The Mexican national newspaper, La Reforma, revealed that this last week was the bloodiest since President Calderón began his war in Dec 2006. From Aug 21 to Aug 27 the newspaper recorded 318 executions across Mexico with 288 of them men and 30 women. Of these, 12 were tortured, 32 had messages attached to the bodies and 5 were decapitated. This number also includes 11 police officers and 1 soldier that have been killed in the past week.
La Reforma records 7,818 murders so far this year while El Universal counts it at 7,552 as of yesterday (an average of 32 per day). Ciudad Juárez has had 1,972 killings this year (an average of 8 per day).
Since Dec 2006 there have been over 28,752 killings in relation to the War on Drugs here in Mexico.
It should be noted that these are the MINIMUM numbers as there are many mass graves out there that have yet to be unearthed (if ever) as well as "disappearances", people who are kidnapped and never heard of again and no body found (so it is not counted in the execution stats).
For a map of the killings: click: Narco-killings
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http://www.twitter.com/wmmckay
La Reforma records 7,818 murders so far this year while El Universal counts it at 7,552 as of yesterday (an average of 32 per day). Ciudad Juárez has had 1,972 killings this year (an average of 8 per day).
Since Dec 2006 there have been over 28,752 killings in relation to the War on Drugs here in Mexico.
It should be noted that these are the MINIMUM numbers as there are many mass graves out there that have yet to be unearthed (if ever) as well as "disappearances", people who are kidnapped and never heard of again and no body found (so it is not counted in the execution stats).
For a map of the killings: click: Narco-killings
Follow on Twitter:
http://www.twitter.com/wmmckay
Hi Walter, thanks so much for posting this update. I agree with the "minimum numbers" comment and the same applies to the U.S. and Canada to a lesser extent. There are almost certainly "missing persons" out there who are in fact dead, having being murdered in a drug dispute as a consequence of prohibition.
ReplyDeleteWhat do you make of Blog Del Narco? I've been looking at it for a week or two and was thinking about translating the posts, but frankly, that's a lot of work. I did a quick translation of one recent post about the massacre of 72 undocumented migrants who declined to work for the Zetas after their vehicle was detained. The information struck me as credible and important, if incomplete. What do you think of it?
ReplyDeleteFrom what I have seen, it seems credible. The stories that I recognize as well as the facts and figures appear to be as accurate as anything else I see...if there is something that you want to confirm or fact check, let me know and I will try to verify it (or not) to the best of my ability.
ReplyDeleteWM
Sad.
ReplyDeleteAnd what's worse is reading the mean-spirited comments around the net from people wishing there were more deaths, or "they're only getting what they deserve," or "nuke 'em," so many U.S. citizens despise their own country's "values," and even more shame on those who say such things and then go to their houses of worship and worship God.
Then again, Drew,
ReplyDeleteNone of us are perfect! Hypocrites, all!
So many others are, so, quick to judge when their Bible warns what will happen to those that do! I just wish the Christian people were smarter about this! Brainwashing seems to have been effective,up to now!
The responses sound like the anti-abortionists who want to kill the abortion doctors, because they are "murderers" I guess they never listened to momma when they were told two wrongs don't make a right! How can Christians justify murder? Sad thing is, many people have received the death penalty, mistakenly! That is why I don't like the death penalty. I am sometimes weak enough to want to see vengeance against people like the Fort Hood shooter! But our system is broken and cannot be trusted!
I think we agree, mostly*. :-) Some websites I can't stand to read the comments. It's all "Obama is a Muslim Nazi Commie; Democrats are lower than dirt," and "Republicans are only evil scum." And any time Mexico or drug policy reform come up it's all "lock the druggies up longer," "gouge out their eyes," "throw their babies in the slammer with them to send a message." (I'm referring to a general news website.)
ReplyDeleteThere's always someone or someway to justify (in their own minds) whatever they want to. Seems to me I've heard more than a few cops, detectives, etc… on TV talk about people which society couldn't lock up quickly enough, and the govt. officials who dealt with them related how the criminal just thought he was an average nice guy or how the victims had it coming to them or some such and his axe murders were really a nice thing.
I believe in free speech, but I recall a segment on Bill Moyer's Journal (Oh so sad he retired!) about how various talk show hosts practically hypnotized people into violence through their on-air rants, some of which lead people to the conclusions that ______ should die or is better off dead. But that is the exact same reasoning used by the sickos who burned people at the stake. "These are such awful sinners, they are destroying themselves and harming others; they are better off dead."
* I guess my only nit is that not being perfect doesn't mean one is a hypocrite; many people don't deny their shortcomings. However, if one does claim to be perfect, I would agree with you.
If I may add a bit more to the "judging" situation.
Many people have heard someone say "judge not and be not judged." But ironically this in itself is a judgement! It's saying "I judged you as having judged." I think most of us readily agree that one can not avoid all judgements and decisions, one has to stand somewhere. (Although I don't mean to imply one has to have an opinion about everything. Suspending judgement is very handy at times.)
I think it's better to use the second part of Jesus' saying [Luke 6:37] "Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned."
Personally I'm not exactly sure how that first part got in there (the "judge not" part), since elsewhere Jesus is quoted as having said, "Stop judging by mere appearances, and make a right judgment." [John 7:24] and "Why don't you judge for yourselves what is right?" [Luke 12:57] But since I don't worship the Bible, these discrepancies don't bother me too much.
But one thing I whole-heartedly agree with, and it popped out in an essay — which I think extracted as a quote — is it seems the prohibitionists are trying to have it both ways. Yes Jesus said "be perfect" but he also said "be merciful." However, it seems many people apply the merciful standard to themselves, and the "be perfect" hurdle to others.
In related news, I'm not sure if you've read the CSM's Yes/No for "Should California legalize pot?," but I could make a far stronger case than C. Fay, except for why religion should not be legal. But even though I could do so, I still think religion should be legal.