Freedom and (In)Security in Juarez, Mexico
(The Associated Press, 7/10)Ciudad Juarez, a Mexican city near the United States border, is largely considered to be the most dangerous city in the world. In 2008, this border city was home to 1,605 homicides, including the murders of federal, state, and city police officers. The majority of these murders are committed by members of rival drug cartels fighting over control of drug trade routes between Mexico and the United States.
Despite the fact that over 10,000 national troops and elite police units are stationed in Ciudad Juarez, the city is currently averaging 250 murders per month. On September 1st, 2009, four men were arrested for the murders of 211 people. On August 28th, 2009, eight people were murdered in the city’s streets including a prosecutor, a lawyer, two policewomen, a clown performer and a gardener. Dozens of murders take places in a time span of a few hours while armed groups terrorize the citizens of Juarez in broad daylight.
The problem Juarez is experiencing reaches beyond drug cartels, smugglers, and the police into the lives of the citizens of Juarez. This summer, children did not celebrate a break from school on playgrounds because parents feared that their children would become innocent victims in the violent drug war. Drug cartels are “taxing” business and restaurant owners to keep the businesses safe from rival gangs. Owners who do not agree to the tax often watch their businesses go up in flames. This war continues to intensify as violence spills into all sectors of the community.
1. Who benefits from the current situation in Juarez, Mexico? Who does not benefit from the current situation in Juarez, Mexico?
2. For whom did security increase in Juarez? For whom did security decrease in Juarez?
3. Whose freedom has increased because of the situation in Juarez? Whose freedom has decreased because of the situation in Juarez?
The drug cartel benefits from this situation, they gain power, respect, and money. The citizens of Juarez don't benefit because they're constantly living in fear. The security increases for the businesses who agree with the drug cartel protection while the citizens and other businesses suffer. The drug cartel has the ultimate freedom and the citizens have no freedom at all.
ReplyDeleteThe people who benefit from the current situation in Juarez are the members of the Cartel who go around murdering innocent people. They get the glory and respect from each other and the feeling of being in power, as well as the money. The residents of Juarez don't benefit because they have a constant fear of being murdered. They don't get to live their lives like the way they would like to. The security increases for the people who help with the cartel protection while the other residents suffer. The drug cartel has all the freedom they want while the residents have no freedom at all.
ReplyDelete1. The drug cartels benefit the most off of the citizens in Juarez, Mexico. While the citizens do not benefit due to the constant harassment of cartels, lack of government, and the fact that they are in the crossfire of the cartels.
ReplyDelete2. Sercurity increased for the cartels, if the police are powerless then they in turn gain protection. The citizens lose protection because without police they are controlled by the gangs.
3. The cartels freedom increases due to the lack of government, but the citizens of Juarez freedom decreases because in some cases they can't even leave there home.
The drug cartel benefits more from this situation, they gain power, and money. The citizens of Juarez don't benefit because they're constantly living in fear. The security increases for the businesses who agree with the drug cartel protection while the citizens and other businesses suffer through the police they controlled by gangs. The drug cartel has the ultimate freedom and the citizens have no freedom at all. In that case they can't even leave their own homes.
ReplyDelete1. The cartels, and smugglers benefit because they are the ones getting money and something out of selling. The people of the of the city aren't because they are scared of what can happen to themselves.
ReplyDelete2. The security increased for the kids because the parents didn't want them to get into the bad things that were happening. The security decreased for adults because wherever the adults were, they would get killed out in the open.
3. There was freedom in Juarez but they didn't really use their freedom because nobody wanted to get killed or hurt.