Cartels, from Mexico to the world

For my father, Emilio, who taught me
almost everything I know and miss so much.

Busy as we are in the choice and the post-electoral process, the organized crime ha proven In the days after the elections that the insecurity and violence will not stop only with votes. On the contrary, they feel empowered and try in this transition period of strengthen their positions in the face of the very extensive change of authorities that will begin at the federal, state and municipal levels in the coming weeks.

But there are much broader phenomena. He European Drug Monitoring Center reported this week that Europe is literally flooded with cocaine from South Americaso much so that the seizures of that drug in the European Union are older than those that are achieved in United States. Yesterday it was reported a large operation to seize tons of cocaine and the dismantling of a network of the so-called Albanian mafia, with strong ties, by the way, in the southeast of our country.

Sources of the Colombia National Police They were talking these days about coca plantations that they were trying to establish mexican cartels in Michoacán, Chiapas and Oaxaca. It may be, but the Coke occurs in ideal conditions in the Andean region of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia. There have been tests to see if coca is produced in Mexico since at least 1994, and they have never been truly successful, among other reasons because the conditions are not ideal, but also because the Andean countries have all the infrastructure to plant it, transform the coca paste into cocaine and produce it in million-dollar quantities.

Neither do mexican cartels They need to develop it in Mexico because for years they have intervened widely in Colombia, Ecuador and Peru, they have partners, they own complete sectors of the process and are central actors in a traffic that in many cases no longer necessarily needs to pass through Mexico (although it continues to do so and in industrial quantities). In Colombia, President Gustavo Petro did not combat the cultivation and production of cocaine for almost two years, which gave criminal groups the possibility of acquiring a huge stock that they are now placing in much of the world. In Ecuador, the conflict that Daniel Novoa’s government is experiencing is largely due to the decision it made to try to close the door to these groups, while they enjoy a lot of space to operate in both Bolivia and Venezuela, with strong complicity. of the authorities.

The presence of Mexican groups, with their local partners, extends across several nations in Central and South America. They have a strong presence in Brazil and Argentina and are growing in Chile and Paraguay. From these nations, cocaine is sent to Europe, often passing through African nations, where they have also settled with local partners and thanks to the extensive corruption of the authorities.

And it reaches Europe in increasing numbers through Spain, through the Netherlands, through different ports of entry: there are Galician, Muslim, Dutch, Russian, Serbian mafias, the traditional Italian mafias, and from other countries, although the European authorities insist in which the most powerful and diversified is the Albanian one, and it is the one that seems to have the greatest links with Latin American criminal groups, including Mexican ones.

In addition, there are structural reasons for this diversification and opening of new markets with cocaine. The same amount of cocaine continues to enter the United States from our country as always, but the big business of organized crime in Mexico is no longer in coca (which is still a highly profitable business) but in synthetic drugs and especially in fentanyl, which leaves geometric profits compared to its very low production costs. That is why more and more synthetic drugs and cocaine arriving in the United States are mixed with fentanyl. Cocaine, of which there is enormous production especially in Colombia, then directs its surpluses towards Europe and Asia (in addition to Latin American countries, where consumption is already very high, especially in Argentina and Brazil).

This entire scenario serves to exhibit the very complex plot that exists behind Mexican organized crime, the way in which they have used these years of empowerment to spread not only in the country but also globally, and the enormous challenge that awaits the next administration. if you want to regain security.

The judicial truce

Yesterday, Claudia Sheinbaum reiterated that the election of judges will be by popular vote. This Monday the results of the “impartial” survey that Morena will carry out will be announced, while at some point the announced consultation will be carried out. All in the midst of accusations and blows. Let’s insist on what we said yesterday: shouldn’t we have a judicial truce while what will happen is defined? Who can guarantee, in the midst of so much pressure, that judges, magistrates and ministers do not bend in one direction or another in key cases in the midst of so much pressure, when their future is at stake?

Edomex and security

There will be fundamental changes in public security in the state of Mexico. Andrés Andrade leaves office, a man very close to General Audomaro Martínez and who had strong differences with the government secretary Horacio Duarte, and in his place arrives an experienced specialist who was secretary of security in Sinaloa for several years, Lieutenant Colonel Clemente. Castañeda does so with the full support of Governor Delfina Gómez and her military commanders.

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