Mexico

Drugs Are Just The Tip Of The Iceberg

In an earlier post, I examined some of the cartel diversification (not all of it was new by any means) that would sharply limit attempts to combat the cartels by way of marijuana legalization. Here, we’re going to narrow the focus to a few players and incidents, as an illustration of just how complicated the […]

Is Legal Pot Crippling the Cartels?

Several media outlets have recently run articles about the impact the legalization of marijuana has been having on the Mexican cartels. Most (such as those from VICE or DailyKos) have been crowing that the legalization of pot is “crippling” the cartels. But is this a realistic view? Let’s take a look. Marijuana is legal in Alaska, […]

Mexico’s Missing 43: Catalyst For Reform, or Political Shell Game?

In September, 43 “Normalistas,” students studying to be teachers, in Iguala, Guerrero State, Mexico disappeared. They are now presumed to have been murdered. They were kidnapped by municipal police and handed over to “Guerreros Unidos,” the local organized-crime executioners. The response to these kidnappings and presumed murders has been widespread protests in Mexico City and […]

Autodefensas Reach Agreement With Mexican Government

In February 2013, in the villages of Cheran and Tierra Caliente in Michoacan, two separate self-defense militias began pushing back against the Knights Templar Cartel.  All signs point to the two autodefensas, or communitarios, arising entirely separately from each other, and in fact, they have followed two very different models. Cheran is a majority-indigenous town, […]

The Other Dirty War: Danzon

No conoces a Mexico. No la conoces como yo. No lo conoces porque eres supuesto Americano. En realidad, ambos somos. Pero tu distingues. Soy el original. Tu eres la copia. Introduction to the Introduction You don’t know Mexico. You know Tex Mex. You know illegal immigrants. You might know Cantinflas. You see Mexico from a […]