Conjecture is rife in the aftermath of Mexico’s decriminalization program. Much of it concerns the reaction of the drug cartels. Will they be undercut by legalization? Will they redouble efforts to expand drug use in Mexico? Will prices decrease? Will Mexico’s new focus on treatment, as opposed to punishment, work? Answers to some of these questions may surface sooner than expected…
Wednesday night’s slaying of 18 at a drug rehab center was a drug gang’s scheme carried out with gruesome effect. The murderer(s) entered “El Aliviane” rehab center in Cuidad Juarez, and lined the patients up against a wall before summarily shooting them. In the US, violence like this is almost incomprehensible. But in Juarez, “Mexico’s murder capital,” violence of this sort has been labeled “unremarkable” by the LA Times and “just another day” by CBS.
Mowing down the innocent and vulnerable with an AK-47 is reprehensible. However, this may not be the whole story. Patricia Gonzalez, the Chihuahua State prosecutor, proposed that the victims were likely members of a rival cartel. She also said that rehab centers are frequently used by cartel members as hideouts from rivals. As of this writing, the government has not released evidence linking any of the victims to drug gangs.
Pressure for the government to reduce drug violence is again mounting. After a lull in violence that lasted from February to June, the cartels are reasserting their “depravity.” While the site of this shooting may be a unique twist, and the body count may be high, the trend of the violence remains dogged. Over 75 people have been killed in Juarez in the past week.
So far President Calderon’s efforts have shown conviction, but failed to yield lasting results. Round-ups of venal officials give hope that Mexico’s corruption is under attack. But apprehension of cartel bosses and the gang members who commit murder is not terribly impressive. Just over a week ago, the Mexican army claimed to have in custody three men responsible for 211 killings. Details were scant. Successful prosecutions are few, and concern over human rights abuses by law enforcement is increasing. Greater transparency is needed by the army and police, by the judiciary, and now by the largely unregulated rehab clinics.
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