Global Crime: Mexican Media Brought to Their Knees by Drug War

Global Crime: Mexican Media Brought to Their Knees by Drug War

The Mexican media primarily its newspapers were left reeling once again, with the murder of a young photographer last week. The 21 year old man worked for El Diario de Juarez, a prominent newspaper in the city of Juarez, Mexico. In reaction to the murder the newspaper printed a featured cover story editorial titled “What do you want from us?” It is now believed there have been some thirty or more Mexican media related murders in the past four years. These killings are directly attributed to the ongoing bloody drug war being waged by the cartels. The ongoing violence directed toward the media in Mexico has just added more to the ever growing culture of fear felt across the country. The cartels have a very simplistic way of dealing with those who oppose them; the police who won’t take bribes are killed as well as the journalists who bring attention to the cartels activities. This has put a serious stigma on the ability for the Mexican media to do their job in an unmitigated manner. The article was a seeming plead for understanding, “We ask you to explain what you want from us, what we should try to publish or not publish, so we know what to expect”. Which in layman’s terms means what can we or can’t we say so that we don’t end up on that murdered journalist list? However the article was in no way a proverbial cry of saying “we yield”, the Mexican media especially those who work for El Diario de Juarez will continue to do their jobs. They are just hoping for a level of understanding with the cartels so they can do their jobs without overtly putting their own lives in danger.

In response to this article I feel like it really is a testament to how truly bleak the situation in Mexico has become in regards to the drug war. There are now over 28,000 people dead as a direct result of the war. The cartels operate with no fear or concern other than rival cartels. Cartel members will murder police, civilians, journalist with just as much disregard as they would a rival cartel member. The ever ascending death toll and heightened violence have statistical projections at truly mind numbing figures. If the violence continues on its upward curve there could be over 70,000 dead by the year 2012. The Mexican government is ever so quickly getting to the brink of losing total control in the country.

-Rob Pantell

source - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-11370310