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 Editorials | Opinions | May 2007 
Fighting Drugs? Give Calderon an 'A' for Effort
 Midland Reporter-Telegram
| | Calderon's push against the drug lords has the cartels striking back at the government and that's a good sign they have been hurt. |
Many of us wondered how serious Mexico President Felipe Calderon was about keeping a campaign promise to go after the drug cartels that are spreading terror across the Mexican countryside.
Well, the early results are in and you have to give Calderon at least an "A" for effort.
Certainly, the cartels have not been closed down or put out of business, but their life has not become easier under the policies of Calderon. Much has been done to disrupt the normal activities of the drug cartels, but they do remain powerful and in control of much of the rural areas of Mexico.
However, Calderon's push against the drug lords has the cartels striking back at the government and that's a good sign they have been hurt. Calderon has issued a nationwide military crackdown. This show of force has angered the cartels, which are armed with powerful weapons.
Now there is almost daily bloodshed between government forces and the drug gangs. The cartels are striking back, killing soldiers in bold, daily attacks that threaten the one force strong enough to take on the gangs.
Just recently, the battle has stepped up. The Associated Press has reported daily bloodshed that includes an ambush by a drug gang that killed five soldiers, a severed head left with a defiant note outside a military barracks and the slaying of a top federal intelligence official, who was shot in the face in his car outside his office in Mexico City.
Calderon has ordered to supplement the massive presence of soldiers and tanks in small towns. And he has approved the creation of an elite military special operations force capable of surgical strikes.
The AP reports that cartels make between $10 billion and $30 billion selling cocaine, heroin, marijuana and methamphetamine to the U.S. market, rivaling Mexico's revenues from oil exports and tourism.
With that kind of money at stake, the cartels won't give in easily to the Calderon pressure. And the new president faces other challenges in his battle against the illegal drug trade. While there are signs the crackdown is working, violence nationwide in Mexico seems to be increasing. That makes Mexico's citizens uneasy as battles often take place in the middle of small towns and on street corners. There is also the belief in many circles, including some in the U.S., who fear even the Mexican army is outgunned.
Still, we praise President Calderon for taking a stand against the drug cartels. We would certainly rather see the government in control of the country than competing drug lords. |
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