The Economist assures that Mexican cartels benefited from the six-year term of the AMLO administration.
The English-language newspaper points out that the next president of Mexico must make the country safer since they claim that López Obrador failed.
During the last few days, different media outlets and foreign civil organizations have publicly pointed out President Andrés Manuel López Obrador and his security strategy as those responsible for the wave of violence that Mexico is going through. Among them is The Economist.
On May 22, the world-renowned English-language weekly publication stated that during the six years of the Fourth Transformation (T4), criminal organizations have expanded to control drug and migrant trafficking.
As an example, they pointed out the various violent events that have been recorded in the Mexican state of Chiapas so far in 2024, such as the massacre in the municipality of Chicomuselo that left 11 people dead.
During the current administration, Chiapas has become a key area for drug trafficking due to several strategic factors. On the one hand, its geographical location on the border with Guatemala facilitates drug trafficking from South America to Mexico and the United States.
In addition, its difficult terrain and vast jungle region provide ideal hiding places and passage routes that complicate detection by authorities. Finally, extreme poverty and lack of opportunities in the region also contribute to cartels recruiting local labor for their operations.
The Economist notes that in addition to being poor, Chiapas is now dangerous.
“It is an example of the insecurity under President López Obrador and the government led by his Morena party as his six-year term comes to an end,” reads his article titled “Criminal gangs are showing their strength as they “Elections are coming up in Mexico,” the article reads.
“The increase in power and territory of the Mexican cartels has been evident during the 2023-2024 electoral process, since in states such as Guerrero, Zacatecas, and Michoacán the gangs have strengthened their control and act with more brazenness. This has been possible largely because local officials are particularly vulnerable to corruption or intimidation”, notes the Economist article.
Given this situation, The Economist warned that the June 2 elections, election day, could be ruined in that state.
“Gangs shape elections by killing candidates they consider hostile. At least 64 candidates, their relatives, or political operators have been murdered in this electoral cycle,” the article reads.
The Economist describes López Obrador as responsible for the deadliest period recorded in Mexico, with 180,000 murders in the last six years.
López Obrador’s focus on poverty, support for the Armed Forces, and his policy of ‘hugs, not bullets’ have also not helped to improve the insecurity situation present in the country.
Finally, the weekly publication warns that whoever wins the elections will have to make adjustments to the policies of his predecessor.
“They will have to act quickly or risk even greater insecurity,” The Economist concluded.
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