"Silver or Lead" from the New Yorker

[Ajijic]

http://www.technologyinvestor.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/SilverorLead.pdf

Maybe some will now realize how the narcos influence various communities. In many places, according to Finnegan, organizations like La Familia have begun providing social services that local, state, and federal governments aren't providing - with the underlying reality that the justice system enforced by the gangs often includes beheadings and other dismemberments and the murder of individuals and their family members if they displease those in charge.

[RVGRINGO]

Such wonderful daily news; always from the same source!

[grm]

I take it that the pictures are fake.

[RVGRINGO]

No, they are unfortunately very real. I guess my concern is that an overly active obsession with the news of this sort is so depressing and we're barraged with it every day.

"Plata o plomo" is nothing new in Mexico.

[jimmiller]

A Mexican friend of ours just returned from a business conference in Ciudad Juarez where she spent 5 days. According to her,the army troops which have been sent there are basically just helping themselves to whatever they want. She was in a Walmart and personally witnessed a group of soldiers clearing shelves and loading up their trucks with free merchandise. The employees just stood by and watched,nothing they could do.

The locals say they prefer the narcos to the troops who have supposedly sent to help them.

[grm]

A Mexican friend of ours just returned from a business conference in Ciudad Juarez where she spent 5 days. According to her,the army troops which have been sent there are basically just helping themselves to whatever they want. She was in a Walmart and personally witnessed a group of soldiers clearing shelves and loading up their trucks with free merchandise. The employees just stood by and watched,nothing they could do.

The locals say they prefer the narcos to the troops who have supposedly sent to help them.

Then maybe the news is right "A failed State".

Failed State

[privado]

No, they are unfortunately very real. I guess my concern is that an overly active obsession with the news of this sort is so depressing and we're barraged with it every day.

"Plata o plomo" is nothing new in Mexico.

Most people including Mexicans are not reading these articles and most of us would have no idea what is going on unless we actually lived in some of these communities

"Barraged" by depressing news?? Trying to ignore the news and the reality that it could be encroaching further south is naievite.

[Ajijic]

http://www.borderlandbeat.com/2010/05/army-failed-to-stop-shooting-that.html

And ...

A prison warden in the Mexican state of Morelos was abducted as he reported to work Saturday morning and his dismembered body was found later in four locations in the city of Cuernavaca, the government-run Notimex agency reported. The warden was identified as Luis Navarro Castaneda, director of the Atlacholoaya prison. Written messages were left with the body remains, Notimex said. The news agency did not report what the messages said.

Navarro's abandoned Toyota truck was found near the prison, Notimex said. No arrests had been announced as of Sunday morning.

Every aspect of the life of a Mexican is diminished by the narcos and their activity is in every town and city including extortion,kidnapping, drugs, pirated items. It reflects in the corruption they face daily, the lack of infrastructure with places like Guadalajara only treating 3% of its sewage, by the schools being totally inadequate with teachers having no or false credentials, gasoline prices raised to help cover the cost of the truckloads of stolen oil by the narcos, IMSS and INFONAVIT basically broke, roads in such disrepair cars are ruined prematurely at a huge cost to the owners, billions spent to fight the narcos that could be used to improve the standard of living, loss of hope and resignation are just a few.

So maybe to those in denial none of this is a problem so enjoy the sunshine and forget about the 45,000,000 living in poverty in Mexico and their plight. For me I venture outside the towns and tour back roads often barely passable but able to do so on a motorcycle. I see the effect of the narcos everywhere. I go to villages nearby taking items to help, buying and installing water tanks in avillage with water once every 8 days, etc etc and every week volunteer in feeding others as I see reality. RV and others who feel the same I say to you this is about every Mexican who one way or another is affected and the social injustice is heartbreaking. To me this is alarming. Like most expats, I can "afford" the additional costs and stand in line and walk away but Mexicans can not.

So, when one sees this lawlessness where doe it end? And, how can it possibly end when no one who is ethical and / or sane would go into law enforcement or the judicial system. Less than two years ago we seldom ever read such reports except in a couple of border areas. Go to www.borderlandbeat.com where these stories repeat themselves daily throughout much of Mexico.

Edited to add more school shootings:

http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/notas/684339.html

http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/notas/684360.html

[Intercasa]

Just be glad we live in a good area and the majority of the bad stuff doesn't affect us. Many, many Mexicans will need to die for things to change as there are billions of dollars at stake. People won't change overnight and others won't give up their easy riches.

Sometimes ignorance is bliss.

[carcamal]

http://www.borderlandbeat.com/2010/05/army-failed-to-stop-shooting-that.html

And ...

A prison warden in the Mexican state of Morelos was abducted as he reported to work Saturday morning and his dismembered body was found later in four locations in the city of Cuernavaca, the government-run Notimex agency reported. The warden was identified as Luis Navarro Castaneda, director of the Atlacholoaya prison. Written messages were left with the body remains, Notimex said. The news agency did not report what the messages said.

Navarro's abandoned Toyota truck was found near the prison, Notimex said. No arrests had been announced as of Sunday morning.

Every aspect of the life of a Mexican is diminished by the narcos and their activity is in every town and city including extortion,kidnapping, drugs, pirated items. It reflects in the corruption they face daily, the lack of infrastructure with places like Guadalajara only treating 3% of its sewage, by the schools being totally inadequate with teachers having no or false credentials, gasoline prices raised to help cover the cost of the truckloads of stolen oil by the narcos, IMSS and INFONAVIT basically broke, roads in such disrepair cars are ruined prematurely at a huge cost to the owners, billions spent to fight the narcos that could be used to improve the standard of living, loss of hope and resignation are just a few.

So maybe to those in denial none of this is a problem so enjoy the sunshine and forget about the 45,000,000 living in poverty in Mexico and their plight. For me I venture outside the towns and tour back roads often barely passable but able to do so on a motorcycle. I see the effect of the narcos everywhere. I go to villages nearby taking items to help, buying and installing water tanks in avillage with water once every 8 days, etc etc and every week volunteer in feeding others as I see reality. RV and others who feel the same I say to you this is about every Mexican who one way or another is affected and the social injustice is heartbreaking. To me this is alarming. Like most expats, I can "afford" the additional costs and stand in line and walk away but Mexicans can not.

So, when one sees this lawlessness where doe it end? And, how can it possibly end when no one who is ethical and / or sane would go into law enforcement or the judicial system. Less than two years ago we seldom ever read such reports except in a couple of border areas. Go to www.borderlandbeat.com where these stories repeat themselves daily throughout much of Mexico.

The above is just one of at least three cases of prison wardens being murdered in recent days. In Navolato, Sinaloa, the head of a prison was shot more than 100 times, and in the state of Guerrero a warden and prison psychologist were abducted. Acting on information, the police found his vehicle Saturday with the body of what was apparently the psychologist in it. The body of the warden was found at the bottom of a 180-meter air duct of a mine, along with at least 25 other bodies in different states of decomposition, and probably other skeletons. Today a shootout likely linked to this discovery left two women and four men dead in that area.

[Arroyo Grande]

A Mexican friend of ours just returned from a business conference in Ciudad Juarez where she spent 5 days. . . . She was in a Walmart and personally witnessed a group of soldiers clearing shelves and loading up their trucks with free merchandise. The employees just stood by and watched,nothing they could do.

The locals say they prefer the narcos to the troops who have supposedly sent to help them

The sentiments of the "locals" could not be more different in Tamaulipas. The army and marines are all that have kept some communities on the Riberena between Nuevo Laredo and Reynosa from descending into complete anarchy.