Ten Years of a Failing War on Drugs, Mexico Marks the Anniversary Without Fanfare Agence France-Presse
go to original December 11, 2016

Mexico violence: 10-year-anniversary of war on drugs (Al Jazeera English)

Ten years after Mexican troops were unleashed against drug cartels, the country will mark the anniversary without fanfare, with murders rising again and the military eager to return to barracks.

President Enrique Peña Nieto, who inherited the drug war when he took office in December 2012, has promised his countrymen and women a “Mexico in peace.”

His government has created a new federal police force and imprisoned or killed several drug kingpins, but Peña Nieto has kept troops on the ground despite allegations of abuses and criticism from human rights groups.

The administration has no events planned to commemorate the controversial deployment that was launched by his predecessor, Felipe Calderon, on December 11, 2006.

Ten days after taking office, Calderon deployed some 5,000 troops to his western home state of Michoacan – the start of a militarized campaign against drug trafficking.

Calderon’s six-year term was marked by a surge in murders, rising from 10,253 in 2007 to a peak of 22,852 in 2011.

The figure dropped in the first two years of Peña Nieto’s presidency, only to rise again in 2015.

Although murders remain well under the worst years of Calderon’s presidency, there were 17,063 homicides in the first 10 months of 2016, already surpassing last year’s 12-month total of 17,034.

Much of the bloodshed is blamed on ultra-violent turf wars between drug gangs.

Read the rest at The Standard

Related: Eliminating Visa Requirements for Mexico Could Lure Drug Cartels to Canada: Ex-DEA Agent (Canoe.com)

Related: Mexico Drug War: Civilian Authorities in Flight, Surrendering Control to the Military (Mexico Voices)

Related: Photos Show Death and Destruction from 10 Years of Mexican Drug War (My San Antonio)

Related: A Look at Notable Dates in Mexico's Decade-Old Drug War (Associated Press)

Related: Secretary of Defense Voices Justified Discontent of Mexico's Military (Mexico Voices)

Related: Mexico's Drug War Marks a Decade Amid Doubts, Changes (Associated Press)

Related: Advocates Fear Rekindling of 'War on Drugs' Under Trump (Salem News)

We invite you to add your charity or supporting organizations' news stories and coming events to PVAngels so we can share them with the world. Do it now!