In this NYT article you can read about how drug cartels in Mexico are able to buy assault riffles in America and the inability of American authorities to stop it.
For those of you who can read Spanish this article goes over a study written by Colby Goodman and Michel Marizco from the Mexico Institute at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. The name of the study is "U.S Firearms trafficking to Mexico: New Data an Insights Illuminate Key Trends and Challenges"
This is the website of the study I mentioned above. It is in English.
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I think that this topic is one of those that American officials choose not to talk about. Perhaps because it has to do with guns and the enforcement of controls over guns and gun dealers to be able to stop the smuggling of guns into Mexico from the United States. However, I wonder when the American government will get serious about what's happening in Mexico. There have been 30,000 deaths in Mexico since 2006, there are phantom cities in the northern states and many areas in the country where the presence of the Mexican government is non-existent. The study, from which I provided the link above, states "In May 2010, the Mexican government declared that out of the 75,000 guns confiscated in that period [2007-2010], approximately 80%, which means 60,000 firearms, arrived from the United States".
Perhaps, America will pay attention to this problem when street shoot-outs in American cities don't involve gangbangers and uzis rolling in a 1997 Pontiac but rather organized drug cartels carrying AK-47s, AR-15s and grenades in armored Chevy Tahoes.
Eduardo Alvarez/
I do agree with your comment. America should be more aware of our surroundings and what is being smuggled in and out. I personally believe this situation is worse because its involves drug cartels. But I must point out another issue, that we are all aware of, smuggling illegal drugs in and out. If nothing has made a large impact of that issue; what makes us believe this will be resolved? I thought that it was funny to read that the Mexican foreign minister blames us for "violating international treaty obligations" when on page 2 states that drug traffickers were taking drugs into the United States in the first place to use that money for guns. I do believe this problem should be fixed immediately but then again good old second amendment stands in the way of every 1 out of 5 gun holders.
ReplyDeleteRachel Mendoza
TA: Armel Yver
Section Friday 1000-1050