Did you know, that in 2009, over 2600 people were murdered in the city of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico? In contrast, that same year New York city had 412 murders. In fact, when you take into account the increasing numbers of murders each month, and compare that to last year's top ranking dangerous cities, Ciudad Juarez tops Moscow, Johannesburg and even Baghdad. Five hundred people have already been killed this year. Many have called it "the most dangerous city on earth."
Now, I know a little bit about Juarez because my dad grew up not far from there and we went to visit quite often. Back in the 80's it wasn't a really safe to be but it has become increasingly dangerous as the drug cartels have infiltrated the city. Right now there is a huge rivalry between the drug cartels over the smuggling routes into the United States. If you don't know this, Ciudad Juarez and El Paso, Texas are a stones throw away from each other. " El Paso and Ciudad Juarez comprise one of the largest bi national metropolitan areas of the world with a combined population of 2.4 million people."
The Mexican government has brought in over 10,000 troops to patrol the streets of Juarez in a martial law sort of attempt to get things under control and here's the scary part: they've completely failed. And the fact that the Mexican government is claiming victory over the war on drugs while people are dying at an average of 13 a day, have many questioning who is greasing who's pockets.
Those murdered range from college students to innocent bystanders to a U.S. consulate worker and her husband. That last murder made the news because the woman was a government worker. Gang members followed her and her husband home from a children's birthday party and shot them while their 1 year old baby sat in the back seat. But she's certainly not the first American to have been murdered. Just last week, thirteen Americans were killed, including four that were beheaded.
My question is, why don't we hear more about this? It's in the news, trickled here and there but honestly, had I not dug for it, I would have missed it. Shouldn't there be more news coverage about the most dangerous city on the earth being in our back door? Shouldn't there be someone telling us that travel might be dangerous? Shouldn't there be a public outcry about the safety of our U.S. border?
Hey, does anyone remember that time last year when President Obama got together with the Mexican President Calderon and they talked about making border control a "top priority"???? Yeah. I think someone dropped the ball.
It made BIG news here when the mayor of a local city was killed after being kidnapped. He'd been out to dinner with his wife, who was born there.
ReplyDeleteThe State Department warns not to travel to Mexico (except for Cancun and Acapulco).