Mexico's Massacre

On Sunday October 24, 2010, four armed men burst into a drug rehabilitation center in Tijuana, Mexico killing thirteen people. A survivor said that the gunmen came in and told everyone to lie down on the floor and started shooting them, with the majority of the victims being high school students. The motives for these attacks are not known but in the past attacks on rehab centers were the cartels targeting rival gang members in rehab. This is the first attack of its kind in Tijuana although it is more common in Juarez where several of these attacks have taken place.

This happened during a relatively quiet period where the city has seen little drug and gang violence in the past few months and has even been called a success story by President Felipe Calderon. The murder rate has steadily gone down since its climax in 2008, but these recent praises of Tijuana have seemingly encouraged the cartels and gangs. Almost to undermine Calderon, violence has spiked in the past two weeks with beheadings, bodies hanging from bridges, and other random acts of violence.

This is the second mass murder of the weekend. On Friday night gunmen attacked the birthday party of a 15-year-old boy killing 14 in Juarez. Around 50 people gathered, at two separate houses, for the teenager’s birthday with the majority of the victims being high school students. Police have not found out who is responsible for the attacks or a motive.

Mexico's Corruption

Since 2006 over 28,000 people have died in Mexico due to drug violence. Corruption is a huge concern in Mexico where so many people have died due to that drug violence. Recently Mexico fired 3200 police officers, ferderalies, and other law enforcement personnel due to corruption and other offences and over 450 are being charged. Now more corruption charges are emerging but this time against Mexican congressman Cesar Godoy.

Recently a Mexican radio show aired tape of Godoy and Servando Gomez, who is the leader of the “La Familia” cartel, engaging in a conversation. The station did not say how they got the tape but they did say that it was recorded more than a year ago in an ongoing investigation into Godoy’s ties with the cartels. Godoy is already in trouble for helping cartels in his state. Unfortunately because of his lawmaker status he is immune to the law, but because of this new evidence, that could change. Godoy also represents the state of Michoacán.

During the conversation, which was rather long, items discussed were the upcoming election, where Gomez told Godoy that he had total support and that he will win. They also talked about a journalist who was troublesome and talked about possible informants.

When asked about the conversation Godoy said that it was part of a smear campaign, that no one could prove that it was his voice, and denied that it was even him. He also said "It all has to do with a political persecution against me,"

The Truth at Falcon Lake

The Truth at Falcon Lake, Marshall Serzen

 On September 30 David and Tiffany Hartley were riding jet skis on Falcon Lake, which is located on the US border with Mexico, when several boats full of armed men drove up and started shooting at the American couple striking David in the back of the head. Initially it looked like another Cartel attack on an innocent couple. Now Mrs. Hartley is the prime suspect. Her account of that day, and the fact that there is no evidence doesn’t help her case.

Hartley’s story is a little confusing. Hartley’s story has changed and it appears she is loving the media attention. First she said there were several boats then she said only three. She gave coordinates of where the events happened but no evidence has been discovered. US law enforcement cannot do anything because the couple was on the Texas side of the lake but she hasn’t contacted Mexican law enforcement that can do something about it. She said that the pirates took the body and the jet ski, which doesn’t seem likely. Another odd part of the story is how these pirates were able to shoot David in the head while bobbing and flying around on a jet ski but were unable to even hit put a scratch on Tiffany’s machine. Overall tiffany’s story doesn’t add up.

Recently Mexico has named two suspects but David’s family doesn’t think anything is really being done or anyone will be arrested. Searches have been called off because of attacks by the Zeta cartel who is thought to be responsible for the attacks. Recently video evidence that confirmed the early part of the couple’s morning before the attack was released adding some validity to Mrs. Hartley story.

Mexico's Lawsuit

The hardest thing about reporting on Mexico is trying to find good news and once again I failed to do so. This has been a week when tourists have been killed and kidnapped. Also, there have been exploding grenades, more Mexican officials being shot dead, and BP is being sued by three costal Mexican states for environmental damage to its coastline.

Veracruz, Quintana Roo, and Tamaulipas have filed suit against BP for financial damages and losses. Oil is predicted to reach the shores of the Yucatan Peninsula, with the help of wind and currents, by October or early November. These three costal states rely on the tourist industry as a major source of income. Both Cancun and Cozumel are located on the Yucatan peninsula. With oil tainting these pristine beaches, the industry is expected to take a big hit financially.  Also the effect of oil on the fishing industry is still unknown be expected to cripple the Mexican industry.

This is the first foreign lawsuit to be held in a US court. These states are also suing Transocean Ltd., and the contractors Halliburton Co. and Cameron International Corp. Attorney Enrique Serna is representing the three Mexican states for the lawsuit. Mexico has already begun preparation for the arrival of the oil, with mock clean-up drills and stockpiling supplies. Serna has claimed that the states will ask for compensation for the cleanup cost when the oil arrives, the losses for hotel cancelations during busy winter hours and finally for Quintana Roo’s water supply, which is partially desalinated ocean water.

Press Freedom

Freedom of press has always been an issue worldwide. It is usually an issue in 3rd world countries or countries with oppressive governments, military. Some of these countries are Russia, China, Cambodia, South Africa, and most recently Mexico. Recently the main newspaper is Cuildad Juarez has written an editorial to the drug Cartels asking them what they want, what they want them to publish or not publish to keep their journalists safe.
Most of the time freedom of press is limited by the government. In Mexico it is the drug cartels. Various newspapers have called it “narco-censorship”. Since the drug war “officially” started in 2006 over 30 journalists have been killed with many cases going unsolved and bodies never being recovered, making it one of the most dangerous countries in the world for journalists. Many stories about the cartels, murders and mass graves go unreported out of fear for journalist’s lives. The real issues are not being reported to the countries people and the rest of the world.
On September 22, 2010, President Felipe Calderon, realizing the grave issues going on in his country, vowed to push for legislation to make attacks on journalists, free expression, and reporters a federal crime. “We categorically reject any attack against journalists because this is an assault against democratic society," Calderon said. "It pains me that Mexico is seen as one of the most dangerous places for the profession."

Bicentennial Mexico

In a week marked by the murder of a journalist, media pleas to end violence, floods, and a hurricane, celebrations were underway for the 200-year anniversary of independence, which was gained on September 16, 1810. The parades were described as a mix between a World Cup celebration and the Olympics combined. Included in the celebration was the unveiling of a 104-yard tall arch made of steel and covered in quartz that will be on a main street in Mexico City. There was also the unveiling of a 245-acre park in Guadalajara.
As the drug trade and violence gets worse along our border, the main newspaper in Ciudad Juarez has called for a truce with the cartels as one of it reporters, Luis Carlos Santiago Orozco, was murdered. The “El Diario” asked the cartels what they want them to publish or not publish to keep their employees safe. In 2010 alone over 2,000 people have been killed in Juarez leading the newspaper the say that the cartels are the “de facto authority” in northern Mexico. The newspaper has given up its right to free speech out of fear of the drug cartels. With over 4,200 police and military personnel in Juarez one would think that things would be getting safer, but they are not.
The hurricane Karl death toll is now up to 16 as schools have closed due to massive flooding and mudslides in southern Mexico. Most of the flooding has been in the Veracruz state where there had already been flooding in past weeks. Looting has also broken out around the state.

Mexico's Dilemma

Drug trafficking has always been a concern to the Mexican and American people. In recent years it has become more than just a concern, it has become an issue. Checkpoints set up to protect the Mexican people are now being used by corrupt police and military officials to make a profit. Drug cartels are posing as military personnel and extorting people for their money or their lives. The Mexican people have an extremely hard decision on their hands: drive through their own country to earn a living and run the risk of becoming another body discovered in a mass grave, or stay home in a somewhat safer place.
Traveling throughout Northern Mexico has become a huge risk. On Monday September 6, 2010, soldiers fired at a car passing through a checkpoint killing 2 people, including a fifteen-year-old boy. This is not the first time this has happened this year. According to some sources, the car drove through the checkpoint without stopping, but survivors in the car claim they had stopped and were just driving off when the soldiers opened fire. This is the dilemma the people of Mexico have to face when driving virtually anywhere in Northern Mexico.
On a weekly basis we hear stories of mass graves being dug up along the U.S. border, police shootouts with the drug cartels and violence being inflicted among innocent people. Behind this violence is one of the most notorious drug lords, Edgar Valdez Villarreal (also know as “El Barbie”). He was captured near Mexico City in late August. There was another cartel leader captured along with Edgar Valdez Villarreal. They both did something uncharacteristic of cartel leaders; they surrendered.