Voices of Mexico no. 78

Our Voice

The Mexican government’s recent measures to fight organized crime are of the utmost importance. Both the campaigns against drug trafficking and the extradition of outstanding drug kingpins and heads of very powerful gangs like the Juárez and Gulf cartels have made headline news all over the world, but mainly in Mexico and the United States. These measures have been termed “monumental” by the U.S. ambassador in Mexico, Antonio Garza, and “unprecedented” by the U.S. Attorney General. Many of the U.S. political media have been surprised by a policy as significant and transcendental as this.

Regardless of these actions’ long-term effectiveness, it certainly is the case that they have involved a profound, grave decision on the part of the Felipe Calderón administration, a determination most Mexicans have supported and that will require a very cohesive society to withstand the repercussions inside the cartels, which may well respond very violently. Without a doubt, it is a decision that will very soon have an impact on our bilateral relations with the United States.