Surge in violence in Mexico's drug war? Figures are inconclusive

LA Times Blogs: Daniel Hernandez. MEXICO CITY -- A recent string of deadly incidents tied to Mexico's drug war does not appear to indicate a surge in the violence but does suggest a new flash point as the fearsome Zetas cartel shows signs of splitting apart.

Fourteen bodies were found dumped in San Luis Potosi state on Thursday, and the mayor-elect of the city of Matehuala in the same state was killed in an attack along with one of his campaign aides as
they left a party Sunday. Read more. 

Mayor-elect murdered in Mexico

CNN: Mexico City -- Unknown assailants shot and killed a mayor-elect in the central state of San Luis Potosi on Sunday, authorities said.

Edgar Morales Perez was murdered alongside his campaign manager, Juan Francisco Hernandez Colunga, who also was killed. They were in a vehicle on their way back from a party early in the morning when they were ambushed, state officials said.

Another person was with them, but was not wounded. Read more.

Drought and savagery: a girl is murdered in Durango for taking water from a well

Desinformemonos: Americas Program Original Translation by David Feldman.
See Spanish Original.

Sofía Sánchez Morales. For more than two years, a bloody drought has been battering the northern part of Mexico. In Durango, one of the most affected states, the water scarcity took the life of Regina, an indigenous girl whose crime was taking water from a well. 

Mexico. In the state of Durango, in the northern part of the country, there are areas where it hasn’t rained for more than two years. During the last 22 months, 350,000 heads of cattle have been lost. The land is suffering from erosion and this has led to a decrease in agricultural production, 80 percent of which is dependent on storms. This means that it is completely dependent upon precipitation. The area’s residents struggle every day to find water and food.

Already by October 2011, the area’s reservoirs on average did not exceed 48 percent of their total capacity. The lack of water was even greater in the region’s semi-desert municipalities: Tlahualilo, San Juan de Guadalupe, Cuencamé, Simón Bolívar and Guadalupe Victoria. This has constituted a crisis for Duranguenses in several aspects of life, with hunger being the main—and most worrying—one.

Far from resolving itself or even improving, the problem only continues to get worse as the months pass. Just a few days ago—on Friday, June 8— the news of the murder of Regina Flores Flores broke. Regina was an eight-year-old girl from the indigenous community of El Chalete who had walked a kilometer and a half with her father in order to look for water in a well. When they reached the community of La Cantimplora, they were threatened by a man who ordered them not to take any water. After a verbal argument between the two men, father and daughter filled their three casks. The man, who had left the scene after the argument, returned with a gun, and proceeded to fire repeatedly. One of the bullets entered through Regina’s back, hitting her kidney and taking her life.

Hunger has led thousands of families to migrate, to the state capital, Zacatecas, Nayarit, Monterrey, and—for those who can—the United States. Although it is expected that this hurricane season will help in regards to the low water level, as a result of the migration there will be no one left to work the land.

Mexico Drug War: Leader of Los Zetas branch in San Luis Potosí arrested

Justice in Mexico: "Members of the Mexican Special Forces (Fuerzas Especiales) announced the arrest of another leading member of Los Zetas drug cartel on November 15. Alfredo Alemán Narváez, also known as “Alfredo N” and “El Comandante Alemán,” was detained in the state of Zacatecas during a horse racing event that he had coordinated. " read more

Drug War Bloodshed: 114 killed in Mexican drug war in eight weeks

IOL.co.za: "At least 114 people died in a massive Mexican security operation over eight weeks from late August through October, Mexico's defence ministry announced on Thursday.

Two soldiers and 112 suspected criminals were killed in the states of Coahuila, Nuevo Leon, Tamaulipas and San Luis Potosi during the military's Operation Scorpion, in gun battles between Mexican security forces and “organised crime members,” the announcement detailed. Eighteen soldiers were wounded in 75 attacks by suspected drug gang members, the ministry said.

Operation Scorpion resulted in a whopping 1 093 arrests, among them 17 accused members of the Zetas cartel implicated in an arson attack on a Monterrey casino that killed 52 people in August, the ministry said." read more