The mayor of a Mexican city plagued by drug violence has been murdered less than a week after taking office.

Alejandro Arcos was found dead on Sunday in Chilpancingo, a city of around 280,000 people in the southwestern state of Guerrero. He had been mayor for six days.

Evelyn Salgado, the state governor, said the city was in mourning over a murder that “fills us with indignation”. His death came three days after the city government’s new secretary, Francisco Tapia, was shot dead.

Authorities have not released details of the investigation, or suspects. However, Guerrero is one of the worst-affected states for drug violence and drug cartels have murdered dozens of politicians across the country.

  • KillingTimeItself@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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    2 days ago

    one thing i’ve been curious about is how receptive the mexican government/people would be to US aid military, or military financial aid for stopping the whole cartel problem.

    It would likely be beneficial to the both of us, and canada as well though less so.

    • Olgratin_Magmatoe@lemmy.world
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      23 hours ago

      The root problem is that there is a huge self capturing black market demand for drugs, which itself is a problem rooted in capitalist countries throughout the americas prioritizing GDP expansion over human wellbeing.

      It’s the result of failing healthcare systems, the evaporation of 3rd places, the requirement of a car to survive, the failing housing system, the lack of job security and mobility, etc

      No amount of military intervention can change that. Even if you somehow successfully destroyed every cartel with a button press, they’d all be replaced overnight because of the huge demand for drugs.

      What can actually effect the demand is:

      • food, water, housing, education and healthcare being well funded human rights

      • mixed used development/relaxation of zoning laws

      • transportation infrastructure that allows people to actually have a choice in how they get places

      • unions, workplace democracy, worker protections

      You get the picture. Life actually has to be worth living.

    • phoenixz@lemmy.ca
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      1 day ago

      Yeaaahh, since US government policies are the entire reason that that drug war exists, Id say thanks, but no thanks.

      Edit: to expand a little on this: US drug policy caused the entire drug trade, the high prices, and the extreme violence. The US then doesn’t send their best, they send their weapons, and they send them knowingly straight to the cartels (thanks, US gun manufacturers!). US government actually supported this for a while to see if it was true and… Did nothing with that.

      Then US army would train Mexican soldier which then took that training straight into the Zetas which murdered even harder.

      At this point, I can only say “FIX YOUR GODDAMN DRUG POLICIES, YOU @SSH@LES” and keep away, please.