Déjà Vu

Déjà vu

Anyone who remembers the violence that hit Colombia during the 1970s under the spell of narcotics and drug lords may feel a sense of déjà vu when looking at Mexico today. Many of the scenes of bombings, paid killings (sicariato), policemen and other law enforcers assassinated by the dozen at the time when Pablo Escobar Gaviria was building his empire are increasingly becoming a common part of Mexico’s scenery. Many people associate Colombia’s violence and terrorist actions with FARC, but few care to remember that the spiral of violence that brought the FARC and other guerrillas like ELN to the forefront was to an important extent the result of the drug war. The guerrilla groups as we know them today, as well as the list of violent activities they are known for (kidnappings, terrorist attacks, paid killings, assassination of judges, politicians, and other public figures) were the direct result of increasing levels of confrontation between the drug lords (the infamous drug cartels of Medellín and Cali) with the entire judicial and political system. When the main drug cartels disappeared and their direct political stakes were buried, they set the scene for others to join in.

Today Mexico is still far from attaining the levels of violence that characterized Colombia in those dark times (has it had a bright time in the last 60 years?). One cannot even speak of a spiral of violence there, but certain growing signs indicate that violence is starting to go out of control. One is the increasing level of typical drug war crimes. Recently an independent organization reported that Mexico tops the world in kidnappings, with level higher than in Iraq (BBC Mundo, August 15, 2008). Another is the perception that the police and other law enforcement organizations (including part of the judicial system) have fallen prey to the influence of the drug cartels. A third has to do with how the drug business (at least the marketing of the coca industry, last end of the industry) has migrated from Colombia and other places to be located closer to the main consumption market in the US. Finally, the haphazard and rather weak actions from the government and low enforcement agencies leads the candid observer to think that those currently in power in Mexico (including both the governing party and the two main opposition parties) don’t seem to notice that thus far they are loosing the war; worse, they don’t seem to anticipate what awaits the country if a comprehensive strategy is not urgently designed and implemented.

Ask Colombians for help, please!