“Fuchi, Guacala!”

Everyone remembers the recent afternoon of October 17, 2019, when Culiacán, Sinaloa was completely paralyzed by an all-out-war. WhatsApp group chats and Twitter were littered with videos of sicarios holding military-grade weapons that not even the Mexican army had at their disposal. The story goes that an operative apprehended Ovidio Guzman, the son of the infamous “Chapo” Guzman. When word got out, all hell broke loose. The military decided to let him go in order to save the city and their families from further turmoil. The following day a video was released where the Mexican military “made peace” with the Sinaloa Cartel. This mutual acknowledgment of authority between two parties is a strong blow to the power and reputation of Mexico’s government. 

This month, on November 5th, a convoy of American citizens traveled from Chihuahua to Arizona. They never made it past the border. A total of ninewere murdered, including two 8-month-old twins, while half a dozen were gravely injured. After this incident, President Trump readily tweeted, “This is the time for Mexico, with the help of the United States, to wage WAR on the drug cartels and wipe them off the face of the earth. We merely await a call from your great new president.” Nonetheless, AMLO told Trump this is a Mexican problem and thus does not need American intervention. This conclusion is seriously flawed. Since American citizens were victims of this ”Mexican” problem, it is now America’s problem as well. Mexico seems to be losing power to the narcos, which threaten Mexico’s statehood.

According to famed political theorist Max Weber, statehood is defined by a “human community that (successfully) claims the monopoly of the legitimate use of physical force within a given territory.” This means that the government is the sole owner of the use of violence. The recent trend of unchecked criminal activity has undermined our government’s power. The Sinaloa Cartel appears to be above the law, or more terrifyingly, be the law themselves. As shown by the recent operative, no one, not even the government, is able to fully control them. Back when the government completely neglected their towns, the narcos built necessary infrastructure such as hospitals, schools and roads using their drug money. They provided security for the entire community through the infamous ”cobro de piso.” For these reasons, they are hailed as godfathers in their respective hometowns. This alternate “narco government” undermines all official government functions and leads residents to lose faith in the power of the Mexican state. 

Once towns lose all incentives to recognize the federal government as the legitimate power in the nation, we know there’s a problem. Many thought that AMLO would unite and strengthen the country like previous socialist administrations in the past, most notably Lazaro Cardenas’. However, we have to face the reality that if we remain in fear, under the cartels’ thumbs, things will never improve. Instead of relying on messages like “abrazos no balazos,” it is imperative to realize that when we are in true need of aid, we must accept it from elsewhere. We must swallow our pride and choose what benefits all Mexicans and slowly restores our faith in the federal government. Only with this confidence can the government function properly and make Mexico the country it was always meant to be.