Hours before accepting a literary prize Saturday night in Spain, Carlos Fuentes, one of Mexico's most accomplished writers, spoke decisively about the country's crisis of violence and drug trafficking.
"They should decriminalize drugs and get help from the Israeli, French or German police forces who have proven effective in combating crime," he said.
The 82 year old Mexican writer, and social and political activist, acknowledged that he was stunned by the horrific "narco" attack at the Casino Royale in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, that killed 53 people.
"Unless steps are taken to legalize drugs in coordination with the United States, which is the biggest drug market, and unless more effective internal police actions are forthcoming, the drug cartels will defeat the Mexican Army and the country's unarmed society," argued Fuentes.
The writer, along with former presidents of Mexico, Colombia and Brazil, Ernesto Zedillo, Carlos Gaviria and Fernando Cardoso, is part of a group working for a culture without drugs and favors the legalization "in principle, of their consumption."
"Drugs are a universal problem, not local, and we cannot argue about Mexican sovereignty because it has already been broken. So why not then appeal to the most effective police groups to assist in dealing with these gangs that only understand the language of violence?"
Source:
http://mexico.cnn.com/nacional/2011/08/27/carlos-fuentes-asegura-que-mexico-debe-pedir-ayuda-a-policia-internacional
Riiiight, America is going to change its drug laws because of whats going on in mexico? I dont think so. Colombia went through the same thing in the 80's we didnt legalize coke then.
ReplyDeleteNot sure how much I agree with the last sentence. Cartels already carry out a lot of gruesome violence against each other's members, but that seems to have done little to dissuade any of these assholes from getting a proper job.
ReplyDeleteThey could build an Israeli style security fence on the Mexico side of the border, but that will never happen because it would stop the flow of illegal aliens that end up sending billions of dollars back to Mexico. If the USA and Mexico actually work together to secure the border than the problem will be 99% solved, but there are political elements in both countries that want open borders. Oh well.
ReplyDeleteLegalizing drugs is not a good idea. People point to prison overcrowding and drug violence as reasons to de-criminalize. In the extreme, why not do the same for murder? I would be in favor of allowing pot to be grown and possessed only in the home in the U.S. The only drawback is that there is not a practical way of proving the level of intoxication in drivers. I don't want my family killed by a stoner stopped at a green light. As for Mexico, stay the course but add the death penalty and nationalized police. There are many countries with an unarmed population that are not experiencing ultra violence Corruption is the enabling factor along with large amounts of American dollars. Americans should stay out of Mexico but help by fighting drug consumption and smuggling. We should increase our logistical support to the Mexican gov't. We should have a website like the newera.com thing in the U.S. And insist on our own Gov't to act on drug crime in our own country. I can compile a list of names, lic. Plate #'s, addresses etc. In any U.S. city without much risk or effort. Why can't the police? When my vehicle was stolen, I investigated then turned over information to several levels of LEO's. I recovered my vehicle and they found several other stolen vehicles at the gang H.Q.'s. Thre days later, the gang had stolen a whole new fleet and have continued to smuggle drugs and people, steal construction materials daily and who knows what else. I followed up with the LEO's but was marginalized and eventually ignored by a host of apathetic cops. two hrs. Later the bad guys continue their mis deeds. Apparantly there is no money in taking out the bad guys but there is in giving traffic tickets. Note: I am pro-Police but there is no other way to see this.
ReplyDeleteAs a U.S Citizen who has lived in Mexico it pains me to see this happen to Mexico, more than 40,000 Mexicans dead, what a shame.
ReplyDeleteAs for all you U.S Citizens who urge Mexico to stay the course, what about U.S action within U.S borders? These cartels have an equal mirror structure within the U.S to distribute and sell and manage their operations within the U.S.
These structures also bribe public officials as well as law enforcement within the U.S. Doesn't seem like much is done about this other than the token raids every few years.
Mexico should have the right to do what it wants to do within it's own country. The drug argument is a bunch of hogwash as the U.S is currently allowing massive amounts of Heroin production in Afghanistan in areas the U.S army controls 100%.
Texcoco Mex said.
ReplyDeleteDo not legalized drugs, it will crate a bigger health problem.
Mexico does have the responsibility for what it want to do within it's own country. Their leadership should not use the US as a scapegoat/crutch
ReplyDeleteThe biggest problem with Mexico is the low salaries of its law enforcement at all levels, while politicians pay themselves HUGE salaries plus bribes and corruptions...The system is rotten to the core. The worst part is that there is no solutions in sight.....
ReplyDeleteThe cartels would use an International Police Force as a rallying cry for national identity. It would become the people and the CARTELS against the IP. That would never work.
ReplyDeleteJobs and money solve this problem. Good paying jobs will keep the low and mid level affiliates off the street; and money pays for cops that care. Start there.
@ 5:15 AM...If we listen to you, will will for sure be in the next "great depression" very soon. We can no longer listen to unrealistic paranoia about drugs and people we already socialize and interact with. Get real and come out of you imaginary bubble. We cannot afford these prisons, police and triplicated governmental agencies. Mexico is crying for it and we have no way out of a run away freight train going straight into the black hole, a great depression. Then, you might need to worry about what happens at a street light to your family.
ReplyDeleteDo y'all even know who all does drugs in the US. You have physicians, lawyers, judges, District Attorneys, investors, bankers, Wall Street Wizards, oil field workers, cops, truck drivers, barbers, social workers, teachers, probation officers, prison guards, laborers, painters, contractors, carpenters, you name it, some of them do drugs. These lame old, hey, lets try policing it this way and do it this way way these cops and use these bullets. Lets face it, the cops can't win this one. It's been going on for 50 years. Surrender! Far better minds than y'alls have tried and failed. Hell, we got more cops than teachers in the US and we can't touch it here. But you guys know how to tell Mexico to do it. LOL
ReplyDelete@ 1:49 AM...If we would have legalized in in the 1980s, we would not owe our grand childrens' pension plans to China.
As far as blaming it on the US, try this, take the US dollar out of the equation. What would that leave, a few pesos to be made. Hell yes it's our fault fool, we throw money at drug dealers as fast as we can up here. And we don't have blame, kiss my ass Deacon, Donut Chomper, Militia Minute Man, DEA want to be. Legalization is coming, get ready, and hope it comes sooner, before a great depression is caused by the war on drugs.
Wake the fuck up. Quit cop tripping.
Nobody wants to talk about the fact that all the cocaine comes from Peru, Colombia and Bolivia. Apparently nothing is being done to stop the drug at it's source. Why is that?
ReplyDeleteOK the US is the big consumer. Mexico has no problem with So American countries that produce cocaine and help move it north and launder the profits through So American banks? Are those countries helping Mexico - at all?
What a total pendejo Carlos Fuentes has become! To openly advocate for Israeli military and police involvement inside Mexico after knowing what he knows about the Israeli involvement doing just such in Guatemala truly is the height of irresponsibility. Honest, I think that a typical Mexican burro is more an intellectual than this stooge is. Chihuahua!!!!!! Mexico definitely has many more and much better voices for the nation than such a tonto as Fuentes.
ReplyDeleteAs a native of the state of Sinaloa, I wonder how informed some of the posters are on this site about internal aspects of the current situation.
ReplyDeleteIt seems some are unwilling to acknowledge that the the illegal drug trade is part of the social economic fabric of at least 3 states in northern Mexico.
A key component of the economy in Sinaloa is the drug revenue, and I mean a big part, it employs many even in non drug related activities as the drug money must be laundered, alot of the money flows into shrimp farming and the like that employ thousands in Sinaloa.
Same is the case for Chihuahua and some portions of Sonora/Baja California.
The solution is a very simple solution, increased economic opportunity and increased real education of the population. Neither is happening nor will it happen under any of the current political leadership be it PRI, PAN, or PRD.
So far 40,000+ have died of our fellow brothers/sisters all for some contrived reason of how these cartels must be toppled, for what?
One must always weigh the costs , sometimes they are too great and therefore one must not take direct action.
Where is the benefit for the Mexican society on directly confronting themselves ?
I agree , bring the Germans, French and British into Mexico. I you were to draw a line a give all narco traffikers a choice go staight and live or continue your shit and die. About 99.9% would say DIE.
ReplyDelete@ 6:29 PM...Very well said. One could make a similar and realistic comment about the democratic and republican parties in the US. I think it is because we think we need to elect politician when we really need business minds, not baby kissers that are in it to please the rich.
ReplyDelete@6:29, finally someone who understands it! All of the talk of legalization and the like miss the point entirely; until you solve the economic crisis, you never solve the drug crisis.
ReplyDeleteardent - Carlos Fuentes takes more class from under his fingernails than you have in your entire pathetic body. You are such an envious, jealous little mind.
ReplyDeleteBut - who the hell does Fuentes think is going help when the Germans, etc. say no thanks? Europe doesn't care about Mexico and they are sure not going to spend any money on Mexico. Oh and btw Carlos, the drug cartels defeated the Mexican Army and the unarmed society a long time ago.
Tell me again why it makes any sense for the US to ban firearms. Mexico for all intents and purposes prohibits firearms. I know, you can buy pistols from the Army at one store after miles of red tape. Basically civilians can't obtain anything bigger than a 9 mm and one clip. Mexico needs to allow firearms so the citizens can get some effective guns and fucking defend themselves.
Damn, I didn't realize how old Carlos Fuentes was
ReplyDeleteAnonymous, so you actually think that the US full of all these Anglo racists we see posting their comments on BB constantly 'cares' about Mexico, and Germany doesn't? Absurd if you do actually think that? The US elites only care about Mexico in so far as it is a market for US sales. That's not really 'caring' very much IMO.
ReplyDeletePlus, you responded not at all about me labeling Fuentes call for Israeli to 'assist' militarily in the US government made drug war that Calderon has bought into, totally insane and even treasonous. Why not? Do you think that Fuentes was full of upper 'class' when he made his comments, while I must be some sort of gutter dweller for criticizing such a call for Israeli interventionism as mercenaries in the Americas?
I mentioned also how the Israeli military got called in by the US to help the Guatemalan military do its genocidal work back in the '80s. Are you too ignorant to know about that history? This is certainly something that the average Mexican would want nothing of in their own country, despite Fuentes' idiotic call for such to be asked for.