A massive gunbattle in the Mexican city of Culiacan that forced the government to free a drug lord’s son was shocking in some ways. But in many parts of Mexico, the government ceded the battle to the gangs long ago.
This Oct. 17, 2019 photo shows clouds of smoke from burning cars mar the skyline of Culiacan, Mexico. The Mexican city lived under drug cartel terror for 12 hours as gang members forced the government to free a drug lord.
“They are the law here. If you have a problem, you go to them. They solve it quickly,” said a young mother in the town of El Aguaje, in western Michoacan state. El Aguaje is so completely controlled by the Jalisco New Generation Cartel that the young wife of lime-grove worker - who would not give her name for fear of reprisals - can’t turn to police: They are too afraid to enter the town.
In some cases, the government has even defended cartel boundaries, apparently as part of its strategy of avoiding bloodshed at all costs. In many regions, cartels enriched by drug profits have held extensive control for at least a decade, buying off or cowing law enforcement and building huge arsenals, along with networks of informants to protect narcotics routes from the government or rivals.
“But what message does it send to people who are under the yoke of criminal organizations all over Mexico?” Shirk asked. “I think the message is, ‘You’re on your own. We’re not going to come in and rescue you because you could get killed in the process.’” Hence, soldiers are likely to avoid taking any initiative, slide into a passive role and do anything to avoid bloodshed.
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