Translated by Valor for
Borderland Beat
Former President Felipe Calder贸n declared the war
against drug trafficking on December 11, 2006, in Mexico, leaving an outcome
calculated with over 27,000 people disappeared, 150,000 dead, and 280,000
displaced from their home.
December 11, 2016, marked the 10 year anniversary of Mexico's War on Drugs.
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Former President Felipe Calder贸n watches a
military vehicle on top of a pile of weapons confiscated in Ciudad Ju谩rez. The PANista
unleashed the war on drugs on December 11, 2006. Photo: AP / Eduardo Verdugo
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In this archived photo of January 12, 2014, men
belonging to the autodefensas of Michoac谩n travel on board a truck full of
sandbags as they try to expel alleged members of the Knights Templar Cartel
from the city of Nueva Italia, M茅xico. Photo: AP / Eduardo Verdugo
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In this photo from
October 9, 2009, the corpse of an unidentified man beaten and mutilated hangs
from his neck under a bridge on the old road Rosarito, in Tijuana. Photo: AP / Guillermo Arias
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Image from August 16,
2011, shows the bodies of two men shot dead next to the Caleta Beach in
Acapulco. Photo: AP / Bernandino
Hern谩ndez
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In this photo from
January 16, 2014, a child helps his father to arrange the weapons at a
checkpoint established by the autodefensas of Michoac谩n in Tancitaro. Photo: AP / Felix M谩rquez
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People paint sketches of
bodies as part of a memorial for the dead on the death anniversary of the war
on drugs at the Monument to the Revolution in Mexico City. Photo: AP / Rebecca Blackwell
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In this photo from
September 6, 2014, a soldier enters a house riddled with bullets, labeled with
the initials CDG for the Gulf Cartel and Z for the Zetas, in Ciudad Victoria,
Tamaulipas. Photo: AP / Eduardo Verdugo
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In this photo from May
6, 2011, the hand of a corpse hangs from a bed with a syringe, in an improvised
morgue inside a container in Durango. Photo: AP / Dario L贸pez-Mills
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In this archived photo
of April 16, 2016, soldiers salute Mexico’s Secretary of Defense, General Salvador
Cienfuegos, at the No. 1 military camp in Mexico City. Photo: AP / Marco Ugarte
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Great photos. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThe one of Acapulco, with the dead men in the foreground and the beach-goers in the background, is a sharp contrast between the two extremes of Mexico. Really impactful stuff.
Fully agree, polar opposites only feet from one another it speaks volumes on how tragic this ludicrous war really is and how corruption and greed are the only winners in this war against the people .
DeleteSadly not one picture of a jailed corrupt politician. Saludos from Ontario, Ca.
DeleteGreat comment. It's definitely a very powerful image. It shows how blind the rest of the world can be towards Mexico's situation.
DeleteIt is indirectly also a sharp contrast between how Mexico is portrayed in our press where virtually nothing about the realities of the WoD are allowed through.
DeleteOur do-not-think-about-or-question-government-policy-press remains silent and instead feeds us with the government sponsored WoT ... War on Terror.
1240..the world isn't blind. They are being kept in the dark by the media. This happens right across the US border and the attrocities, even from a larger perspective versus individual murders, is never in the news. Mexico ensures they maintain their tourism income that way.
DeletePowerful post Valor. I don't live in Mexico but I have followed the devastation of innocents since the beginning. My heart bleeds for each one. May God bless everyone in Mexico who is living this nightmare. Peace.
ReplyDeleteThere is no peace here only death. I go sleep every night in fear.
DeletePhotos of a holocaust in Mexico which continues to this date. Big kudos to the journalists and photographers whose work is exhibited throughout the world and hopefully not forgotten........ We applaud you for being in a war zone , where others don't have the stomach for........
ReplyDeletehttp://www.sinembargo.mx/20-12-2016/3127773
ReplyDeleteAnd his income has tripled since and the wife wants to be President.
Whoever fights monsters should see to it that
ReplyDeleteIn the process he does not become a monster.
AND when you look into an abyss,
The abyss also looks into you.
Nietzche...
For all those brave journalist and photographers. Peace be with you.
Thank you for sharing.
DeletePeace be with you also; it is a place in our hearts and souls often hard to find, Knowing what we know.
We must , however, reserve a space for each of us .
Denial is a seductive state of mind.......
Knowledge is the power of change which we must dedicate ourselves to spread.
Amen to that!! knowledge is true power now and days! Peace be with you all
DeleteThe man that is hanged in the picture is Rogelio S谩nchez Jim茅nez
ReplyDeleteYes dude,he issued licenses and Garcia Simentals name came up,he was kidnapped and tortured horribly
DeleteWhy was he killed?
DeleteHe got involved in and was issuing driving licenses to iffy people(probably had no choice) irregularities,including El Teo under an alias,the picture you see of Teo in shirt and tie appeared in public afterwards(one of the lines)it seemed like El Teos work,that bridge isnt far from a army gate also,mocking them?
DeleteGraoias , Valor
ReplyDeleteEach pic worth un mil palabras.
Those michoacanos are some brave souls.. -yaritza-
ReplyDeleteWould be cool if BB would do a 2016 wrap up. Some amazing stories happened this year.
ReplyDeleteyou can thank felipe calderon for starting the war, then walking away to live in his mansion in the U.S.A. LMFAO..
ReplyDelete@7:15 You make it sound like Calderon started a fight and then just ran away. You kind of skipped over the fact in between he presided over an administration that saw 6 of the bloodiest most violent years of the drug war. What would you have had him do when his term ran out and he could do more in the ongoing fight?
Delete@dd he could've stayed in Mexico to do something over the mess he made at home.
DeleteDD cynics will always run their mouths because it's alot easier than committing any sort of action. The same goes 4 all those who hold such intelligible conversations on here. Don't ever confuse talk with action. You buttercups know who you are. - El Sol Perdido
DeleteHe started a pointless war that ruined mexico. I remember his slogan was to be the "job maker" well, he indeed created a lot of illicit jobs and killed a lot of his own people.
DeleteIt's not Calderon to blame. It's the culture. CORRUPTION IS ACCEPTABLE.
DeleteSo he wasnt supposed to do shit? They are the government,government is police,police stop crimes!
Delete6:56 his administration favored one cartel over the others(sinaloa). He caused a pointless war that has made things worse, yes some top capos are gone and some cartels have been weakened but at what cost? Other groups have just popped up and seem to be more violent the groups they originally separated from,kidnapping extortion and so many crimes are being committed all over Mexico.
DeleteThe war started between the cartels first, something Calderon didn't start, the President simply had the bad luck of cracking down at the same time.
DeletePerdido, just like you ran your mouth with the story about the kid creating a bullet proof backpack? You lazily blamed the parents for not doing more yet what are YOU doing to protect kids other than running your own mouth? Take your own advice and, also, learn how to write.
Delete12:23 I work 4 the government. And you foot the bill buttercup. Me volunteering is a lot more than most of you running your mouths. Oh and thanks 4 the pay raise come January. - El Sol Perdido
DeletePerdido, your employment is revelant to the discussion how??
DeletePerdido,take no notice,lot of bitter haters on here brother ?
Delete9:32 Ad hominem's are also irrelevant.
Delete9:32PM
DeletePersonal attacks only reveal your lack of intellect and maturity.
@8:35 Amen bro.
DeleteWell, if the dog brings the 馃挬 馃挬 馃挬 馃挬 poop! into the house, one is not supposed to beat up the cat, just because someone "works for the government" collecting a paycheck for nothing, it is not suppossed to be a weapon to attack people that really work for a living. If you served your country, well, thanks, retire, move on, go on with your life, stop being on the G titty forever, and if you can't, ok but keep your maff shut, there is no honor there.
DeleteThe war is against Mexican citizens and those visiting Mexico.
ReplyDeleteWinners: SSPF, PGE, PGR, US Govt agencies, Senadores, Diputados, Governadores, CSdG, EZ, FCH, EPN and Supreme Court justices.
The biggest narcos after all
Losers: Mexican nationals of all classes, Tourists
Our neighbor allows this to happen until Mexicans change and are willing to overthrow the corrupted government.
No queda otra
Pues si pero esta cabron tu ya sabes como esta la gente bien dividida se odian entry eyos mismos sin saber por que. Tu si sabes y entendes por que. Los dividen!!! Para que se les olvide la verdadera rason por que Mexico esta como esta y no es el narco eso ya yeva anos desde Villa y Zapata y antes de eso.
DeleteDesde que los estado unidos financial on la guerra de independencia, jodieron a mexico, despu茅.con la guerra de Reforma lo jodieron mas otra vez.
DeleteCon la revolucion fu茅 otra chinga, y con la guerra contra las drogas QUE LOS MISMO ESTADO UNIDOS TRAFICA Y LAVA EL DINERO, nos estan acabando de partir toda la madre, se llevan la propiedad de todas las empresas del gobierno, todas robadas y nos segregation a la reservation bananera de la republica mexicana, tambi茅n quieren el derecho de decirnos donde vivir, y como, y con quien, y de callarnos, y de ordenarnos que pensar, y cuando, y se prohibe estar hasta la madre, tambien.
There really seems to be no end in sight for Mexico.
ReplyDeleteNo look at tamps. 4 last governors in the drug business
Delete10:40 the US needs to get the fack out of the way, and stop feeding the mexican government support and succor and criminal soldiers of fortune and weapons and gorilla training.
DeleteCalderon stir up thu nest but nobody back him up. When do u ever see el PRI try an do something for this country. To this day i give calderon credit for aleast trying. But i guess mexico would rather be thu same. Thu poor will always be poor. An thu rich well lets just say take advantage off thu poor. Definition of MEXICO.
ReplyDeletePeople would rather go to US need to stay in mexico and change it
Delete315, look at what happens to people that do try to change Mexico. They are largely unarmed, and even if they can fight back, look what happens to even the best of them (e.g., Dr. Mireles). I'm not saying they shouldn't try at all, but it's not always as easy as staying and trying to change it.
DeleteFecal was and is a pendejo, left the country all facked up, and helped epn get elected, because both of them belong en una pinchi yunta de g眉eyes.
DeleteThanks Valor. And to all at bb,thank you for the hard work getting these stories out and translating!
ReplyDeleteMn
A revolution is indeed the only solution for Mexican citizens to live in peace and prosper in the future. Government is useless and inept to govern, corruption and misery has cemented in aspect of life . An episode of the walking dead!!!!
ReplyDeleteNo revolution we take the easiest way out go to the US. I know i miss mexico , but safe here in Brownsville
DeleteThe US is itching for an excuse to burn some old bombs, if all the mexicans wear their black bedspreads and hang around with enough aluminum pressure cookers yelling in spanish at the border, that may bring an idot response, I mean immediate, response from the US... I say bomb chilango land first, also known as edomex, el estado de mexico, all the higways first to keep the Atracomulcas inside, then the military barracks.
DeleteCalderon started the so called war on drugs but just made it worse. He didn't go after cjng or cds but crushed la familia Michoacana and went after the zetas and Juarez cartel. He should have gone at all the same and started with the politicians. It's bs. There is no such thing as war on drugs in Mexico, all the govt in Mexico let a cartel operate in their state. Start with the politicians and the heads of cartels and make the way down!! Never will happen, I bet even that rat looking Calderon received some drug money from a cartel and it was most likely cds.
ReplyDeleteCJNG Didn't exist back in 2006 they were formed around 2010-2012 but weren't called CJNG yet. Late 2012 or early 2013 is when mencho separated from Sinaloa and began his little crusade.
DeleteMy condo in Acapulco is next door to the El Presidente hotel. A couple days ago, the owner failed to pay the electric bill & people could be seen using candles in their rooms. The pool has turned a shi+ green color. The good news is, the guests & hotel workers are no longer blocking the Costera. That, and the fact that the Peso is pushing 21 to the dollar. My rent went up 5%, but really went down 9% thanks to that, woot! Welcome to PARADISE.
ReplyDeleteWhat does any of this have to do with the drug war? The drug war has fostered an environment that allows me to afford a huge condo on the beach. And the reality of Acapulco is not the violence-ravaged wasteland many of you think that it is. But go ahead & keep thinking that, while I enjoy my early retirement.
¡¡¡I love M茅xico!!!
I am so glad all of this has let you have a huge condo on the beach. It's all worth it then, right?
DeleteWhat am I supposed to do, fix the Drug War? Before you start asking unanswerable rhetorical questions of strangers on the Internet, go look into a mirror & ask the person you see there what you've done today to solve the Drug War...and all of the world's other problems too, while you're at it.
DeleteMy wife & I employ eleven [11] Acapulque帽os full time and pay them all 500+% over minimum wage. WTF do you do?
Ijole. No chinguez tanto, Mam贸n.
Attentamente,
AmigoAn贸nimo
Well, as long as you have your condo. You probably should have mentioned the well-paid employees the first time if you weren't looking to bristle people.
DeleteAnd don't worry about WTF I do, payaso. We're all set there. Maybe it's best not to ask strangers on the internet such questions after all. :-)
Minimum wage is $2.99 which used to be about $37,50 pesos a day, so you pay your employees 500% above is what 15 dollars a day?
Delete--on the US, people say and brag they pay mexicans "$25.00 dollars" to make sure they stay in their country, what they don't say is that they pay that for 5 days of work, sometimes 6, and sometimes 10 or 12 hour shifts, that is hunger salaries
Ijole, you people are something else.
DeleteMex min wage is currently 70.10 pesos/day, which means we pay our employees 713% of min wage for a very pleasant 8 hour day, 6 days a week. Whether it is a living wage or not is beyond the purview of this discussion.
Everyone who works for us treasures their job. None will find equivalent pay anywhere in Acapulco, they've all told me so. En pocas palabras, if you ask anyone who works for us, my wife & I are super cool people.
Hasta luego,
AmigoAn贸nimo
Minimum wage is 2.99 dollars a day, in pesos about 60 pesos a day, 100%
Delete200% would be 6,00 dollars a day, 120.00 pesos
300% would be 9.00 dollars a day, 180.00 pesos
400% would be 12.00 dollars a day, 240.00 pesos
500% .........15 dollars a day, 300.00 pesos
600% .........18.00 dollars a day, 360.00 pesos
700% .........21.00 dollars a day, 420.00 pesos
Having a job in mexico is a wonderful thing, having a business is better, nothing personal, but the mexican government that pays itself as if they are royalty and deserve all the free gasoline and million dollar bonuses a month for murdering and disappearing mexicans they deserve nothing but to have their arses kicked to the hangman in the nearest tree, we the poor broke arses will find a place to call our own by ourselves, and sure enugh, there comes the mexican government envoys asking us to send money every month, they need dollars to steal...
Dang, you just won't let it go.....I'm only answering because we were both wrong. $2.99/day is a fantasy #.
DeleteThe Mex min wage in 2016 was 73 Pesos/day and in 2017 is 80 Pesos/day. Go look it up before you re-use $2.99US/day again...YOU ARE WRONG.
Free gasoline? Million dollar/month bonuses? WTF? Dude, get a grip.
¡Adios a 茅ste tema para siempre!
AmigoAn贸nimo
This war has caused way more deaths thn Syria... Only gets attention on social network sites... While Carlos Slim breaks bread with Donald Trump... Neither gives a damn about human life... War equals $$$$$$...
ReplyDeleteSlightly off point but El Mochomito gets to wear the 'big boy' pants by transferring to Puente Grande. Zeta front page is "Corrupcion en el Cereso de la Paz." Uhhh, is that news? Kind Reader aka Que Onda
ReplyDelete