People Choose Cartels over Government - When Governance Fails

People Choose Cartels over Government - When Governance Fails

In my last posting we addressed the issue of vigilantism and the issue of failed governance.  The posting was about what happens when governance fails and people take on the issue of establishing security themselves due to ineffectiveness of governance and a fear for their own safety.    We also noted that while gun trafficking and US drug consumption are tied to the Mexican drug problem; the problem is really about a failure in Mexican governance.  Mexicans don’t leave Mexico because it’s full of opportunity.  Mexicans leave Mexico in order to find a way to survive.  Those who don’t leave Mexico right away in search of opportunity may be partaking in the drug trade, or at least provide tacit support to the cartels in order to survive.  Ergo, the problem has Mexican origins.  Check out the video.

Apatzingan, Michoacan, Mexico (A marks the spot on the Google Map).


This piece, however, is about collusion…collusion of the population with cartel members.  This happens when a government has lost credibility with the people; a people who opted not to resort to vigilantism to resist the influence of narco-insurgents. On 13 December 2010, the LA Times posted a very interesting and disheartening article about a peace rally held by a Mexican town in support of a La Familia drug lord, his number two man and other cartel members who were recently killed by Mexican authorities.  The locals protested the actions of Mexican authorities.  Even the mayor of the town blamed the government for the violent results.

My question for the people is what about the cartel decapitation tactics, murders and kidnappings?

The LA Times article continues by highlighting the impact the cartels have made on some Mexican communities.  Ironically, while La Familia is heavily involved in the drug trade, they reportedly prohibit drug use in the local area.  This is the same group that decapitates their competitors.  The now dead La Familia leader was even reported to be a religious cult-like figure to local Mexicans in the area.

A number of questions can be asked, and thoughts shared, regarding this situation that must be taken into account; here are a few:

While the cartel likely enjoys some popular support is the article really accurate?  How do we know that the demonstration truly represent the sentiment of the local populace.  Maybe the protestors only represent a very small part of the town while other locals went into hiding.

Also, how do we know these demonstrators were not paid, or compelled, to protest in order to bring further discredit the government?  Yes, the government has issues, but soft-power methods like this may actually be a form of psychological deception/influence.  If it is a deception campaign, the Mexican government needs to be better at having someone improve their public relations image.  Similar tactics were employed by insurgents in Iraq.  Insurgents would hire demonstrators to protest against the US presence in Iraq as part of their campaign to influence the media and the population watching them, especially news consumers in the US.

And, even if the Mexican security forces are using heavy-handed tactics, it should be considered reasonable.  If only 2% of those arrested for their crimes are convicted, that means they will eventually be set free…only to take revenge against their informants, their families and local authorities by killing them.  It makes sense to kill them first whenever possible.

Also, take into account that each cartel member is likely to have his own family network.  That member's work, as disdainful as it may be, may be providing needs and goods to his network of family and friends, thus buying off their support.

What goods, services and/or voids do the cartels fill that the government does not?  What makes local communities support the cartels if it is not related to fear or extortion?

There are many other thoughts to take into account, these are but a few.  Mexico has a lot of internal issues to resolve, the cartels appear to only be one small part of that problem.