Frustrated beyond belief with the bloody consequences of President Calderon's aggressive drug war tactics, the people of Mexico are finally beginning to make some noise.
Bearing white balloons and fake bloodstains, tens of thousands of demonstrators crowded Mexico City's historic downtown Sunday to call for an end to the country's unrelenting drug violence.
The primary target of the protest was President Felipe Calderon, who has ruled during a period of extraordinary bloodshed. More than 34,000 people have been killed since Calderon declared an all-out assault on drug cartels after taking office four and a half years ago.
Demonstrators, holding placards saying "No more blood!" and "We're fed up!", urged the conservative Calderon to drop his military-led strategy. (LA Times)
Calderon has a very big problem here, and it's called the drug war doesn't work, dumbass. You can wait and wait some more, but there will be no redemption for the indignant drug warrior who just keeps doubling down as the bodies pile ever higher. He staked his legacy on a lot of money and bad advice from Washington, D.C., and now it's becoming clear to a hell of a lot of people that the reward for their sacrifice is something much uglier than they started with.
It will be interesting to watch as Calderon attempts to get re-elected on a platform of unrelenting urban warfare.
It will be interesting to see how future candidates for the Mexican Presidency grapple with the issue now that waiving the drug war battle flag will be instant political suicide. The question becomes how much reform is viable over U.S. objections, and how much influence will the drug lords themselves manage to exert over Mexican drug policy.
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