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ken_in_dfw

Nov 11, 2010, 7:46 PM

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"Help us, don't let us die"

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I don't care to rehash all the reasons why there is drug trafficking and crime, all I know is that this is appalling and a disgusting indictment of the governments on both sides of the border. Ciudad Miér, Tamaulipas, México is just 3 miles from the U.S. border. It was a town of 6,500 souls - now more than half evacuated. More than 100 people have been kidnapped in this town.

In the past few days, 300 people have fled from Ciudad Miér to Miguel Alemán in search of safe shelter. For those who speak Spanish, you can hear the mayor of Miguel Alemán describe the humanitarian crisis that has confronted his small city. In spite of little means and no support from the Tamaulipas government, they have opened a shelter and are providing food, medications and access to doctors for these refugees.

According to the McAllen Monitor, you can contact the Miguel Alemán city hall if you wish to provide assistance:

DIF Miguel Alemán, call 011 52 897 972 0155, open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Miguel Alemán City Hall, call 011 52 897 972 0935, open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Altahabana

Nov 12, 2010, 5:00 AM

Post #2 of 5 (2712 views)

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Re: [ken_in_dfw] "Help us, don't let us die"

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Ciudad Mier is on the Carretera Ribereña (Highway 2) which runs between Nuevo Laredo and Reynosa. Much of that stretch is a depopulated no-man's land and the scene of heavy fighting between the Zetas, Gulf cartel and the military. Nuevo Guerrero across from the Falcon Dam bridge crossing is a ghost town. Many parts of Tamaulipas are operating under de facto martial law right now and the governor has publically acknowledged that state and local law enforcement is incapable of maintaining order.

chinagringo

Nov 12, 2010, 6:32 AM

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Re: [Altahabana] "Help us, don't let us die"

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Some additional insight from MILENIO:
http://www.milenio.com/node/576469

While I am too Spanish challenged to fully understand just what the reporter and person he was interviewing were saying, the visual was depressing enough. One of the things that caught my attention was that the driver of the pickup was driving with one hand and pointing a pistol out the window with the other.
Regards,
Neil
Albuquerque, NM

DavidMcL

Nov 13, 2010, 11:43 AM

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Re: [ken_in_dfw] "Help us, don't let us die"

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Responding post deleted due to its being negative, hostile and aggressive and contributing nothing.

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richmx2

Nov 14, 2010, 7:47 PM

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Re: [ken_in_dfw] "Help us, don't let us die"

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ONe interesting -- and disturbing sidebar -- to this comes from Lourdes Cardenas of the El Paso Times (on her fine border blog, "Mexico In Focus") :

Until Nov. 6, there were not reports of refugees or communities displaced in Mexico because of the drug war. But that is not true anymore.

I don't think I'm the only one to note that the "Merida Plan" was just a copy of Plan Colombia -- which was supposedly to control narcotics production in that country, and ended up be used to force a military solution on social problems (complicated in Colombia by a 60 year old low-intensity civil war). Overall, Colombia narcotics exports have been steady or increasing since Plan Colombia started (way back under the Clinton Administration), AND -- more to the point -- Colombia has more "internally displaced persons" (i.e., refugees within their own nation) than any other country on the planet, probably including Iraq, where the shooting war is a lot more noticeable. The reported murder and violence rate in Colombia are even more dubious than those reported from Mexico, but the reported murders give a much, much higher percentage of violent deaths than for Mexico.

While there may be good reasons for the anti-narcotics smuggling "crusade," and maybe good reasons for militarization of the effort, in no way can it be said to prevent violence against ordinary citizens.

http://mexfiles.net
http://voiceofmexico.com
http://editorialmazatlan.com