The news from Mexico keeps getting more chilling. I’ve noted in several posts — see here and here — the escalating violence in our neighbor to the south and the resulting risks for our country. Time now has a story about the recent assassination of Edelmiro Cavazos, the mayor of Santiago, Mexico. The assassination of a political figure is bad enough, but what really makes the story disturbing is that the mayor’s own police officers apparently have confessed to participating in the killing.
Tales of corruption involving the Mexican security forces — where government officials shake down tourists or foreign businesses or accept bribes to look the other way when illegal transactions occur — are legendary. There is an obvious difference, however, between petty corruption and outright participation in political murders. If police officers and security personnel switch sides and join the drug gangs, there could be a breakdown of social order and Mexico could become much more dangerous than it already is.
America should pay more attention to Mexico. We should offer them whatever assistance we can to help them deal with the problems of the drug gangs — and we should take the steps necessary to make sure that our border is secure and the violence cannot spill over into our country.
