Ex-candidate's disappearance rattles Mexico

A recent kidnapping in Mexico has sparked a new rise in fear that everyone can now be a potential target for a kidnapping. Diego Fernandez de Cevallos, a former Mexican presidential candidate, was reported missing over the weekend and his car was found with some evidence of violence but there is still no significant proof that he was actually kidnapped. Although attorneys and politicians have been targeted before the authorities are not sure if the cartels were involved this time. Any sign that they were involved would mean an increase in the escalation in the current bloody conflict between the drug cartels and the government that has already claimed over 22,000 lives since Felipe Calderon began a crackdown in 2006. It is true that kidnappers often target the wealthy, but they usually never target such high ranking politicians which is confusing to the authorities who are currently searching for any leads that would discover what happened to the attorney.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gROHho-DT5F_5FmMC7Bj71UI73yAD9FO6AP81

Mexico's Calderón tells Congress he Needs U.S. Help in Fighting Drug Wars

Mexican President Felipe Calderón, speaking to a joint session of Congress Thursday, pleaded for more help in limiting the flow of weapons to Mexico, saying they were contributing to the devastating drug violence in his country. There have been over 20,000 deaths in Mexico because of drug violence, and the President it seeking help in order to make it better.
Calderon said that Mexico needs more U.S. assistance in stopping the flow of weapons and other deadly arms across the border. The Obama administration has built up a good reputation in Mexico by publicly acknowledging the role of the guns from the U.S. and drug consumption are fueling the drug wars. President Obama has ordered more increased searches of Mexico-bound trains in order to crack down on the illegal weapons.
"The answers to Mexico's drug and violence problems do not lie in stripping away the rights of law-abiding Americans on this side of the border," Andrew Arulanandam said, spokesman for the National Rifle Association. Calderon also said the immigration reform backed by Obama, would create a path to citizenship for many illegal immigrants, was "crucial to securing our common border."
This information is extremely disappointing and uplifting at the same time. It is so tragic that Mexico has had to deal with this for all these years, and how there have been so many tragic deaths due to these drug cartels. However, if the U.S. plans to help Mexico with border and trade control, hopefully this problem will start to diminish.

Mexico may cut millions of cellphones to fight crime

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6375DT20100409

In an effort to cut crime the Mexican government has decided to disconnect millions of cellphones that remain unregistered. Mexican citizens were told through government advertisements that they had to register their phones to match to their identities. Although millions of people have not registered and the government is not increasing the deadline Mexican mobile phone companies are trying to convince law makers to increase the deadline so that more people can have the opportunity to register their phones. Some people claim that criminals can simply register their phone with another persons identity but telecommunications worker, Hector Osuna, said in a radio interview that authorities will be checking the legitimacy of the identity registered with the phone.

Town near epicenter of Mexico earthquake still in short supply of water, electricity

http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90001/90777/90852/6943498.html

Water and electricity are still in short supply in this Mexican town two days after a 7.2-magnitude earthquake rocked Baja California state on the U.S. border. The town, with a population of 100,000 and located 3 km south of Mexicali, epicenter of Sunday's earthquake, has endured two days without water. Electricity supply was also halved. Local residents fear the shortage will last longer. The earthquake struck Sunday, killing four people, injuring some 250 and affecting more than 5,000 families. This earthquake did not come at a good time for Mexico, because they are still fighting the war with the drug cartels, and having to deal with famine and thirst is going to be difficult.

Mexico drug hitmen terrorize towns on U.S. border

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE62O5JZ20100325

In the latest flare-up of border drug violence, masked, heavily-armed men are torching homes, firing on shops and businesses and have killed at least three local politicians in a cluster of towns near the deadly drug war city of Ciudad Juarez, across from El Paso, Texas. Residents in the cotton and alfalfa-growing town of El Porvenir say dozens of people have been killed this year. President Felipe Calderon has staked his political future on reining in the drug killings that worry investors, tourists and Washington. He has sent 8,000 soldiers and federal police to the Ciudad Juarez area alone to try to defeat the cartels.
The U.S. government is spending hundreds of millions of dollars to train Mexican police and provide helicopters and drug-spotting equipment, but a poll this week in Milenio newspaper showed a majority of Mexicans believe the cartels, not the army, are winning the drug war.

FBI: No evidence Mexico hit men targeted Americans

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gMi5B2USfJStXxfqgWWr2xjRYpOgD9EG2ER00

According to the FBI the recent attack against U.S. Consulate employees in Ciudad Juarez may have been the wrong targets for the hit men. Three adults were killed and at least two children were wounded. According to an investigation the assailants were ordered to attack a white SUV leaving a party and may have accidentally gone to the wrong party. The FBI is still investigating the victims background but experts believe that it would not be in the interests of the drug cartels to begin targeting American employees because then both nations would begin greater intervention in the drug trade affairs. President Felipe Calderon is asking that "both counties keep collaborating to defeat these organizations." The citizens on the other hand are asking the Mexican president to do more for the city than just asking the U.S. for support. Ciudad Juarez is currently the most violent city in the world.

Shell, Nexen Make Oil Discovery in Gulf of Mexico

Royal Dutch Shell Pic and Nexen Inc. made an important oil discovery in the gulf of Mexico, which could produce much more oil. There have been some major technological advances which have opened up access to deeper water deposits in the Gulf of Mexico. The region may hold 3 billion barrels of crude oil and gas. Shell is currently in the commissioning stage. This is good news for Mexico, as it would cause more exports with other countries, especially with the U.S. This trade would strengthen the NAFTA ties, and hopefully help Mexico's economy.

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-03-19/shell-nexen-make-oil-discovery-in-gulf-of-mexico-update2-.html

Mexican drug lords face 'existential threat,' US says

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5ipNmypRk9Yae0SIvneCq1QJWHORA

The powerful Mexican drug cartels are finally facing a true governmental threat due to nation wide government actions. Since taking office Mexico's president, Felipe Calderon, has deployed tens of thousands of troops in areas where the drug cartels have been extremely active. There has been a price to this because approximately 15,000 people have died since 2006. Drug cartels fight over territory and routes that they can use to smuggle drugs into the U.S. Although there has been some progress, it is not the promised progress that people want so that they can be safe and not have to worry whether they will get to live another day. It is also the responsibility of other countries to try to reduce their drug consumption and growth so that eventually cartels like the ones in Mexico will not be so much of a threat.

Mob action in Mexico City concerns interior secretary

http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/02/24/mexico.mob/index.html

A recent mob action left several citizens and police officers injured. An angry mob in the neighborhood of San Pedro Atocpan in Mexico City clashed with police and left at least 62 officers injured. The injuries resulted when several police officers tried to rescue three of their colleagues from the mob that had surrounded them. The officers were responding to a report that several suspects were forcibly taking a person inside a home and that shouting could be heard from inside. While in the process of detaining two people the mob surrounded the officers and attempted to lynch them. Reinforcements arrived but were unable to break up the crowd. An official investigation has begun to discover why the officers were targeted. Government officials have stated that they want to establish a peaceful relationship between police officers and citizens.

Nicholas Sarkozy fights to free Florence 'the monster’ Cassez from Mexican jail

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/article7026362.ece

A French woman named Florence Cassez has been jailed for life in Mexico for being accused of belonging to a kidnap gang called the Zodiacs. This incident has filled her fellow Frenchmen with indignation and has made the relationship tense between the two countries. Cassez has been in prison since 2005 writes in a book of her despair at the thought of spending the rest of her life in prison. President Nicolas Sarkozy believes she has committed no crime and has said that the Mexican authorities are "making fun of us." Sarkozy has written letters so President Felipe Calderon, which seemed to have hardened Mexico against them. It seems as if tensions are high between these countries, and this is definitely not a good thing in the long run.

Pirated Goods Pose Huge Problems In Mexico

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=123769365&ft=1&f=1001

Mexico's multi billion-dollar pirated goods market is a large problem. Government tax revenues and foreign investment are economically hurt by the loss of money from pirated goods and those funds then help organized crime. According to law enforcement officials the black market in Mexico is dominated by the drug cartels. A study conducted by the American Chamber of Commerce in Mexico, that represents U.S. business interest in Mexico, suggests that Mexicans by about $75 billion worth of pirated DVDs, CDs, clothing, computer software, food, whiskey, and other items. This amount far exceeds the amount of revenue generated by Mexico's largest source of revenue which is petroleum which only generates about $25 billion a year. Most Mexican consumers seem to be aware of the problem, but they don't stop buying pirated goods. Mexico could really use all that money which is being stolen from the governments revenue and instead being used to further strengthen the power of organized crime. This is not only an economic problem, but also a social one.

Mexican Politicians call for Drastic Measures after Mass Killings

Mexico has seen their fair share of violence over the years but nothing as bad as the past couple of months. Drug cartels have taken charge and will fight and kill anything that gets in their way, whether it be priests or politicians. Well policy makers are getting sick of it and have decided that action needs to be taken. The only problem is that action being taken will put their life at risk. The most recent proposed policy is about putting a curfew on Ciudad Juarez which is the center of the violence. How much this will help or will this even pass? We will have to wait and see.

http://www.mexidata.info/id2550.html

Mexico Flooding Kills At Least 33

http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/02/08/mexico.flooding/index.html

Mexico, like Santa Barbara, has been experiencing much rain. The rain in Mexico has been so heavy that there has been flooding, killing at least 33 people and leaving thousands homeless. In Mexico's Michoacan state alone, the flooding killed at least 22 people and left more than 3,500 homeles. Mudslides have also been the cause of deaths, such as one that occurred in the small town of Temascaltepec. This rain is very uncharacteristic of Mexico, and it has been reported that up to 35,000 people could be affected. Many schools have been closed due to flooding, and there is no doubt that sickness will be easily spread as well.
These seem to be very dark times for Mexico. It is amazing to me that Santa Barbara had a lot of rain, but nothing to this factor happened here. People in Mexico must think that we are so lucky, and I wish that we could understand that more. Hopefully the rain will stop soon, and there will not be any more deaths.

For Mexico's journalists, story assignment can be a date with death

http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/02/04/mexico.journalists.violence/index.html

So far, this year three Mexican journalists have been killed. Journalists now have to think twice before writing their stories. The drug violence has generated fear among journalists even if they won't admit it. Journalists are targeted when they report on the criminal activities of the drug cartels. They know what they are getting into when they choose to report. Self-censorship has been adopted by many media outlets in Mexico as a way to protect themselves. There are times when cartels pressure the media to report or not report on certain incidents.

7 suspects, 1 policeman die in Mexico shootout

A shootout that began in a shopping center and that spilled into the highway caused the death of seven drug cartel gunmen and one federal police officer. Two kidnapped victims were also freed during the shootout. The police acted on a report of a kidnapping in the city of Torreon where they met gunfire. The main part of the shootout took place on the highway. According to the authorities members of the Zetas drug gang were involved. They have recently spread from drug trafficking to kidnapping and extortion. This particular drug gang has been involved in some of the bloodiest confrontations in the last three years.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100202/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/lt_drug_war_mexico_15

Japan To Help With Security in Mexico

http://thenews.com.mx/articulo/japan-to-help-with-security-in-mexico-1022
Japan is able to help Mexico's security by providing training for public security officials. The Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama awarded Mexican president Felipe Calderon Hinojosa for his work in helping the Mexican political system to get better. The prime minister also said how willing he was to work with Mexico in this particular topic. Both nations are willing to work together on issues such as climate change, disarment, and the earthquake disaster in Haiti. I think that it is very important for other countries of the world to interact with each other and to try to make the world a better place. Japan is in a better state than Mexico, and it is admirable how the governments of both of these countries are able to get along and get things done.

Gunmen in Mexico Kill 16 in Attack on a Teenagers’ Party

The city of Juarez has had yet another mass murder. Seven SUVs pulled up in front of a teenager's house during his birthday party. Masked gunmen ran out of SUVs and into the building opening fire on the teenagers. It is suspected that many of these "innocent" teenagers were members of a gang that had been selling drugs to the United States.
Juarez city has had more than its far share of murders recently. This city has had roughly 2,000 drug-related murders within the past year. Juarez's proximity to Texas makes it an ideal location to store drugs for shipment to the United States; this makes Juarez home to many drug cartels. The intense competition for turf in Juarez undoubtedly played a key part in the violence last weekend.


www.nytime.com/2010/02/02/world/americas/02juarez.html

Drug war has some seeking U.S. asylum

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2010/01/24/Drug-war-has-some-seeking-US-asylum/UPI-51621264383090/
The vicious drug war in Mexico has caused a dramatic increase in the number of Mexicans seeking asylum in the United States. Only certain applicants are approve because they must show that they belong to a political, religious, ethnic, national, or social group being persecuted by forces that the government can not control. Usually this means people are fleeing from dictatorships, civil wars, or communist regimes. Mexican citizens looking for asylum in the U.S. must convince authorities that the government can not control the drug cartels and that they are in danger because either they or their families have political involvement against the cartels. Since 2006 when Felipe Calderon took office more than 15,000 people have died in the growing violence. Experts believe that if more asylum seekers are successful in coming to the U.S. then asylum laws will be weakened.

House Hunting in ... Mexico

http://travel.nytimes.com/2010/01/24/travel/24hours.html?scp=2&sq=mexico&st=cse
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/06/greathomesanddestinations/06gh-househunting.html?scp=6&sq=mexico&st=cse
After the recent world-wide recession, NAFTA, swine flu, and an increase in drug related violence, the Mexican economy has taken serious damage. In an effort to regain its old financial vigor, Mexican hotels have slashed prices by up to 65%, the Mexican government is letting tourist barrow free bikes and helmets in large cities, and some of the largest art galleries have been buying new art. Despite a decline in crime of about 10%-15% in recent years, the housing market in Mexico is still having trouble. A Northern Mexico house with three rooms, three baths, six fireplaces, and the beach bordering one of its sides is going for only $895,000. Now, more than ever, is the time to visit Mexico and/or buy a house.

Prison gang brawl leads to death of 23 inmates

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article6996103.ece

23 men were killed in a prison gang brawl in Durango, Mexico. The reason for the brawl is not indicated nor known, but the brawl was between rival drug gangs. President of the Durango State Human Rights Commission said that the fighting was "the result of what's happening outside of the prisons."It is so unfortunate that there are events such as this happening in Mexico. The violence is starting to get out of hand, and it is especially scary that this event occurred in a prison, where it is supposed to be secure. However, this may be a precedent to what could happen when the men from Guantanamo Bay are moved to the United States.

Striker Shot In Head

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/article7002632.ece

Salvador Cabañas, the Paraguay striker, is in a critical condition after being shot in the head in Mexico City yesterday. The 29-year-old, who plays for Club América and recently attracted interest from Sunderland, was taken to a hospital intensive care unit. Miguel Ángel Mancera, the Mexico City attorney general, said: “We don’t clearly know the motive behind the injury. The player is conscious but he has a heart problem. It seems that the attack happened in the bathroom of a bar.”