In late 2006, Mexico began experiencing a domestic
crisis when the drug cartels forced a war with the Mexican government. Since
the administration of Felipe Calderon, the president from 2006 - 2012, the drug
war has killed at least 120,000 people and the country still continues to
spiral further out of control. (Grant) The effects of the war has put
the once stable democratic country under much doubt from the international
community; there has been increased violence, government corruption, human
rights abuses, trafficking, and exploitation.
To
determine if a state has failed there has to be substantial concerns for their
legitimacy and effectiveness. Questions such as “Is Mexico able to control its
state?” or “to what degree is there government corruption and/or people
recognizing the government?” can be indicators and evidence of the country’s
stability.
To
answer the first question, “Is Mexico able to control its state and function
correctly?” Looking at the variables: within the causalities list, seven
percent of the estimated deaths are among military and police personnel. The
security of Mexico is limited; most of their citizens are providing their own
self-defense against the cartels rather than the federal government. (Grant)
In this perspective, Mexico fails to fulfill the government functions of
providing safety and controlling crime.
To
answer the second question, “To what degree is there government corruption
and/or recognizing the government?” The length of this war has been elongated
due to the internal corruption of the police force and local politicians. Under
the influence of fear, many policemen worked with the cartels or turned a blind
eye to their crimes. The Mexican Army had 250,000 soldiers at the beginning of
the war, but more than 150,000 soldiers since 2008 have left or have been
associated working for the cartels. (Uprising
Radio) Often at no choice, as many cartels including the famous Tijuana
Cartel which reigns close to the California border, makes examples through
public hanging and dismembering police officers who rat on them. Despite this,
Mexico has been able to keep intact their federal/governmental institutions;
democratic practice is still influential. This is seen with the successful
transition of the Calderon administration to the Nieto administration with a
63% voter turnout for their plurality election. (Carr)
According
to the 2014 Fragile States Index provided by the think-tank Fund for Peace;
Mexico ranks as the #105 under the subset of the High Warning Index of “Failed
States” out of 178 states. Mexico ranks with states such as Russia, Cuba, India,
and China in the “High Warning” Index. 12 factors that are used to rank such
states including social emergencies, economic volatility, political corruption,
and low internal legitimacy. In comparison, the top country for failing all
indicators and thus being the #1 failed state is Somalia which is classified in
the subset “Very High Alert”. (Fund for Peace)
I agree fully with this evaluation; as I do see the decline of economic and
political efficacy within the state as alarming, but in contrast the fact that
democratic institutions are still intact within the state provide structure and
hope. I think it comes to show that a democratic structure can go a long way to
provide stability and hope in the middle of chaos.
Works Cited
Carr, Adam. United Mexican States Legislative
Elections of July 2012. 2012. IFE Website.
<http://psephos.adam-carr.net/countries/m/mexico/mexico20122.txt>.
Fund for Peace. Fragile States Index 2014.
2014. <http://ffp.statesindex.org/rankings-2014>.
Grant, Will. Michoacan: Mexico's Failed State?
January 2014. <http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-25774430>.
Uprising Radio. Murder City: Ciudad Juarex and
the Global Economy's New Killing Fields. April 2010.
<http://uprisingradio.org/home/2010/04/26/murder-city-ciudad-juarez-and-the-global-economys-new-killing-fields/>.
This is an interesting case study. Do you think it matters that there are areas which are effectively no-go areas for government forces is relevant? Some of Mexico is not fully under control - given the link of territorial control to sovereignty I think a strong argument can be made for the 'failed' or 'failing' nature of Mexico.
ReplyDeleteIt's really sad to see how many casualties are caused by drugs and it's cartel. Didn't realize how bad it was but now with this knowledge I would definitely throw Mexico in as failing.
ReplyDeleteSeth
Ellie Silverman: I never thought of Mexico like this, but you bring up a lot of good points. The fact that Mexican can't even defend itself and that most citizens are providing their own protection makes Mexico seem like it is on the track of failing or already failed as a state.
ReplyDeleteNatalia Rojas: Thank you all, I hope you see Mexico Democracy in a new perspective. Patrick, you are correct to point out the struggle between the official and unofficial leaders in Mexico, but I think that to put it into perspective, Mexico is a union of states (similar to America's structure) and just because a few states are failing, it does not imply that the entire country is failing. For example, New York is 100,000,000 dollars in debt but it does not mean that the lack of economic balance in the state puts the entire country in danger of bankruptcy. I think it is important to look at several factors to determine whether a state is failing, not just one factor such as 'territorial control'. But yours is a valid point, I definitely do agree that it is one factor to account for when balancing the current state of Mexico.
ReplyDeleteThis case study is very interesting and i think it parallels states in Central America like El Salvador. The gang situation there is so overwhelming and even though there is a democratic system in place I think it easily qualifies as a failed state.
ReplyDelete-Karla P.