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The strategy of the Mexican Federal Government has been reduced to a sad farce. Last week, President Calderon finally convened a summit meeting of governors and senior officials in Mexico City. The result was a list of 75 “promises” that are little more than vacuous statements that will have zero impact.
I’ve attached a short article/ book review appearing online at Proceso.com. A soon-to-be-released book by the famous Mexican Journalist Julio Scherer Garcia will go on sale this week in Mexico City. Scherer’s book is based on extensive interviews with Sandra Avila Beltran who has been given the nickname “Queen of the Pacific”. Sandra Avila Beltran is related to the notorious Arrellano Felix brothers who control the drug trade in Baja California (Tijuana) and who have a reputation as being amongst the most unpredictable and violent drug lords in Mexico. She was arrested last year along with her latest companion-husband who was one of the most wanted “drug dealers” from Colombia. The Calderon government believes that Sandra Avila Beltran is one of the chief money launderers for the Arrellano Felix family and that her husband was the principle contact with Colombian cocaine sources. If you understand Spanish, you might enjoy the YouTube of her arraignment at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWvbagSr6BQ or the longer newsreport about this arrest at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TuBZX0O4bU&NR=1 Even if you don’t understand Spanish, they’re “fun to watch”. Watch and decide for yourself if this woman could possibly be the most important link between Mexico and Colombia!
The nickname “Queen of the Pacific” is an interesting case of Art Imitating Life and Life Imitating Art. A famous narco-corrido about a fictional female drug dealer inspired a best-selling international book by Arturo Perez-Reverte called “Queen of the South— La Reina del Sur”. ( http://www.amazon.com/Queen-South-Arturo-Perez-Reverte/dp/0452286549). The Calderon Government and Mexican media have dubbed Sandra Avila Beltran “Queen of the Pacific” — arguably to convince us that she is one of the most important drug dealers/money-launderers captured in the Calderon initiative in the drug wars.
The attached article also makes reference to a couple of upcoming “marches” and “protests” scheduled for this weekend. One march will be a silent protest march against violence and crime (primarily drugs and kidnapping) and it has been heavily promoted in several newspapers. Another march is scheduled to protest the government plans to “restructure” the national oil monopoly Pemex — basically allow some of it to be privatized and opened up to foreign investment.
Pemex to Mexicans is like “health care” or “the CBC” to Canadians. Pemex has been a source of national pride and a symbol of Mexican independence ever since Presiden Lazaro Cardenas appropriated it in the late 1930’s. Felipe Calderon’s government shares an ideology with Stephen Harper and with George Bush, and has actively worked to turn it over to non-government investors.
and translated by J. Creechan
Sociedad narca por josé gil olmos 28 Agosto 2008 | Narco Society By José Gil Olmos August 28, 2008 |
MEXICO, D.F., 27 de agosto (apro).- La “sociedad narca” es un término que pocas veces se ha escuchado pero con mucho tino define una situación y una condición que se vive en todo el país: la integración del poder del narcotráfico como forma de vida en la sociedad y, aún más, como parte del Estado y del sector político. | Mexico,Federal District, 27 of August (approx). The “narco society” is a term heard only a few times recently, but it accurately defines a situation and condition experienced by the entire country: the intrusion of the power of narco-trafficking as a norm of social life, and even worse, as a component of State and the political sector. |
En su último libro, La Reina del Pacífico, el periodista Julio Scherer García descubre este término en su larga entrevista con Sandra Ávila Beltrán, bautizada así por el gobierno de Felipe Calderón en un intento por justificar su lucha contra el narcotráfico pretendiendo vestir a esta mujer, nacida en Tijuana, como “el enlace más peligroso” que hay entre los cárteles de México y Colombia, algo que, en realidad, está muy lejos de ser cierto. | In his latest book, The Queen of the Pacific, journalist Julio Scherer Garcia unveils to this term during an extensive interview with Sandra Avila Beltran— baptized with that moniker by Felipe Calderon’s government to validate his struggle against narco-traffic, in hopes of fingering this woman from Tijuana as the “the most dangerous link” between Mexican and Colombian cartels — something far from being true in reality. |
A lo largo del libro, el lector puede ir descubriendo el significado profundo de este término que retrata muy bien el enorme poder que el narcotráfico ha alcanzado entre la sociedad civil y política en nuestro país. | Throughout the book, the reader will continually see the deeper significance of this term that perfectly describes the tremendous power that narco-traffic has attained in civil society and the political life of this country. |
“En la sociedad narca la riqueza como que brota –describe Sandra Ávila-- un día eres pobre y al siguiente millonario. Pero cómo se hace el dinero sólo lo saben los que lo hacen. Tú no los escuchas a propósito ni averiguas qué tan serias podrían ser las relaciones entre ellos. Pero si adviertes que de pronto lucen brillantes y piedras preciosas, mujeres de alto vuelo, que compran residencias que habitan y abandonan casi al mismo día, que se hacen dueños de edificios u hospitales, como en Guadalajara, o un hotel, como en Mazatlán, lleno de flores. Yo no sé cómo se arreglan con las autoridades, pero se arreglan. Un día cambian de estilo y se vuelven echadores. Te enteras de reuniones discretas, cerca del misterio, pero no más. Vas sabiendo sin saber que vas sabiendo. Y un día sabes. ¿Cómo es eso? No sé. Pero sé que es así”. | “In narco society, wealth flourishes everywhere– says Sandra Ávila — one day you’re poor and the next a millionaire. But how this money is earned is known only to those that earn it. You don’t hear the reasons nor question how it worked, nor do you think about the nature of your involvement with them. But you do know that brilliant and precious rocks will be shining soon, women who are high-flyers, that it’s possible to buy houses that you can occupy or abandon on almost the same day, that you can own buildings or hospitals, such as those in Guadalajara, or a hotel, full of flowers like the one Mazatlán. I don’t know how they arrange it with the authorities, but they do. One day they change their style and come back boastful. You hae discrete encounters, surrounded by mystery, but nothing else. You continue without knowing what you know. And one day you do know. How is this so? I don’t know. But I do know that’s how it is.” |
Añade: “La sociedad narca es dura, cruel y en su propio espacio es una sociedad en sí misma. No hay código que valga la pena en la disputa por el poder. Tampoco hay leyes que resuelvan las disputas y no se ve autoridad que pudiera imponerse al caos que va y viene, siempre presente y haciéndose sentir”. | And she adds: “Narco society is hard, cruel, and in its own way is a society unto itself. There’s no code that measures out penalties in power struggles. Nor are there laws to resolve disputes and I don’t see any authority capable of intervening in the chaos that comes and goes, is always present and always on your mind”. |
En tanto, Scherer señala: “Escuchando a la señora me he ido haciendo una idea acerca de la sociedad narca: es expansiva y su dinero está por todos lados”. | Meanwhile, Scherer notes: “Listening to this lady made me to think about this idea of a ‘narco society’: it’s widespread and its money is everywhere”. |
Visto así, la “sociedad narca” es aquella que está impregnada por el poder de los carteles de la droga, por el dinero de los barones de los estupefacientes, que se hacen presentes en todos los sectores y en todos los niveles de gobierno, sin que nadie los detenga. | Seen as such, the “narco society” was inseminated by the power of the drug cartels, by the money barons of mind-altering drugs, that gives them a presence in all sectors and all levels of government without anyone able reign it in. |
La “sociedad narca” está formada por las familias de los capos de la droga, pero también por sus amigos, por los políticos con los que se asocian, por los gobernantes que los protege o que, incluso, se dedican al mismo negocio; por los militares que los solapan detrás de las montañas de dinero que son capaces de amasar en poco tiempo; por los banqueros que cierran los ojos para no ver la entrada de millones de dólares a sus sistemas financieros; por los ediles que compran desde que son candidatos; por algunos periodistas que se emplean como voceros; por algunos empresarios a los que sólo les importan sus negocios, y por los policías y jueces que juegan a la justicia cuando en realidad sirven para legalizar laimpunidad. | The “narco society” consists of the families of drug lords, but also their friends, by politicians they hang around with, by governments that protect them or, even involved themselves in the same business; by the military they corrupt with piles money that they’re capable of amassing on short notice; by bankers who close their eyes and don’t see the millions of dollars entering their financial systems; by town counselors who’ve been bought and paid for beginning with their candidacy; by some journalists who serve as spokesmen; by businessmen to whom they bring their dealings, and by police and judges who play with justice when in reality they’re working to legalize impunity. |
El narcotráfico se ha hecho cultura en nuestro país. La “sociedad narca” tiene a sus santos --Malverde y la Santa Muerte--, su propia música, sus ídolos y héroes y su moneda establecida por el precio de la kilo de estupefaciente. Tiene su territorio y sus propias reglas de autogobierno. Tiene a su ejército –Los Zetas--, y a sus propias autoridades. En fin, en medio del Estado mexicano se ha erigido en un pequeño y poderoso estado que controla muchos de los hilos del poder a nivel nacional. | Narco-traffic has emerged as a culture in our country. The “narco-society” has its saints — Jesus Malverde and Most Holy Death—, its own music, its idols and heroes and its money linked to the price of a kilo of narcotics. It has its turf and its own rules of governance. It has its army — Los Zetas—, and its own authorities. In short, in the middle of the Mexican State there has emerged a small and powerful state that pulls many of the strings of power on a national level. |
La falta de entendimiento de los alcances del problema por parte del gobierno de Felipe Calderón es lo que lo ha hecho caer derrotado ante el enorme poder del narco y hacer notar el error cometido de utilizar la fuerza militar cuando la propia Constitución lo impide. | Felipe Calderon’s government failure to understand of the widespread nature of this problem explains its defeats at the hands of enormously powerful narco traffickers and emphasizes the mistake made in using military force even though the Constitution does not allow it. |
Ya lo hemos dicho: para empezar una verdadera lucha contra este metapoder es necesario tomar acciones que les duela, no deteniendo algunos cabecillas que luego escapan como fue el “Chapo”, sino decomisando el dinero que ganan y que lo meten a lavar en el sistema financiero y bancario. | Now we've said it: to begin a real battle against this “meta-power” it’s necessary to engage in actions that harm them, not just the arrests of some group leaders who can later escape like “Shorty Guzman” did, but by confiscating the money that they’ve earned and that they’ve laundered in the financial and banking system. |
Al mismo tiempo, actuando contra los policías y sus jefes que se emplean a los diferentes narcos, a los gobernadores y presidentes municipales que se hacen socios, a los policías y jueces cómplices, a los militares que juegan doble juego. | At the same time, it’s important to strike against the police and its leaders who are in the employ of different narcos, to strike against the governors and municipal mayors who are their buddies, against the police and complicit judges, and against the military who are double agents. |
Calderón se engaña a si mismo, no a la sociedad, cuando dice que “ahora si” va con todo para acabar con el crimen organizado –narco, secuestradores, etcétera-- pues al hacerlo a través de los mismos mecanismos policiacos, legales y militares, está repitiendo el mismo error de antes. | Calderon only helps himself, and not society, when he says that “now is the time” to throw everthing at organized crime — narcotics, kidnappings etc. — but to do this be means of the same police mechanisms, legal instruments and military, is repeating the same error made before. |
Sólo con la caída de un gobernador o presidente municipal, que los hay, involucrados en el crimen organizado, sólo con la detención de algunos militares o banqueros que solapan, o con la caída de un alto funcionario al servicio de los jefes del narcotráfico, es como la sociedad podrá ver que el combate va en serio. | Only the fall of a governor or a mayor, those linked to organized crime, or only the arrest of some military or bankers who are reaping profits, or the fall of some functionary in the service of the narco chiefs, will be how society can see that the battle is being taken seriously. |
Mientras tanto, si no se actúa de fondo, la “sociedad narca” se seguirá reproduciendo y extendiendo cada vez más y con ella su poder será imbatible para cualquier gobierno. Este es el verdadero interés de la sociedad, no la reforma de Pemex. Así lo veremos con claridad el próximo fin de semana cuando se realicen las dos marchas programadas precisamente bajo estos dos temas. | Meanwhile, it no action is taken to get at the roots of the problem, the “narco society” will continue reproducing and extending it’s reach more and more, and with its power will be unstoppable by any government. This is what needs to be done to serve the people, not the restructuring of PEMEX. We will clearly see that this is true at the end of this week when the two issues are protested by the scheduled public marches. |
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