Mexican Drug War Mexico Is Thesis

Drug gangs also target priests across the country who preach against them. More than 1000 priests across the nation are threatened by the drug mafia. As Garcia, one of the priests in the village of Jacume Yards, which borders the U.S. says, "They don't like it that we preach and criticize them. They threatened to burn me and my family alive," [Lizbeth Diaz]

Mexico -- U.S. (a coordinated Approach)

The huge demand for drugs within the U.S. And the easy supply of Arms are two of the important factors that drive the drug cartels in Mexico. This implies that only a coordinated approach involving the active participation of both the governments would be effective in controlling the drug cartels and drug related crimes. President Calderon and former President George W. Bush worked out the 'Merida initiative' which was passed in the U.S. congress in 2008. As per the Merida initiative the U.S. Government agreed to a $1.5 billion assitance plan for Mexico over a three-year period. Part of the annual $500 Million allocation would be used to purchase helicopters and aircraft surveilance systems while the rest would be used to train the police force and to improve the law enforcement infrastructure. [Stephanie Hanson] These measures would certainly aid mexico in its tough battle against the Drug cartels.

Conclusion

Mexico is waging a hard battle against the drug cartels. Armed with the economic power and firepower the drug cartels are posing a huge challenge to the Mexican government. Corruption and intimidation of the police force and the government agencies have led to an unchecked growth of the drug organizations that have now developed into a multi-billion-dollar industry. Drug related violence is averaging 20 deaths per day, which has resulted in a death toll, which has far exceeded American causalities in the Iraq war. The increasing number of abductions, sexual assaults, human trafficking have created civilian unrest and panic. Addressing the drug problem would necessitate understanding the root of the problem. Controlling and checking the demand for drugs in the U.S. And plugging the loopholes in the laws that allow the sale of ARMS along the border states are important and indispensable measures.There is every hope that the positive initiatives undertaken by the Mexican president, the anti-corruption task force and the military intervention will help crack down the drug mafias. It is also imperative upon the U.S. government to play an active and cooperative approach to tackle the problem in neighboring Mexico as if unchecked it would have severe repercussions for our country as well. It is in the interests of the U.S. government that Mexico remains a stable and flourishing democracy. This shared responsibility is the key to Mexico's success in its battle against the Drug Cartels.

Bibliography

1) Bernd Debussman, 'Latin America: Mexico Drug War Update', Accessed Oct 27th 2009, Available Online at, http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/604/mexico_drug_war_update

2) Stephanie Hanson, 'Mexico's Drug War', Accessed Oct 27th 2009, Available Online at, http://www.cfr.org/publication/13689/

3) Colleen W. Cook, 'CRS Report for Congress: Mexico's Drug Cartels', Accessed Oct 27th 2009, Available Online at, http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/row/RL34215.pdf

4) Andrew D. Selee, 'Strengthening U.S.-Mexico Cooperation against Drug

Trafficking: What Can State Attorneys General Do?, Accessed 28th Oct 2009,

Available online at, http://www.wilsoncenter.org/news/docs/Selee.NAAG%20Presentation.pdf

5) Manuel Roig-Franzia, 'U.S. Guns Behind Cartel Killings in Mexico', Accessed 28th Oct 2009, Available online at, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/28/AR2007102801654.html

6) Ken Ellingwood, 'Mexico Traffickers Bribed Former Anti-Drug Chief, officials say',

Accessed 28th Oct 2009, Available online at, http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/latinamerica/la-fg-bribe22 -2008nov22,0,5384359.story

7) Lizbeth Diaz, 'Mexican Gangs Target Outspoken Priests in their Drug War',

Accessed 28th Oct 2009, Available online at, http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSN01504838

8) Martha Neil, 'Are Criminals Winning the Mexican Drug war?',

Accessed 28th Oct 2009, Available online at, http://www.abajournal.com/news/are_criminals_winning_the_mexican_drug_war/

9) Tom Stilson, 'A Brewing Storm: Mexican Drug Cartels and the Growing Violence on our Border', Stanford Review, Accessed 28th Oct 2009, Available online at, http://stanfordreview.org/article/brewing-storm-mexican-drug-cartels-and-growing-vio.....