AZMEX POLICY 17 MAY 2012
Note: As pointed out before, groups like Los Zetas, FARC, Chicago
democrats and the United Russia party have realized that government
can be the most profitable criminal enterprise.
Drug trafficking and organized crime seek to be an alternative to
power: OAS
[Drug]
By Notimex
17/05/2012 - 12:42 p.m.
http://www.zocalo.com.mx/seccion/articulo/narcotrafico-y-crimen-
organizado-buscan-ser-alternativa-de-poder-oea
Lima. - Drug trafficking and organized crime, which seek to operate
under their own "laws" and contradict the norms of democratic
cohabitation, seeking to become an alternative power, warned the
secretary general of the OAS, José Miguel Insulza.
Both in association constitute a threat to democracy in the region,
said the former Chilean foreign minister told the government agency
Andina.
The secretary general of the Organization of American States (OAS)
highlighted the importance of addressing this problem regionally, at
venues such as the Summit of the Americas in Colombia, and anti-drug
meeting, which will be held in Lima in June.
"No doubt that drug trafficking is a threat to the region and, above
all, organized crime, which, unlike common crime seeks to become an
alternative power," he said, indicating that they seek to abide by
their own "laws".
These "laws", he said, contradict the rules of democratic life and
recalled that during the Summit of the Americas held last April in
Cartagena de Indias, the region agreed to strengthen the fight
against organized crime.
Insulza said that it was available for the creation of a security
system that seeks to strengthen coordination among countries of the
continent to attack each of the links in the drug trade.
He said the report on drug situation in the region as part of the
international anti-drug meeting to be held in Peru. "We need to
strengthen the reduction of drug demand, and not focus only on the
interdiction of supply, as part of the war on drugs," he said.
West Texas Congressional Race Could Yield Surprises
By Mónica Ortiz Uribe
http://www.fronterasdesk.org/news/2012/may/14/west-texas-
congressional-race-could-yield-surprise/#.T7XA64twJnQ
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Beto O'Rourke is a 39-year-old former El Paso City Councilman
campaigning to become the next U.S. Congressman for the 16th District
of Texas.
EL PASO — A U.S. congressman from El Paso is fighting to save his
seat for the first time in 16 years. His main challenger in the
upcoming Texas primary is young, well-liked and could alter the U.S.
role in Mexico's drug war.
The challenger's name is Robert Francis O'Rourke, a former city
councilman better known around El Paso as "Beto".
"My parents started calling me 'Beto' from the beginning," O'Rourke
said. "I think it's a function of my families both being from El
Paso. So even though ethnically I'm Anglo, culturally I'm an El Pasoan."
O'Rourke is tall and lean with the boyish charm of a teen pop star,
only older. A classic product of the border, he not only has a
Spanish moniker, he's also fluent in the language. He went to
Columbia University and now owns a web design company. His
grandmother opened a local furniture store that is a favorite among
clients in northern Mexico. On the first date with his future wife,
he took her to a popular restaurant across the border in Ciudad Juárez.
In an effort to introduce himself to voters, O'Rourke has knocked on
some 15,000 doors across town. One of his stops on a recent Sunday
was the at the home of Dorothy Kimball, who stepped out in a pink
house dress.
Kimball is retired and a Republican. Her barefoot husband answered
the door, but when she heard O'Rourke's voice she rushed out to greet
him.
Kimball said she likes that O'Rourke represents a change in
leadership. This primary she'll pick up a Democratic ballot so she
can vote for him.
"Really I mean it just all the luck in the world," Kimball said.
"I'll be cheering when you win!"
O'Rourke is the first serious challenger to eight term incumbent
Silvestre Reyes, also a lifelong border resident. Reyes grew up on a
family farm outside El Paso as the oldest of ten children. As a kid
Reyes was a lookout, warning illegal crossers when the border patrol
was around.
Silvestre Reyes, seen meeting with voters at a community meeting, is
fighting to save his seat in U.S. Congress for the first time in 16
years.
"My job was to blow an air horn on a truck if I saw the border patrol
jeep," Reyes said. "It was part of growing up here on the border."
Later Reyes went on to become a chief for the border patrol, where he
implemented the ground-breaking Operation Hold the Line. That
initiative boosted agent visibility at the border, resulting in fewer
illegal crossings in urban centers like El Paso and San Diego, but
created much higher traffic places like rural Arizona.
"We've done an outstanding job of building up the Border Patrol,"
Reyes said. "When I retired in December of 1995 to run for congress
we had 5,600 agents around the country. Today there are almost 22,000."
If Reyes is defeated, things could change along the border he
patrolled for 26 years. Reyes is a strong supporter of the Merida
Initiative, a $1.4 billion aide package from the U.S government to
help Mexico fight organized crime. The money pays for police and
military equipment as well as training for judicial officials.
"I would argue that we need to spend more money," Reyes said. "We are
working with Mexico to help them reconstitute themselves, helping
them to vet their police and military, vet the legal system."
Challenger O'Rourke would freeze funding of the Merida Initiative
until Mexico demonstrates a drop in human rights abuses. He also is
in favor of discussing marijuana legalization as a way to weaken
Mexican drug cartels.
"If you were to lift the prohibition of marijuana … if you were to
tax regulate and control the sale in the U.S. you would do a far
better job of keeping marijuana away from young children," O'Rourke
said, "And you'd do a better job of controlling the cartel violence
in Mexico."
Reyes opposes marijuana legalization.
A poll reported by the local newspaper at the very beginning of the
race showed O'Rourke trailing Reyes by seven points. About 30 percent
of voters were undecided.
Early voting in Texas began Monday and election day is May 29. Since
El Paso is largely a Democratic district, the winner of this primary
will very likely be the next congressman.
Narcotráfico y crimen organizado buscan ser alternativa de poder: OEA
[Narcotráfico]
Por Notimex
17/05/2012 - 12:42 PM
Tags: organización de estados americanos, oea, narcotráfico, josé
miguel insulza, crimen organizado
http://www.zocalo.com.mx/seccion/articulo/narcotrafico-y-crimen-
organizado-buscan-ser-alternativa-de-poder-oea
Lima.- El narcotráfico y el crimen organizado, que pretenden regirse
por sus propias "leyes" y contradicen las normas de convivencia
democrática, buscan convertirse en una alternativa de poder, alertó
el secretario general de la OEA, José Miguel Insulza.
Ambos, de manera asociada, constituyen una amenaza para la democracia
de la región, afirmó el ex canciller chileno en declaraciones a la
gubernamental agencia Andina.
El secretario general de la Organización de Estados Americanos (OEA)
resaltó la importancia de abordar esa problemática regionalmente, en
espacios como la Cumbre de las Américas, realizada en Colombia, y la
reunión antidrogas, que se llevará a cabo en Lima en junio próximo.
"Sin duda que el narcotráfico es una amenaza para la región y, sobre
todo, el crimen organizado, que a diferencia del crimen común busca
convertirse en una alternativa de poder", señaló al indicar que estos
buscan regirse por sus propias "leyes".
Esas "leyes", precisó, contradicen las normas de convivencia
democrática y recordó que durante la Cumbre de las Américas efectuada
en abril pasado en Cartagena de Indias, la región acordó reforzar la
lucha contra el crimen organizado.
Insulza dijo que para ello se dispuso de la creación de un sistema de
seguridad que busca fortalecer la coordinación entre los países del
continente para atacar cada uno de los eslabones del narcotráfico.
Comentó que presentará un informe sobre la situación de las drogas en
la región en el marco de la reunión internacional antidrogas que se
realizará en Perú.
"Es necesario reforzar la reducción de la demanda de estupefacientes,
y no centrarse solo en la interdicción de la oferta, como parte de la
lucha antidrogas", aclaró.
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