Thursday, April 14, 2011

Mando Único and mass graves

On April 10 there was an article concerning “mando único” or single command, a proposal by the head of the Federal Police, Genaro García Luna, to absorb all the municipal police agencies into state agencies (http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/nacion/184650.html) thereby creating 32 police agencies rather than the 1600+ agencies that currently exist. The municipal police agencies are widely considered to be the most corrupt, inept and untrained (a direct result of limited funding and no oversight mechanisms). García Luna had originally proposed merging all agencies (both state and municipal) into a single, Federal Police force (such as exists in the Dominican Republic), under his command, but the politicians (both federal, state and municipal) did not trust his proposal as nothing more than a power grab. However, the question of whether or not to have a single police agency in order to address corruption, is, in one sense, a red herring. Police officers and police agencies represent their communities, and in most respects, if the police are corrupt, the community's movers and shakers are as well. Thus, the impetus to fight corruption by merging the municipal police into a “single command” at the state level will only bring resentment at outside interference into local matters while ignoring the root causes. In order to combat corruption the federal government must focus its energies on such issues as poverty, lack of proper funding for infrastructure, public goods which are inadequately funded (such as schools, community centers and parks, as well  as access to clean water) and the elimination of nepotism and cronyism (a disease that afflicts the President most direly).

While the politicians debate the issue of “mando único” Rome (Mexico) is burning. Within the last 2 weeks there have been numerous discoveries of mass graves, “narcofosas”, in the state of Tamaulipas, with the latest discovery putting the body count at 126 (Van 126 cadáveres hallados en fosas - El Universal - México). But the count is much higher than that as there are other mass graves being discovered in Sinaloa (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-13074059) with 13 bodies and Sonora (http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/nacion/184764.html) with 5 more victims, unearthed at the same time as those in Tamaulipas. Thus, the overall count for the last two weeks is now at 144. Another one of Mexico´s national newspapers “Excelsior” reported yesterday that Mexican authorities have discovered 334 bodies in mass graves since 2010 (http://www.excelsior.com.mx/index.php?m=nota&id_nota=729476), although they did not include the newly found 10 bodies so the count is actually at 344 bodies.

Unfortunately, these discoveries of the last 2 weeks is not surprising considering the wholesale bloodletting that has been occurring in Mexico, as well as the high number of people reported missing (disappearances). As I previously mentioned in a posting last year, (Killings and marriage), there has to be many more mass graves scattered around the country and the current count of 38,230 people killed (Narco-killings) is only the bare minimum estimate of the murder victims since President Calderón initiated his war in December 2006.


For a map of the killings: click: Narco-killings
Website: WM Consulting

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1 comment:

  1. However, the question of whether or not to have a single police agency in order to address corruption, is, in one sense, a red herring. Police officers and police agencies represent their communities, and in most respects, if the police are corrupt, the community's movers and shakers are as well. Thus, the impetus to fight corruption by merging the municipal police into a “single command” at the state level will only bring resentment at outside interference into local matters while ignoring the root causes.

    Walter, I agree. And I would add that it also is based on the lie that there is no corruption at the state or federal level. How long ago was it when they found their own national Drug Czar was taking $400,000+ a MONTH from the cartels?!

    Also, it seems to me that whistle blowers and the righteous cops will have a MUCH harder time; they will be much more influenced by the peer pressure of the corrupt cops, who would then have much more power over them.

    As far as the root causes of societal collapse, I highly recommend this book (although I listened to the CDs): Jared Diamond, Collapse. And please note this guy (Diamond) is NOT a religious guy.

    ReplyDelete

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