Mexico's new leader unveils strategy to combat ongoing cartel violence
Date
10/13/2024 4:08:44 AM
(MENAFN) Mexico's newly elected president, Claudia Sheinbaum, unveiled her strategy on Tuesday to tackle the ongoing violence perpetrated by drug cartels. However, many analysts argue that her approach appears to be a continuation of the policies implemented by her predecessor, Andrés Manuel López Obrador. Sheinbaum emphasized her intent to enhance intelligence and investigative efforts, yet she seems to remain committed to the “hugs, not bullets” strategy that characterized López Obrador's administration. This approach involved refraining from direct confrontation with the cartels, opting instead for a reliance on the military and diplomatic appeals to gangs to maintain a semblance of peace.
Taking office just last week, Sheinbaum inherits a security landscape marked by escalating violence, with a homicide rate in Mexico for 2023 reaching approximately 24 per 100,000 inhabitants—more than quadruple the rate in the United States. Despite López Obrador's assurances, his government struggled to significantly reduce the homicide rate. Security analyst David Saucedo noted the persistent militarization of public safety measures, emphasizing that Sheinbaum's plan likely involves a similar continuation of social programs aimed at preventing youth recruitment into organized crime.
Omar García Harfuch, Sheinbaum's top security official, reiterated the administration's commitment to addressing the needs of impoverished families as part of its strategy. Former DEA official Mike Vigil described the newly proposed plan as "more of the same," suggesting a lack of innovative solutions to combat cartel violence. In recent years, officials have expressed growing concern about extortion, a crime that cartels have increasingly engaged in alongside migrant smuggling to bolster their revenues.
Sheinbaum attributed the high number of killings in Guanajuato, the state with Mexico's highest homicide rate, to systemic issues related to low wages. She stated, "Clearly, in Guanajuato there is a development model that has failed." However, Saucedo contested this viewpoint, explaining that poverty alone does not account for the violence. Guanajuato is both an industrial and agricultural hub, characterized by high drug use and critical transportation routes that cartels are vying for control of, as these pathways are vital for drug trafficking to the United States.
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