Spring Break
Combating Mexican drug violence requires effort from both sides of the border
Aaron Igdalsky
Issue date: 3/17/09 Section: Commentary
As UConn students return from their fun in the sun, and tens of thousands of other college students from across the country make their way south on spring break, there has been a growing amount of coverage here in the U.S. about the rapidly escalating violence in Mexico. Hardly an evening newscast goes by without a report about a bloodbath shootout between Mexican authorities and drug cartels in towns and cities mere miles from the U.S. border. Some colleges and universities have even made official statements advising their students against traveling to Mexico due to the deteriorating situation there. Much of this increased coverage is the result of the growing concern that it is only a matter of time before the violence in Mexico makes its way over the border into the United States.
This escalation in violence has been brewing for years: ever since Mexican President Felipe Calderón assumed power from Vicente Fox back in December of 2006, Calderón has waged an aggressive war on the all-mighty drug cartels that had been the de-facto rulers of Mexico for decades. By taking the cartels head-on and working to weed out the deeply rooted corruption in his country, President Calderón has made admirable progress in his anti-narcotic efforts.
Such progress has come at a very high price, however: the drug cartels have fought back with ruthless violence. Thousands have been slaughtered, many of them innocent women and children caught in the crossfire of the heartless cartels. Cities and towns have been terrorized by the brutal violence. President Calderón is attempting to destroy the cartels' extremely lucrative trade, and cartel bosses are not going to surrender easily.
With 90 percent of the cocaine in the United States passing through Mexico on its journey here (not to mention marijuana and heroin), the sheer volume of the drugs and drug traffickers makes President Calderón's goal nearly impossible to achieve. Corrupt officials on both sides of the border are making the war on the cartels even more difficult.
This escalation in violence has been brewing for years: ever since Mexican President Felipe Calderón assumed power from Vicente Fox back in December of 2006, Calderón has waged an aggressive war on the all-mighty drug cartels that had been the de-facto rulers of Mexico for decades. By taking the cartels head-on and working to weed out the deeply rooted corruption in his country, President Calderón has made admirable progress in his anti-narcotic efforts.
Such progress has come at a very high price, however: the drug cartels have fought back with ruthless violence. Thousands have been slaughtered, many of them innocent women and children caught in the crossfire of the heartless cartels. Cities and towns have been terrorized by the brutal violence. President Calderón is attempting to destroy the cartels' extremely lucrative trade, and cartel bosses are not going to surrender easily.
With 90 percent of the cocaine in the United States passing through Mexico on its journey here (not to mention marijuana and heroin), the sheer volume of the drugs and drug traffickers makes President Calderón's goal nearly impossible to achieve. Corrupt officials on both sides of the border are making the war on the cartels even more difficult.
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