursday in downtown Monterrey, in the latest outburst of violence to buffet the industrial northern city." read more

Drug War Militarization: Security contractors see opportunities, and limits, in Mexico

2012-01-27T09:09:00.001-06:00

The Washington Post: "With the Iraq war over and the American presence waning in Afghanistan, U.S. security contractors are looking for new prospects in Mexico, where spreading criminal violence has created a growing demand for battle-ready professionals." read more

Human Rights and Rule of Law: Mexico open to public scrutiny on human rights: Secretary of Interior Poiré

2012-01-26T13:21:00.000-06:00

Milenio: "Mexico is open to public scrutiny on the matter of human rights and will attend to the recommendations, criticisms and concerns of the various organizations on the basis of solid, consistent and verifiable information, Interior Minister Alejandro Poire affirmed.

At the opening of the annual National Meeting of Directors of Civil Protection, he acknowledged and supported the efforts made in this regard by the National Commission of Human Rights (CNDH), and assured his respect for the efforts of international organizations of all kinds, such as Human Rights Watch (HRW).

... Poire said that through the security strategy that the federal government is leading to reduce crime rates "we are sowing the seeds of a more just, prosperous and secure Mexico." Precisely in the pursuit of that justice, he explained, "the Mexican state and the government of President Felipe Calderon shares, has made its own and has so demonstrated, the primary and essential goal of protecting, promoting and defending human rights."

He said that there is no doubt that Mexico has complete conviction that human rights is a task for all, that is, for authorities, civil society organizations and autonomous bodies specializing in the field, both within the country and abroad. Poire said it is a responsibility to so be, "and we remain open to criticism, because that way we can move forward faster in the protection of the rights of our citizens."" Spanish original

Drug War Strategy: Mexico Plans 5 New Military Bases in Zeta Territory

2012-01-26T11:55:00.000-06:00

InSight Crime: "Mexico's government upped its offensive against the Zetas with the announcement that five new military bases will be installed in the group's primary areas of operation ... according to the newspaper Excelsior. Four bases will be located in Tamaulipas and another one in Nuevo Leon, which are both among the northern border states most affected by drug violence, ...

The initiative comes as part of the government's drive to reinstate control in areas where criminal groups have, in some cases, overrun local authorities The Mexican Department of Defense stated that installing greater military presence in these areas will help return the rule of law, reports Excelsior." read more

Human Rights Violations: Nuevo Leon government demands that police who claim they were tortured present their accusations

2012-01-26T11:47:00.000-06:00

CNN Mexico: "The government of the northern state of Nuevo Leon demanded that the Monterrey municipal police who, on Tuesday night made accusations of torture by the State Investigation Agency (IEA), present their evidence to prove or clarify responsibility, the government spokesman for state security, Jorge Domene Zambrano, said at a press conference.

On Tuesday night, three presumed municipal police, wearing hoods, appeared at police headquarters in Monterrey, the state capital, where they held a press conference to make accusations that they were tortured by elements of the State Investigation Agency (IEA).

The complainants say they were tortured during an operation by the State and the Army on January 21 as part of the police security purification process at municipal police headquarters. The state spokesman said that a total of 109 policemen had been retained that day, of which 60 were released the same day.

Five policemen continue to be held in the facilities of the AEI "because they appear to have links to some previous investigatons," while another 44 were taken that day to the University for Security Sciences, where they are being evaluated, explained Domene Zambrano.

"We reiterate the official position of the state government is to attend to this and, if necessary, punish those responsible, if this is true, or (determine) if it is a falsehood, which the statements of these individuals can turn out to be," he added. ... The spokesman stated that identity of the persons who publicly made accusations of alleged human rights violations is unknown and demanded that the municipal police department provide their identity.

... The State Ombudsman, Minerva Martinez announced that the Human Rights Commission (CEDHNL) has opened an inquiry to investigate these events, and invited the police to file a complaint with the agency. "I guarantee the safety of these people and their privacy," she said. The attorney general of Nuevo Leon, Adrian de la Garza Santos, reiterated that "total protection" will be provided to the alleged victims and he invited them to approach the authorities to file their complaint." Spanish original