February 7, 2009 [LINK / comment]

Mafia brutality in Mexico

The narco-mafia crime wave in Mexico seems to be getting even worse, if that's possible. On Tuesday, the bodies of a Mexican general and two lower-ranking soldiers were found near the resort city of Cancun, and a prosecutor in the state of Quintana Roo called it an "execution" carried out by organized crime. Mexico's future depends on how its Army responds to this bloodthirsty challenge by the thugs. There were 5,400 murders reported in Mexico last year, double the number reported in 2007. Chihuahua and other states along the U.S. border are among the most dangerous areas. See CNN.com.

As spring break approaches, American college kids ought to think twice before heading to Cancun, or perhaps any other part of Mexico, which is on the brink of civil war. Part of the problem is that the entertainment industry in Mexico glorifies violence and often portrays the mafia as modern-day bandits, in the heroic tradition of Pancho Villa and Emiliano Zapata. In so doing, they justify barbarism. Before long, the security situation there may become as bad as it has been for the past few decades in Colombia, with guerrilla forces and narcotics gangs working in concert to destroy government authority. Fortunately, the situation in Colombia has been improving over the past two years.

Venezuela wins

The Venezuelan team has won the Caribbean Series, and Mexico came in second place; see Baseball.