Last week, the Wall Street Journal published an article by Mary Anastasia O’Grady, reminding readers that nine mayors have been assassinated in Mexico in the past year.
That brings me to the title of today’s column: Washington is watching the political violence in Mexico. And here we must add, “it is doing so with deep concern.” You know Americans; everything becomes a critical national security issue for them.
The problem is that if we look at this with a cool head—something we’ve recently learned to do—we’re going to have to agree. Because you’ll agree that they’re right in Washington to be worried. And they’re also right to think that this is a problem that will affect their “national security.”
Before, in Mexico, we were used to no one paying attention, or seemingly not paying attention, to what was happening internally among Mexicans, but, quite frankly, those days are over.
Today, with the Trump administration, there are a lot of new officials who arrived with Marco Rubio, the current Secretary of State and National Security Advisor, who see Mexican border security as compromised and deeply damaged. Therefore, they see the possibility that this could spill over and spread to the United States.
Yes, you are right to say that Americans like to be afraid of their neighbor, while at the same time failing to realize that the problems of drug trafficking and regional instability are no longer exclusive to Mexico. Now, these two major issues are also present on the continental United States.
Something this is also causing is that U.S. officials are now pushing for greater cooperation with the new Mexican government. The problem is that it doesn’t end there. You should know that, at the same time, possible intervention strategies are being debated within the very heart of U.S. politics.
The following are key aspects of Washington’s perspective: I’m sharing them with you so you can understand what’s happening.
When people in Washington talk about “Threats to National Security,” they are referring to the violence, fueled primarily by Mexico’s powerful criminal organizations.
This wouldn’t be seen as such a massive and growing problem if organized crime in Mexico weren’t viewed as a phenomenon that has grown in power and influence.
This is what makes it a direct threat to U.S. security: The State Department has issued a new Level 3 travel advisory for Mexico, specifically warning against travel to several high-risk states due to crime and kidnapping.
Meanwhile, the U.S. government has no choice but to support Mexican efforts against organized crime and domestic violence.
This explains why official U.S. policy emphasizes providing full support to the Mexican government in its efforts to combat the cartels and restore internal order. This situation is especially pronounced at the municipal level, which is where criminal groups in Mexico tend to exert the most influence.
This support involves intelligence sharing, but be warned, this requires strengthening Mexico’s civilian police and judicial institutions, something the Claudia Sheinbaum administration has promised but is taking far too long to deliver.
In Washington, Congress is back after its 43-day shutdown. Now, what you will see and hear very clearly are expressions of concern from both Democrats and Republicans. You will hear it in the political debates, and be prepared, because these people like to say things in these debates that will be very hurtful to Mexico and Mexicans.
Here, we need to emphasize that the United States likes to say it is concerned about the level of violence and the influence of the cartels. But this situation, frankly, crossed the border a long time ago.
Ladies and gentlemen, we must acknowledge this. Cartel violence has long since crossed the border:
Today, Mexican cartels, and their associates in the United States, pose a significant threat to American communities and law enforcement agencies of all types and levels on this side of the border.
While, due to U.S. law enforcement structures, much of the large-scale extreme violence is concentrated in Mexico, U.S. agencies confirm that cartels operate extensively within the United States and are responsible for a wide range of violent crimes.
Source: tvazteca
