In Mexico’s Drug War, Generals May Stand Down

Public opinion and now presidential candidates are leaning toward decreasing the military's role in the drug war. The military faces increasing distrust in light of rampant corruption and human rights abuses. 

Newsweek: Six years of mayhem have taken a toll on the Mexican army.

“Never did I make a pact. Never!” Gen. Rolando Eugenio Hidalgo Eddy slams his fist on the desk in his office in Aguascalientes, a city in central Mexico where he is acting police chief. For two years during Felipe Calderón’s presidency, General Eddy was in charge of antidrug operations in the northwestern state of Sinaloa—long a haven for Mexico’s drug producers. He was also in charge of the hunt for Joaquín “Chapo” Guzmán, the world’s most powerful drug trafficker and the head of the Sinaloa cartel. General Eddy failed to catch Guzmán, and allegations abound that a deal may have been made. He denies this, but he’s not so certain about his counterparts. “Others,” he says, quietly. “I don’t know.” Read more.