My parents were born and raised in Rio Verde, San Luis Potosi, Mexico. They grew up in a village called “El Pescadito” (The Little Fish), located in the mountains of the region. Such a beautiful country, filled with the greenest agriculture, strong heritage, and authentic cuisine. At least that’s the Mexico that I know.
It now bears a another face. A face filled with crime and chaos. A good example of the kidnappings that take place in Mexico is the movie Man on Fire which portrays the lifestyle many children live in Mexico City. The only exception in real life is that Denzel Washington doesn’t save the day, and it’s not only kidnappings that are increasing.
Crime has increased through drug trafficking, kidnappings, extortion and human smuggling. Although these issues take place in a different country, they are still very real and directly interrelated to the lives of many Chicanos living in the United States.
Today as I was reading the Daily Cougar and there it was in black and white, “Drug Wars Affecting UH”. After reading this article by Frank Vasquez, I can see that this issue affects many. Students at UH can’t visit their parent’s homeland without having to worry about the drug cartel or possible kidnappings.
In the 1990’s and early 2000’s, Mexico dealt with drug traffickers in a reserved manner, but when President Felipe Caldéron was elected in 2006, he devoted thousands of federal troops to a war against drug cartels. Since then, Mexico has become a more dangerous place to live.
Drug-related deaths numbered 5,612 in 2008, more than doubling the 2007 total, according to the Mexican newspaper El Universal. Slayings of high-ranking political figures and police officers also increased.
The Mexican army and the Federal Police have successfully removed some leaders of the cartels, such as Alberto Barron of the La Familia Michoacana and Ever Martinez, a main cocaine supplier to the Sinaloa cartel.
Deaths are increasing and the plagues affecting the country South of our border are many. The drug cartel and the future of Mexico’s children is an issue I’ll continue to explore during this semester.
