Sharks Attracted By Women Menstrating

Mexicans "Tuite" for their lives in violent cities

by Kristin Bricker


In some cities in northern Mexico, shootings and abandoned corpses have become relatively common since President Felipe Calderon declared war against drug trafficking in 2006. However, in mid-2009, the war on drugs took a new twist: narcobloqueos . In Monterey and Reynosa, two border cities full of organized crime, drug traffickers have organized blockades that paralyzed entire sections of these cities. Sometimes the blocks are related to the detection of major organized crime figures. In other cases, organized to prevent the police and the military identified the major figures of organized crime.

often during blockade gunmen ordered civilians lose their vehicles. Then they use the vehicles to block roads and intersections, and sometimes burning vehicles. The shootings with assault rifles Automatic common in these blocks.

Narcos bus hijack
to block an intersection in Reynosa.

in Reynosa and Monterrey, citizens have begun to use social networking services like Twitter to alert neighbors of the population of potentially dangerous situations like the shootings or blockages. Twitter allows users to send messages of 140 characters to their "followers." They also allow users to create topics called "hashtags" preceding a word with a pound symbol (#). The way it organizes information Twitter allows users to communicate and disseminate small messages very quickly. The

Reynosa twitterers have begun using hashtag # reynosafollow to communicate among themselves about organized crime in the city. Users "tweet" about violence, that is to become so normal in their lives, tweet to let others know of the absence of violence. On an average day in Reynosa, is common to see tweets as "The whole city is quiet since a Tiburcio Garza Zamora Morelos and in the park # reynosafollow" or "# reynosafollow traffic is stopped in front of the military base, soldiers are all sides. " The twitterers often report the possible location of gunfire to prevent others these carriers' # reynosafollow possible shooting near Las Fuentes, Section Lomas and second explosions Rotunda .... Can anyone confirm? "*

The smoke from burning cars seized ; in
narco-locks.

During a narcobloqueo, Twitter has become an indispensable tool. Tweet users through their mobile phones using text messaging or location data to report the location of the blockages and possible exit routes. Besides photographs and videos tweet of the locks fail recorded with their camera phones.

Such was the case August 24, when a drug-blocking paralyzed major roads in Reynosa. The shootings and an explosive placed in a factory. Twitterers began reporting the movements of drug traffickers and the military on Twitter:

"Nature always in the park, armed persons # reynosafollow for 10 minutes."

"They burned the store Jabil with a grenade explosion # reynosafollow"

"The road remains blocked. I had to turn back the soldiers chased us # reynosafollow"

An explosive fire
winery during the blockade.

A twitterers even created a map of all crashes reported . However, several of the reports contained in the map of the locks were actually traffic jams, drivers confused with narco-blocks, which shows one of the disadvantages of Twitter grades: no one who check the accuracy of the information therefore misinformation and unconfirmed spreads rapidly as the real.

narco-blocks during the Aug. 24, motorists used Twitter to help each other and maneuver through the locks, as well to warn when they removed the blockades. Family tuiteban questions about specific areas of the city, so informed their loved ones via cell phones. Tweet students questions about the areas that were running the schools to know whether it was safe to go home. When all the shops around Reynosa closed because of the chaos, people tweet the name of the stores that allowed civilians sheltering inside.

Narco-lock seen from inside the car from a twitterers.

why many of the residents rely on Twiter during the narco-blocks and shootings, even the municipal government of Reynosa has created a self . When the city is calm, the tweets are reports of traffic and waiting time at the international bridges connecting the city and the U.S.. During emergencies, the tweets are alert and control rumors. After the narco-blockade began last Wednesday, was tweeted, "dangerous situation in the neighborhood of Villa Farm Economics and Florida. Blockages in various parts of the city. Avoid traveling in that area." Tweets were sent every 15 minutes during the narco-lock, providing updates on the situation. Even responded to questions citizens and reporters via Twitter, and sent emergency teams to the citizens who sought help through Twiter. When the blockade is lifted, reports on traffic conditions and traffic patterns to recover.

Following blocking, the twitterers "melenanl" he wrote, "Thanks to all of you who are serious # reynosafollow and those who use it responsibly. Thank you my daughter and I were able to return home safely."

Despite the shootings, it crashes and explosions that rocked Reynosa on Wednesday, surprisingly, only one civilian was killed . The impact of the low rate Twiter death is debatable. Despite its potential as a tool to communicate messages quickly, pictures and videos that will keep people away from dangerous situations, its scope is limited. In Mexico, where the cost of Internet service at home is twice as expensive packages available in the U.S., only 13.5% of Mexicans have internet at home . And only the rich can afford to have the service data (internet) on their cell phones, which is required to receive tweets on your mobile.

When asked if there was an emergency system broadcast dare alternative radio or television for citizens who are unable to Internet and wish acezar stay informed during dangerous situations, the government dare to Twitter Reynosa said, "Right now we do not have a warning system for citizenship. Thanks for the suggestion."

tweets * All quoted in this article were first translated from English into English and then translated from English into English. So in this article cited the tweets displayed exactly as they were not orginale tweeted. Thousands of apologies to twitterers # reynosafollow to alter his words wrongly.