Death, Gloom, Destruction, Mexico

Somebodies getting work in the economic crisis. Mexico's morgue's are experiencing an influx of bodies due to the recent explosion of drug-related violence. So far this year 1000 people have been killed, compared with 6000 in the entirety of 2008, raising concerns about stability and civil order. In a particular criminal lab and morgue in Ciudad Juarez, founded after women were found raped and dumped in the desert, is experiencing overflow to the extent that they pack fridges supposed to have a mazimum capacity of 80 with 200 people. 40 percent test positive for marijuana or cocaine use, suggesting the futility of the drug wars. The fact that many friends of the deceased refuse to claim the body as a defense mechanism compounds the problem. This is indicative of larger systemic violence, undermining mexican stability and providing exact, visceral proof of impending catastrophe.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hQk0IcGHRThAZGok6vKI4lrnPasQD96Q0D7G0

Grade this Post

Mexican Make-Out Session - Conclusion

The long anticipated make out session finally took place earlier today in Mexico City, and the record was won.  Nearly 40000 convened on Valentine's Day (the exact number was 39897, an odd number, which keeps making me laugh), to "show love" when drug-related violence and other unpleasantness seem to dominate the Mexican world.  City workers volunteered to give out hugs, and teenage males wandered around with posters offering their services.  After all kisses were held for 10 seconds, the popular ranchera singer Vincente Fernandez gave a free concert.  While having little to do directly to the politics of Mexico, it does present a different setting and image for our southern neighbor, considering a good number of previous posts involve in some way guns, drugs, or druggies with guns.  And it does illustrate the social climate of Mexico, with open affection and probably an even greater national pride.  Demonstrations of this magnitude would be difficult for countries with a careless public, and one can only wonder how many would vote in national elections, provided it was not required.

read more here

Grade this Post

Surprise!!

Mexican drug violence is on the rise from a high last year of 6000. As drugs are shipped north, the United States trafficks arms and money south of the border, providing funds and power to cartels. A recent clash as a cartel attempted to take over the small town of Villa Amuhalda, the government was forced to intervene. 21 were killed in the fighting, and two tons of marijuana were seized. The drug trade amounts to a total of 14 billion a year, with corrupt ties to local government and increased crimerates. Kidnappings and shootouts frighten the populace into submission and prevent true engagement with the regime. 

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/02/11/eveningnews/main4794054.shtml

Grade post

You May Want to Reconsider Your Vacation Destination

With the massive increase in drug activity combined with tough economic competition throughout Mexico's entirety, over 200 American citizens have been murdered since 2004 alone, making for a dangerous vacation location that warrants reconsideration.

"More than 200 American citizens have been killed since 2004 in Mexico's escalating wave of violence, amounting to the highest number of unnatural deaths in any foreign country outside military combat zones, according to the U.S. State Department."

Read More

Grade This Post

Mexico City to turn Green with New Recycling Plan

Mexico is planning to build 4 new recycling and waste processing centers to burn and compost eighty-six percent of trash(from the current six percent). This will place Mexico City in line with cities such as San Fransisco, and first among developing cities. The largest landfill in Mexico City will close this month, and the city is taking a hard look at the amount of trash it produces. The city has required its citizens to sort trash for several years, but the city's infrastructure has not been able to handle it.

I think this really interesting because it shows that despite the rampant drug wars and other issues Mexico City is facing there is a push to help the environment even if it comes out of slight interest of wanting the city to not be surrounded by landfills and horribly trashed. A real push for an improvement in how the city's government handles this also shows a huge change perhaps because of the international focus recently on not further hurting the environment (greenhouse gases etc)
read further
Grade this post