The bigger picture: analyzing the Drug cartel and the future of Mexico

There was a recent release of a comprehensive data bank that shows all drug related killings in Mexico. This data bank shows the complex world of the drug cartel, how deep seethed the problem is and the complex problems between criminal groups that smuggle the drugs to the US soil. In the past, people can only see tallies, statistics and mere numbers by the media and every now and then, the sporadic and confusing information from the government. Now, there is a more comprehensive list and data base not only showing the details of gang members murdered but also those police and civilians who were caught in between the drug cartel wars.

This document, though a much better read to analyze the situation in Mexico, casts a looming cloud of darkness with the extent of the casualties of the drug wars. Some criticize that this is only one side of the complex conflict for drugs. This new data has shown that from 2006 until 2010, from the time when Felipe Calderon became the president, the total number of killings spiked up to 34,162. In 2010, Mexico has seen the nastiest bloodbath with the military intervention called by Calderon that cost the lives of more than 15,000 people. According to the Mexican president, this database can help in improving the accountability as well as transparency.

He also pointed out that this document will provide a more open access for the public as the fight against organized crimes is being carried out by the federal government. Of the fatalities, almost 90% are said to be members of the gangs that are competing to have control over the routes that are used to deliver drugs to the US. The government is saying that the crackdown of the cartels is making the gangs feel the heat but for critics of the government, it only fuels the violence instead of curbing it.

Data is showing already the awful facts about the security around Mexico and by the US border. The drug related deaths in some towns or cities have elevated to around 1800% from 2006 to 2010. In some areas, the killings are very low and most areas of the country are spared by these awful events. In the database, it shows that only 85 of the thousands of municipalities situated in Mexico have drug related homicides. This global presence of the violent murders is fueled by high profile killings in recent history.

So what about the future? According to Alejandro Poire, the spokesman for the government security, the murders related to drugs have decreased by 10% at the end of 2010 and that is what the officials are hoping to elevate to better numbers. In the coming year, the presidential race is about to preside again and the drug cartel issue will be the hottest topic. Mexico's overall state of security is marred by the daily news coverage of beheadings and other gruesome killings. The sad part of it all is that the Mexicans seem to be used to the concept of fear instead of living a quiet and happy life.