The Drug War in Mexico
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The Drug War in Mexico
The drug problem in Mexico is indeed a traditional one and one that has been there for a long time. The drug trafficking problem and the war on drugs is not only a problem at local and national levels of the Mexican government but also at the international system level. As a matter of fact, due to the violence associated with narcotic drugs and Mexico being at the center stage, this has been classified as form of terrorism known as narco terrorism. Therefore, the narcotic drug menace is not only a national challenge but is also of international magnitude. As a battle, so far it has proved to be unwinnable. This paper thus seeks to uncover some of the reasons why the drug war in Mexico is unwinnable from a logical point of view.
Logically, the war on drugs is a dominant subject and agenda in international relations. The fact that drug war is associated with terrorism “narco terrorism” has also had an impact on the drug menace. It is therefore clear that the war on drugs is not only a problem in Mexico but also in International relations which broadly explores the relations of state and non state actors in the international system. The rationality behind this argument is that if the drug menace is an international challenge, what are the chances of the Mexican government winning this battle nationally? Therefore, due to this international magnitude, the drug war in Mexico is unwinnable.
Secondly, the systems and government structures that have been put in place to pursue the war on drugs more often than not have been enveloped by corrupt practices. People who could play a big role in combating the drug trade engage in corrupt practices, from which they benefit individually, at the expense of many other citizens. For example, they may take bribes before allowing the drugs to move from place to place instead of impounding the drugs and apprehending those responsible. Some of the people who make the drug trade in Mexico a success, as a result of their corrupt engagements include: the law enforcement officers, the logistic officials among others. The war against drugs can become fruitful if these officials would only abide to the laws and their duties as required.
Rich drug lords also play a big role in making it hard to win the drug war. With their vast wealth, they are able to set up effective and safe drug trade networks. They provide the necessary infrastructure such as vehicles to transport the drugs. They are even able to provide places where the drugs can be safely packed, awaiting transportation to their destinations. They are also opportunists as they take advantage of poor Mexicans and employ them to enable the transportation by putting them on their payroll and paying them lots of money if they make the drug trade a success to the drug lords. The rich drug lords can also obtain firearms and other sophisticated weapons they can use to fight against law enforcement officers who may come in their way or try to interfere with the trade.
The drug trade is not just an issue, but a serious social problem to the Mexican people. Sadly, the issue has been politicized to an extent that it is difficult to fight the drug trade. Some politicians claim that law enforcement officers or anti-drug units to be ineffective just because drug trade is rampant in Mexico. This makes such bodies face a lot of criticism and high-level negativity from the general public. The majority therefore lacks faith in the Mexican law enforcement officers and any other entity that wages war against drug trade. As a result, there is minimal cooperation between the Mexican public and such bodies when it comes to fighting drug trade.
