October 31st, 2009
Vigilante justice spreads across Mexico
Amid a drug war that has left thousands dead, rates of anti-social crimes such as kidnapping and carjacking have risen to become among the worst in the world. At the same time, conviction rates for these relatively minor crimes are as low as 5 percent.
Many readers of newspapers have also written in to commend shadowy vigilante groups that have publicly announced their appearance in crime-plagued communities.
One such group called the Popular Anti-Drugs Army materialized among farming towns in the southern state of Guerrero.
Displaying blankets with written messages on bridges and buildings, the group claimed to be made up of family men who had come together to force drug dealers off the street.
“We invite the people to join our struggle and defend our children who are the future of Mexico,” it said on one of the blankets.
The group has been linked to several killings, including the decapitation of an alleged drug dealer in December.
Defending yourself and your property is one thing. Going out to look for trouble is another.
But who knows how I’d feel if I had to put up with what’s going on down there?
October 31st, 2009 at 1:28 pm
People demand justice.
If the State refuses to provide it, people will make their own.
October 31st, 2009 at 2:22 pm
Amen to what #1 said. You should remember. We live in a nation of some laws. Occasionaly even the poor can prevail if the legal system doesn’t out dollar them. In Mexico, it IS the rule of the jungle. And the poor are unarmed. And there are no police. And the military doesn’t give a shit and they are undermanned. The narcos operate with impunity. So in that situation, a good offense IS the only defense. If you wait around for them to show up on your door, it’s too late. So, no nice-nice “reading your rights”. No years long appeals. It’s a bullet in the head or a machete.
October 31st, 2009 at 5:20 pm
To be clear, I’m not arguing against what you guys are saying. Mexico has more in common with Afghanistan right now than with America.
Of course, if we shared a border with Afghanistan, we’d be securing it.
October 31st, 2009 at 6:15 pm
Totally off-topic, but could I talk you into putting your full feeds back up?
October 31st, 2009 at 10:05 pm
I look at it more as an insurgency. The people are the sea that the narco jerks are swimming in. It’s hard for law enforcement and the military to do all the work, especially with the corruption and lack of trust in government and police there. If I were Calderon, I would start doing like the Marines in Anbar and semi formalize these groups. Make the sea the bad guys live in a little shallower and a lot hotter. If the people have the courage to take these guys on, which takes a lot of balls by the way, help them to help you. The enemy of my enemy is my friend.
It would be one thing if the Government had a handle on the violence down there. Then vigilante justice would just get in the way and make things worse. But they are way way past that.
November 2nd, 2009 at 10:54 am
Nadnerbus: One big difference between Anbar and and northern Mexico is that Mexican’s are defenseless. The Mexican government is basically philosophically followers of Trotsky, so after the last revolution they disarmed the population (to preclude another revolution). It is a high crime to have any firearm in Mexico. However the new Mexican Government is taking this war very seriously. The military and federal police are swarming all over the northern Mexican towns. I’ve seen them and they don’t look to friendly and nobody goes near them. I have talked with some people that live there and you are right about one thing. The do NOT trust the federal police or the military any more then they trust the drug lords. “At least the drug lords live here.” I’m not sure about the social impact of this but the drug lords usually leave the head of their victim in a styro-foam cooler so that the family has something to identify and bury. However when the cops/military take someone you never see them again. Yes most of the time I would not shed a tear for the guys they dispose of but they can make mistakes and they have very little oversight. So in order for Calderon to implement your very good idea, he would need to arm the citizens. That is NOT going to happen as long as the government fears the citizens… therefore it will never happen.
I really respect anyone that chooses not to be a victim against huge odds and without a gun or any other protection. I will pray for them. I know what they are up against, what they risk and what they are trying to save.