Public security

Over the last few weeks, I have posted (here, here, here, here, and here) about increasing insecurity in Mexico. Mexico City has always been a little wild-west-ish, but gunfights and executions along the border and the unsolved femicidios have increased demands for better policing in the last few weeks.

In response, the military was dispatched to keep the peace in Nuevo Laredo early this week. Meanwhile, there have been more assasinations and a police suicide. The Mexican government is going to ask the U.S. government to do more to stop the flow of guns into Mexico. (Mexico has tight gun control laws, despite the fact that security agencies carry shot guns and machine guns.)

Despite the new military presence, there have been two more assasinations reported in Nuevo Laredo. And two more drug war related deaths in Baja.

In response, the government announced a program targeting organized crime called Mexico Seguro, which will be implemented along the border and in the Federal District (a.k.a., Mexico City). The plan calls for increased coordination among the multiple police organizations.

Personal security is likely to become a key issue in the 2006 presidential elections here.

In the meantime, take a look at this photo of art on display at MUNAL. It’s a list of the names of missing or murdered women in Cuidad Juarez through spring 2003. Add a couple hundred additional names, and it would be up to date.

Click on image to see larger version