Mexico is Suffering a Complete Breakdown of Society
It used to be that kidnapping in Mexico was done by organized criminals on rich families only. There was always a little stealing, a little bribery, and a little theft but violent crime was extremely rare in the Mexico I remember as a child. Kidnapping victims were never hurt and often times petty criminals only took what they needed and always left something for their victim.
The most recent news of the killing of a poor five year old boy, Javier Morena, by his kidnappers by injection of acid into his heart because his working class family had no money is sickening. According to the Overseas Security Council and the United Nations, the level of crime in Mexico is increasing rapidly. The chances of someone being victimized at an ATM machine or riding in a taxi in Mexico City are now ten times greater than in any other civilized major city in the world.
It now estimated that more 6000 kidnappings are occurring in all of Mexico yearly and growing. Violent criminals who use handguns or knives are searched for briefly by local police but almost never apprehended. Criminals who are part of major criminal organizations do not really spend time in jail even if convicted. They run the jails like hotels and come and go as they please.
American law enforcement authorities now report members of Mexican cartels have increasingly infiltrated the border regions of South Texas, Arizona, and California. Just recently a kidnapping ring of Mexican criminals that was kidnapping Mexican women on the American side of the border and taking them back to Mexico was discovered by police.
Violent crime against tourists is also on the increase according to the United States Bureau of Consular Affairs which filed a special report just two weeks ago. It reported that crimes against Americans in the form of kidnapping, robbery, burglary, car theft, and violence are becoming more common especially in the border regions and Mexico City. They made the following recommendations: U.S. citizens should make every attempt to travel on main roads during daylight hours, particularly the toll (“cuota”) roads, which are generally more secure. U.S. citizens are encouraged to stay in well-known tourist destinations and tourist areas of the cities with more adequate security, and provide an itinerary to a friend or family member not traveling with them. U.S. citizens should avoid traveling alone, and should carry a GSM-enabled cell phone that functions internationally. Refrain from displaying expensive-looking jewelry, large amounts of money, or other valuable items.
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We are witnessing the complete breakdown of a society. Although thousands marched in the streets to protest the violence recently in Mexico City , the disarray and confusion which is a “kind” way to describe the current state of the Mexican government which seems powerless to do anything. The headlines of Mexico’s leading newspaper La Prensa, daily list victim after victim of crime in a nonchalant manner, putting discussions of celebrities or the latest novela before back page stories that government leaders are stalling discussions on how security can be improved. Pretending Mexico is not in a crisis will only make matters worse.
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