by Kristin Bricker
The Mexican government has officially classified the disappearance as a kidnapping De Cevallos. However, the fact that his car was found left on his ranch with traces of blood and signs of struggle, has taken his family to appeal to the "captors" to make contact to negotiate his release. At the time of writing, it is unknown whether de Cevallos is alive or dead.
The crime itself is not surprising, kidnappings in Mexico are very common. De Cevallos is not the first politician to be a victim of violent crime, several local politicians have been corned or attacked in recent weeks as the country prepares for elections. What separates this crime from others is the fact that the victim is one of the most powerful men in Mexico.
De Ceballos, a member of the National Action Party (PAN) is one of the main leaders of El Yunque, an ultraconservative Catholic secret organization that apparently took control of the PAN in 1970 and continues to direct its political agenda. PAN presidential candidate in 1994 and has served for four terms in Congress as a Senator and a three in the House of Representatives. His colleagues and students in key positions in the cabinet of President Felipe Calderón and the Supreme Court. The law firm of Cevallos was instrumental in blocking the recount so thick of the presidential elections of 2006, which President Calderon was strongly accused of stealing the win opposition candidate Andrés Manuel López Obrador. Between 1994 and 1997, the Mexican government investigates his law firm for representing companies linked to the Juarez cartel, a private hospital who performed plastic surgery to drug lords, a funeral conducted the burial services and a capo Armando Carrillo company that was responsible for laundering the money from the cartel.
While not confirmed that a Drug Trafficking Organization (MTO) has kidnapped de Cevallos, his disappearance has raised doubts about the future of Mexico's war against drugs.
Fosado Ardelio Vargas, president of the National Mexican Congress of Defense told reporters "This event marks a turning point. Without doubt, the way we handle public safety and national security will have to change ... will have to perform a detailed review of the strategy that addresses the issue of public safety and risks, and threats to homeland security ".
"Change" as defined by the Calderon government seems to mean more of the same security strategy. Pots, in response to the disappearance of his colleague and personal friend, compared to Mexico to Colombia in 1980. "There are stages in which organized crime is presented during the 80's and early 90's [in Colombia] which are occurring in Mexico, and fortunately we are fighting. And although there may be stages in its essence may be similar [to those of Colombia], the we are facing and are likely to occur faster and faster we can solve. What it took to Colombia about 20 years, we should take maybe five, six, seven years or less, depending on the persistence that we put into our actions. "
Comparing Calderon of Mexico to Colombia is saying. While Colombia dismantled the OTD more important as the Cali cartel and-Medellín by killing or arresting their leaders, many more signs emerged to take its place. Cocaine continues to flow from Colombia to the United States, the only difference is that the Mexican OTD dominate the routes. The coca cultivation increased by 15% and cocaine production increased by 4% in the course of Plan Colombia, leading to the Government Accountability Office U.S. to conclude that "harm reduction targets have not been fully achieved" despite the significant presence of U.S. military and financial support, and tactics the Colombian army. Apparently
Mexico goes a similar path of failure. Like Colombia, Mexico has strategic efforts to dismantle military and legal OTD through arrests, murders and sudden attacks. The U.S. government supports these measures dare Merida Initiative, an aid package that supports the military and Mexican police in the war against drugs. One of the agreements of the Merida Initiative "to be held" for Mexico is the "number of drug traffickers and kingpins high-profile criminals caught."
As demonstrated by the experience of Colombia, demand drives the drug trade. While there is a significant financial incentive for drug trafficking, the industry adjust and evolve so that the product reaches the consumer. So as the disappearance and possible murder of one of Mexico's most powerful politicians in any way weaken the federal government, killing or arrest of drug lords did not weaken the drug industry. As he government, the OTD will adapt to new circumstances and new people will step forward to fill the gaps left by the deaths, arrests and disappearances. And the war continues unabated. Regardless of how many bosses
kills or the Mexican government extradited to the United States, the industry has settled. After Calderón deployed the military in late 2006 to fight the war against drugs Drug seizures have decreased and the production of drugs has increased in Mexico. Meanwhile the security situation has deteriorated rapidly. During the same period, human rights violations made by the military have increased six times. The murder rate has increased dramatically since 2006, with a total of 22.700 deaths related to the drug war. Ciudad Juarez is currently considered the "world capital murder" and Tijuana is even more dangerous than Baghdad.
The problem with Mexico's security strategies is that they simply do not have one. Neither Calderon nor the U.S. government have clearly defined objectives that guide the war on drugs. Is the goal to reduce deaths related to drug trafficking? The opposite is happening. Is the goal of totally eliminating the flow of drugs into the United Kingdom? That's impossible. Is the goal to reduce the flow of drugs into the United Kingdom? If so, exactly how much of "reduction" is necessary to send soldiers back to barracks?
absence of a clear set of objectives and a final stage of the game, the war on drugs seems to be an endless crusade. Until now, politicians of great power who have fought this war has been immune to its effects. But as a Mexican magazine public in response to the disappearance of Cevallos, "The ruling party is beginning to reap what we as mongers, because" he who sows the wind shall harvest storm. "
