Mexico looks to legalisation as drug war murders hit 28,000

[defendandprotect]

Mexico looks to legalisation as drug war murders hit 28,000President joins calls for debate after figures reveal extent of violence since launch of military offensive against cartels in 2006

Jo Tuckman in Mexico City guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 4 August 2010 20.13 BST Article history

EXCERPTS ...

Murders in Mexico's drug wars are becoming increasingly gruesome. Photograph: AP

Mexico's president, Felipe Calderón, has joined calls for a debate on the legalisation of drugs as new figures show thousands of Mexicans every year being slaughtered in cartel wars.

"It is a fundamental debate," the president said, belying his traditional reluctance to accept any questioning of the military-focused offensive against the country's drug cartels that he launched in late 2006. "You have to analyse carefully the pros and cons and key arguments on both sides." The president said he personally opposes the idea of legalisation.

Calderón's new openness comes amid tremendous pressure to justify a strategy that has been accompanied by the spiralling of horrific violence around the country as the cartels fight each other and the government crack down. Official figures released this week put the number of drug war related murders at 28,000.

Until recently the government regularly played down the general impact of the violence by claiming that 90% of the victims were associated with the cartels, with the remainder largely from the security forces. In recent months it has started to acknowledge a growing number of "civilian victims" ranging from toddlers caught in the cross fire to students massacred at parties.

Momentum behind the idea that legalisation could be part of the solution has been growing since three prominent former Latin American presidents signed a document last year arguing the case.

César Gaviria of Colombia, Fernando Cardoso of Brazil and Ernesto Zedillo of Mexico urged existing governments to consider legalising marijuana as a way of slashing cartel profits.

This year Mexico's national congress began a debate on the possibility that resurfaced again this week during a series of round table discussions between the Calderón, security experts, business leaders and civic groups.

The "Dialogue for Security: Evaluation and Strengthening" is part of a new government effort to counter the growing perception in Mexico that the president's drug war strategy is a disaster.

"I'm not talking just about legalizing marijuana," analyst and write Hector Aguilar Camin said during the Tuesday session, "rather all drugs in general."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/aug/04/mexico-legalisation-debate-drug-war


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We all know this Drug War is fake --

In Mexico, the Calderon "disaster" is based on a "miliary-focused offensive."

More MIC --

In recent months it has started to acknowledge a growing number of "civilian victims" ranging from toddlers caught in the cross fire to students massacred at parties.

My Mother told me this is what began to happen with Prohibition -- people in the streets

being caught in crossfire of shootings!

After accepting the need to directly address the proposal, Calderón made it clear he did not support it. "It requires a country to take a decision to put several generations of young people at risk," he said, citing a likely increase in consumption triggered by lower prices, greater availability and social acceptability.

And others make clear the danger to democracy from this reality --

need to increase efforts to go after money laundering and political corruption.

I would imagine that these Drug Wars aren't benefiting Mexican tourism, either?

Maybe I'm wrong?

But -- imagine that MIC will always beat tourism for profits--!!

[Hawkeye-X]

1. Oh please legalize it this week. PLEASE PLEASE

I could enjoy a joint or two during my cruise to Mexico.. but I doubt it.

[TheWraith]

2. Good. Prohibition creates black markets, which create violence. Period.

When we got rid of alcohol prohibition in the US, you know what happened to our violent crime rate? It dropped by two thirds pretty much overnight.