100 days of blood: Mexico murder rate increases in 2019

According to official reports, Mexico’s murder rates increased to historic figures in the first three months of 2019. Authorities confirmed the death of 8,493 people from January 1st to March 31st which is a 9.6% rise compared to the same period in 2018.

This contradicts the publicly expressed aims of newly elected Mexican president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who promised to decrease violence in Mexico during his presidential campaign and the creation of a new security force: The National Guard; a 80,000 person strong security force to be implemented by the end of 2019.

In 1997 homicide records began to be kept by the National System for Public Security (NSPS). Since this time, Mexico’s deadliest year was in 2018 when 33,369 people were killed. President Lopez Obrador has expressed that he has inherited a violent country from his predecessor who also targeted violence during his term and was responsible for the arrest of drug lord: Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman.

Experts have expressed that even with successive Mexican presidents declaring a war on drugs in an attempt to defeat Mexico’s powerful drug cartels and even with the arrest of many high-profile cartel bosses, violence has not stopped. In fact, it has led to the number of victims rising with smaller cartels fighting for control in disputed areas. According to the NSPS, the state with the highest murder rate in 2019 was Guanajuato in central Mexico, where 947 people have been killed since the start of the year. This is the location of where two powerful cartel’s dispute control.

The weekend massacre of 2019

Thirteen people were killed in a club in Minatitlan, Veracruz. Investigations have revealed that rival cartels: Jalisco New Generation and Cartel dos Zetas are responsible for the act. Witnesses have confirmed that six masked men, heavily armed, approached the bar around 9pm local time, killing the bar’s owner and twelve others that were nearby, including a one-year old baby. Local police believe this type of crime is related to rival cartels controlling businesses around the region.

Kidnapping, extortion and oil theft are a few of the other activities local cartels practice in Veracruz.

Is a Latin American dictatorship close to collapse?

2019 has only just began and the World has turned its eyes to Venezuela.

Tensions have escalated after tens of thousands protesters streamed on to the street of Caracas to what has been described as the final push to force Nicolas Maduro from power.

The once stable South American country is stuck in a downward spiral of inflation, general shortages and political discontent, with many Venezuelans placing blame for the crisis directly at Maduro’s government.

Tensions rose in the Latin America country when many of Venezuela’s neighbours did not recognize the re-election of Nicolas Maduro, for another 6 years mandate. Instead, Maduro’s opposition leader, Juan Guaido, is recognised as the legitimate president by many South American nations, including: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Peru and Columbia. The USA has publicly recognized Guaido as the country’s legitimate President.

To intensify its support, The USA has implemented sanctions preventing state oil company, PDVSA, from taking profits on crude exports to American refineries, cutting off the main source of Venezuelan government revenue, placing Maduro under pressure to step aside in favour of Guaido’s leadership.

Australia, the UK and European Union support Guaido, while Russia and China have demonstrated their support to Nicolas Maduro or focus on stability and social order, demonstrating their deep financial ties to Venezuela. Both Nations are against a potential American intervention and praise a Venezuelan response from political crisis.

How Venezuela’s political crisis unfolded?

March 2013 - Vice president Nicolas Maduro took office after Hugo Chavez died of cancer

February 2014 – Venezuelan forces arrest opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez on charges which led to a wave of protests against the government

December 2015 – Oil prices collapsed, there was prolonged recession and rising inflation

July 2017 – Venezuela calls a referendum which is a process usually held for rewriting the constitution, leading to accusations that Maduro is undermining democracy

May 2018 – Maduro gets re-elected with allegations of vote-buying by the government. United States and Lima group do not recognize the results

January 2019 – Maduro initiates his second six-year term, ignoring the advice of several Latin American governments. Unknown opposition lawmaker, Juan Guaido, swears himself in as interim president. Getting recognised by the United States and many of Venezuela’s neighbours

February 2019 – General Francisco Yanez calls on armed forces to rebel against Maduro and his government. Nicolas Maduro refuses humanitarian help coming from Columbia and Brazil, closing both boarders with armed militia.

Author: Yuri Maia is a Geopolitical Analyst at Informed Australia

This article can be republished with attribution under a Creative Commons Licence.