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.

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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.