Apologetic Blatter opens door for video technology

With both Mexico and England suffering due to refereeing errors, FIFA president Sepp Blatter Tuesday said the world soccer body will reopen the debate on introducing video technology and also apologised to both the teams.
'Naturally we deplore when you see the evidence of refereeing mistakes,' said Blatter….go to original article

Alex Prompts Hurricane Warnings For Parts Of Texas, Mexico

System Regains Strength In Gulf

Hurricane warnings have been issued for parts of Texas and Mexico as Tropical Storm Alex takes aim for the Gulf coast.

At 5 a.m. Tuesday, Tropical Storm Alex was located about 460 miles southeast of Brownsville, Texas. The storm had sustained winds of 70 mph.

Alex is forecasted to become a hurricane Tuesday. ….Go to original article

Harper bill would give U.S. power to boot travellers going from Canada to Mexico

 Opposition rails against bill giving U.S. say over Canadian air travellers.

The Harper government has quietly presented a bill in the House of Commons that would give U.S. officials final say over who may board aircraft in Canada if they are to fly over the U.S. en route to a third country.

"Canadian sovereignty has gone right out the window," Liberal Transport critic Joe Volpe told the Montreal Gazette in a recent telephone interview. "You are going to be subject to American law." …go to original article

Mexico: Politician's murder blamed on drug cartels

Gunmen assassinated the front-running candidate for governor of a Mexican border state in what President Felipe Calderon called an attempt by drug gangs to sway local and state elections this weekend.

The assailants ambushed Rodolfo Torre’s vehicle as he headed to the airport in Ciudad Victoria, capital of Tamaulipas, a state torn by a turf battle between two rival drug cartels. At least four other people travelling with him were killed…..go to original article

Banks Financing Mexico Drug Gangs Admitted in Wells Fargo Deal

Just before sunset on April 10, 2006, a DC-9 jet landed at the international airport in the port city of Ciudad del Carmen, 500 miles east of Mexico City. As soldiers on the ground approached the plane, the crew tried to shoo them away, saying there was a dangerous oil leak. So the troops grew suspicious and searched the jet.

They found 128 black suitcases, packed with 5.7 tons of cocaine, valued at $100 million. The stash was supposed to have been delivered from Caracas to drug traffickers in Toluca, near Mexico City, Mexican prosecutors later found. Law enforcement officials also discovered something else. ….go to original article

U.S. invested in Mexico's environment

When Mexican officials cut the ribbon on a new wastewater treatment plant in Tijuana in April, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency representatives and San Diego area environmental watchdogs were among those on hand applauding.

The United States is more than an interested observer in its southern neighbor's efforts to clean up the environment. It's an investor and partner in projects along both sides of the more than 2,000-mile border with Mexico….go to original article

Mexico asks court to reject U.S. immigration law

Mexico on Tuesday asked a federal court in Arizona to declare the state's new immigration law unconstitutional, arguing that the country's own interests and its citizens' rights are at stake. Lawyers for Mexico on Tuesday submitted a legal brief in support of one of five lawsuits challenging the law. The law will take effect July 29 unless implementation is blocked by a court. The law generally requires police investigating another incident or crime to ask people about their immigration status if there's a "reasonable suspicion" they're in the country illegally. It also makes being in Arizona illegally a misdemeanor, and it prohibits seeking day-labor work along the state's streets….go to original article

Uruguay downs Mexico 1-0 to win Group A

Maybe Uruguay is the best example of how strong South American nations have been in the first round of the World Cup.The last team to qualify for the tournament, Uruguay needed to beat Costa Rica in a playoff to get to South Africa. The Uruguayans have looked like anything but an outsider, though, and on Tuesday beat Mexico 1-0 to win Group A."We knew we had two results that benefited us," said Luis Suarez, who scored the only goal. "But before the match our goal was to get the three points and be group leaders…..go to original article

 Mexican intellectuals and officials mourned the death of writer Carlos

 Monsivais

Mexican intellectuals and officials mourned the death of writer Carlos Monsivais at a ceremony in Mexico City's Fine Arts Palace on Sunday, a day after he died of respiratory illness at the age of 72.

A memorial service at the art-deco-style palace is an honor reserved for the country's top cultural figures."It will be harder to understand our times without his contributions," said National Arts Council President Consuelo Saizar at the ceremony, in which Monsivais' coffin was draped with a gay-pride banner, with a Mexican flag on top of it.Monsivais was a champion of gay rights, but never talked about his own sexuality….go to original article

Nogales, Arizona Border Town to 'Look the Other Way'

Police officers in a small Arizona border city are on heightened alert following a tip that a Mexican drug cartel will put them in its crosshairs if they conduct off-duty busts.

The threat stems from a marijuana seizure made this month by two off-duty police officers riding on horseback in an unincorporated area east of Nogales, a city of roughly 20,000, Police Chief Jeffrey Kirkham told FoxNews.com….go to original article

Hurricane Celia veers west away from Mexico

Hurricane Celia, the first hurricane of the 2010 eastern Pacific season, continued on a westward path away from Mexico on Tuesday, the US National Hurricane Centre said.

A Category 2 storm with sustained winds up to 165 kph, Celia was about 830km south of the port city of Manzanillo and moving west away from land at 13 kph….go to original article

Mexican Gangs Maintain Permanent Lookout Bases in Hills of Arizona

Mexican drug cartels have set up shop on American soil, maintaining lookout bases in strategic locations in the hills of southern Arizona from which their scouts can monitor every move made by law enforcement officials, federal agents tell Fox News. 

The scouts are supplied by drivers who bring them food, water, batteries for radios -- all the items they need to stay in the wilderness for a long time. …go to original article

FMM – The New Mexican Immigration Form

On April 30, 2010, Mexico launched a brand new form for people entering and exiting the country. As before, passport holders from countries on Mexico’s no visa required list do not need to apply for a formal visa to visit Mexico. They may, instead, use a visitor’s permit which is now known as a Forma Migratoria Multiple, or FMM….go to original article

Mexico Targets 'Dirty Dollars'

Mexico has imposed limits on the use of US dollars in an attempt to limit money-laundering by drug traffickers. Mexicans who don't have bank accounts will be able to exchange only up to $1,500 (£1,000) a month. Those with accounts could change a maximum of $4,000. The Mexican treasury estimates that $10bn of laundered money enters the country's banking system each year, fuelling drug-related violence….go to original article

Mexican White Gold

© Tara A. Spears

We foreigners might take sugar with our coffee and appreciate the many delectable Mexican sweet treats and pastries that are sold along the beach or on the Riviera Nayarit streets, but have never given a thought to the economic significance of sugar.  Living in or visiting Nayarit, one of the 12 sugar cane growing states, one can’t help but notice the ubiquitous overloaded sugar cane trucks clogging the roadways.  According to government sources, sugar cane production is the first and most important financial crop in Mexico, generating twice the income of tomatoes, corn, carrots, potatoes, or tropical fruits sales combined. The National Bureau of Sugar and Alcohol (Camara Nacional de la Azucarera y Alcoholera) says that sugar cane crops cover over 611,000 ha, employs 2.5 million people, with 61 sugar cane mills nationally. As with so many facets of Mexican culture, the establishment of the sugar cane industry is a melodramic blend of politics and history.

Continued on Page 2 (click here)

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Hurricane Alex Pounds Mexico but Spares U.S. Oil Rigs
Tomas Bravo - Reuters
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July 01, 2010

Vehicles are driven along a flooded street caused by heavy rains from hurricane Alex in Matamoros, in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas June 30, 2010. (Reuters/Tomas Bravo)

Matamoros, Mexico - Hurricane Alex drenched the Texas-Mexico border on Thursday as the powerful storm slammed into Mexico's Gulf coast, spawning tornadoes and flooding towns, but it spared U.S. oil wells.

Unleashing winds of 105 mph that uprooted trees and knocked over flimsy houses, the Category 2 hurricane was a blow to efforts to control the BP Plc oil spill off the Louisiana coast, where some operations were suspended.

Rain from the first named storm of the 2010 Atlantic season swelled the streets of the port city of Matamoros. Across the border in Brownsville, Texas, at least three tornadoes swept through the area, although no major damage was reported.

"We are all exhausted and the water is up to our waists in the street," said a bedraggled man who gave his name as Juan as he struggled to reach a crowded shelter in Matamoros.

Alex has forced oil and gas companies to cut back production, even though the hurricane path was well southwest of major U.S. offshore facilities.

Oil companies still shut down production of more than 421,000 barrels per day, about a quarter of the Gulf's output, as a precaution.

They have also shut 919 million cubic feet per day of gas output, some 14 percent of the Gulf's total.

Efforts to burn off and skim spilled oil and spray dispersants were suspended at the BP leak. Officials said oil capturing and drilling would have to stop if the winds reach 46 mph.

Mexican marines evacuated thousands of people from fishing communities along the Gulf coast and into shelters, but some refused to leave their homes even as water ran in under doors.

"The primary threat from Alex will be torrential rains totaling as high as 20 inches, which would likely produce life-threatening flash floods and mudslides over the mountainous regions of Mexico," the U.S. National Hurricane Center said, adding that Alex was the first and strongest Category 2 hurricane to occur in June since 1966.

Alex made landfall on the Tamaulipas coast around 9 p.m. on Wednesday (0200 GMT on Thursday), the Miami-based center said. Its rains had already flooded highways as far inland as the industrial city of Monterrey.

One man died in Monterrey on Wednesday when his house collapsed in the heavy rains, rescue authorities said. Alex killed a dozen people in Central America over the weekend.

(Writing and additional reporting by Robin Emmott, Editing by Sandra Maler)

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Mexico Declares End to 14-Month Swine Flu Scare
Associated Press
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July 01, 2010

Secretary of Health Jose Angel Cordova

Mexico City — The government of Mexico lifted the alert for swine flu this week, officially ending the health emergency in the country where the illness first appeared 14 months ago.

Secretary of Health Jose Angel Cordova said that as recently as October, 90 percent of influenza cases in Mexico were swine flu. But by May, it was down to 10 percent, the rest being cases of seasonal influenza virus that is less contagious.

Swine flu has declined in recent months around the world, after 17,800 deaths in more than 200 countries. In Mexico, 72,546 infections and 1,289 fatalities have been registered since the outbreak was detected in April 2009.

Cordova said Mexico's government will keep monitoring flu cases even with the lifting of the alert.

The alert allowed officials to accelerate purchases of medicine to confront the virus. With the alert lifted, the process for obtaining medicine returns to normal. Some 27 million people in Mexico have been vaccinated against the virus.

Mexico's last death from swine flu occurred in May, just over a year after the government announced to the world the presence of a new influenza virus on April 23, 2009.

Within days, the capital and many states across Mexico were practically paralyzed after officials suspended schools and other activities and the rest of the world began to prepare for a potential global outbreak.

In the following weeks, the epidemic was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization.

The Mexican economy was hit hard by the effects of the epidemic on tourism, retailing and other industries. Cordova said direct costs associated with the outbreak totaled 4.5 billion pesos (about $355 million).


Mexico's Laws Criminalizing HIV Transmission Are Discriminatory
Emilio Godoy - Inter Press Service
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June 30, 2010

	The push to apply criminal law to HIV exposure and transmission is often driven by the wish to respond to serious concerns about the ongoing rapid spread of HIV in many countries, coupled by what is perceived to be a failure of existing HIV prevention efforts. - UNAIDS/UNDP report

Mexico City - In 30 of Mexico's 32 states there are laws penalising transmission of HIV, the AIDS virus, which are regarded by experts as discriminatory and ineffective in curbing the epidemic.

Under the Federal Criminal Code, passing on a sexually transmitted infection (STI) or incurable disease is a crime punishable by up to five years in prison, and this is mirrored in most of the states' legislation, where fines and community service are sometimes included as penalties.

In two states, Guerrero in the southwest and Tamaulipas in the northeast, the laws refer specifically to HIV/AIDS.

The central states of Aguascalientes and San Luis de Potosí are the only ones that do not criminalise the transmission of STIs.

In Guerrero, article 195 of the state penal code establishes prison terms of three months to five years and fines of between 20 and 100 days of the defendant's wages for anyone who is aware they have an STI or HIV and has sexual intercourse with someone who is unaware of their condition.

In Tamaulipas, article 203 provides for sentences of six months to six years, and fines of between 10 and 50 days of the defendant's wages, for the same offence.

"This is an alarming situation. HIV transmission should not be criminalised. It is a discriminatory practice that lends itself to continued justification of attitudes like homophobia," José Aguilar, the national coordinator of the non-governmental Red Democracia y Sexualidad, which focuses on sex education and advocating sexual rights, told IPS.

So far, these laws have not been enforced against HIV-positive people, which is why there have been no moves to repeal them.

"This legislation was intended to curb the HIV/AIDS epidemic; but clearly, it criminalises people living with HIV. It also violates a number of human rights, for instance the rights to privacy and sexual freedom," Mario Juárez, at the department of analysis and proposals of the state National Council to Prevent Discrimination, told IPS.

This country of 107 million people has more than 200,000 people living with HIV -- the second largest infected population in Latin America after Brazil -- and an HIV infection rate of 0.4 percent. In the region, over two million people are living with the virus.

Criminalisation of the transmission of HIV/AIDS is on the agenda for the 18th International AIDS Conference scheduled for Jul. 18-23 in Vienna, Austria. It was also discussed at the 11th National Congress on HIV/AIDS and other Sexually Transmitted Infections, held last November in the southern Mexican state of Chiapas.

And at the 17th International AIDS Conference held in August 2008 in Mexico City, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) presented a global report on the growing criminalisation of HIV transmission.

Mexico's national report for 2008-2009 on the fulfilment of the Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS) in 2001, does not mention the effects of these laws.

"It's important to have prevention measures and awareness-raising campaigns, and to build a culture of respect. Civil society is always fighting discriminatory measures like these, and always struggling against the current," said Aguilar.

In 2007, UNAIDS and the UNDP supported the publication of a document, "Ten Reasons for Opposing Criminalisation of HIV Exposure or Transmission", drawn up by a coalition of organisations working on HIV/AIDS, human rights and gender issues.

"The push to apply criminal law to HIV exposure and transmission is often driven by the wish to respond to serious concerns about the ongoing rapid spread of HIV in many countries, coupled by what is perceived to be a failure of existing HIV prevention efforts," the document says.

The 10 reasons include the ineffectiveness of such laws and their discriminatory and stigmatising nature, as well as the view that they "endanger and further oppress women."

In Mexico the sex ratio among people living with HIV was 6.6 men for each woman in 1995, a proportion that dropped to 5.1 in 1996 and 3.6 in 2008, before increasing to four men for every woman in 2009.

Between 1995 and 2009, there were 640 homophobia-related murders, 143 of which were committed in the Mexican capital, according to the Federal District Commission on Human Rights.

"It's an issue that just hasn't been raised forcefully enough, and so the state has not reacted. Civil society organisations should take up the question and air it in public," said Juárez, in regard to the laws and their possible consequences.

But so far there have been no legislative initiatives to eliminate the laws criminalising HIV transmission in Mexico.

The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria has approved a grant of 70 million dollars for a Mexican project aimed at high risk groups such as men who have sex with men, sex workers and intravenous drug users.

The Global Fund, based in Geneva, Switzerland, is a public-private partnership of international donors, the governments of the Group of Eight most powerful countries, and non-governmental organisations, devoted to preventing and treating AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria in needy countries

Suzanne Stephens Waller - Presidencia de la República
go to original
July 01, 2010

In a press statement, President Felipe Calderón declared that it is time for unity and determination to defend Mexicans and their institutions. (Presidencia de la República)

Mexico City - President Felipe Calderón urged all the political and social actors, media and society in general to create a common front against those who are trying to impose their will above the law, those that threaten the peace and tranquility of our communities and are trying to restrict the freedoms and guarantees of Mexicans.

“Faced with the challenge of organized crime, let us close ranks. Let us all respond and provided a unified, effective response from society as a whole and all political forces. Government is not only willing to act, which it has demonstrated, but it is also willing to listen and engage in dialogue," he said.

In a press statement at Los Pinos, the President said that through dialogue, everyone will define the proper response to this problem experienced by the country, since it is time to express everyone's concerns, particularly political actors, in order to reinforce the Mexican state’s strategy to ensure public safety.

“The aim of the dialogue I am asking you to engage in is to make a common front, to agree specific actions that will provide a determined response from all the political forces to this shared challenge. In other words, we must provide not only a government response but a response from the Mexican state. I am sure that together, through this frank, respectful and constructive dialogue, we will find better alternatives to address what is undoubtedly the greatest challenge facing the country today," he said.

He added that this dialogue is important because it is in the division between Mexicans that criminals find niches and weak points for harming Mexico.

“Because it is a moment of unity and determination to defend our representative institutions. We are facing a challenge that demands that all parties and political forces act together and above our legitimate differences," he said.

 Darts champs at Crazy Nelly's

MEXICO 2010

Delicious Salads             

Seasonal Riviera Nayarit residents, Val and Ted Mc, enjoy entertaining when they are in the area. Ted does most of the cooking; specializing in delicious grilled steaks and salad. “He loves going to the tiendas on the avenida for fresh ingredients and making dishes from scratch,” said wife Val.  “When he was in the hotel business, Ted had the opportunity to work with some great chefs who were willing to teach him. Coupled with his creativity and the view of the Pacific Ocean, every meal is an occasion!”  Below are ‘his and hers’ specialties:

 CAESAR SALAD DRESSING

Ingredients:

1 egg yolk coddled

2 cloves garlic (minced)

1 1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon Salt

2 tablespoons lemon juice

Squeeze of anchovy paste (or you can use canned anchovies)

1/2 cup olive oil

1 head romaine

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (grated) (Romano can also be used)

Ground Pepper

Croutons

Preparation:

In a bowl with a whisk, blend together the egg yolk, garlic, mustard, salt, lemon juice and anchovy paste (anchovies drained.)

To read the complete story by Tara  Click Here

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Getting Profiled, Staying Safe and the World Cup - A Visit to Mexico
Allan Wall - PVNN
June 21, 2010

	Mexicans continue to be killed in the ongoing drug war, which is a tragedy. Security is an important topic, so we are taking precautions to stay safe. So far we have been safe.

I resided for a decade and a half in Mexico, and met and married my wife there. Recently I was offered a job in the U.S. and moved back. However, since my wife is from Mexico we have already made several visits to Mexico and plan to continue. So I currently write from Mexico, where we are visiting.

We traveled in our car, crossing the US-Mexican border. After crossing, I applied for (and paid for) a tourist permit for myself and an auto permit for the car. After all, I should obey Mexican immigration law!

After finishing the border business, we proceeded on into the interior. My wife was driving and I was in the front passenger’s seat.

Well, we arrived to a Mexican migration checkpoint, and guess what? The agent at the checkpoint didn’t even ask for my (Mexican-born) wife’s documentation, he just asked for mine. In other words, I was profiled!

It was quick though. The agent saw I had the document and we proceeded on our merry way. It was undeniable, however, I had been profiled.

Despite all the hoopla over profiling, we all do it. It's a valid police tool if used appropriately. And in this case, the Mexican migration officer was exactly right - the car's driver (my wife) was Mexican and the front-seat passenger (myself) was a foreigner.

We arrived to the metropolitan area in which I once resided. We've been spending a lot of time with my wife's parents. (In Spanish they are my suegros, the collective term for mother-in-law and father-in-law.) Our children have been spending a lot of time with their grandparents, which is good.

There are things in Mexico that I don't have access to in the U.S., so it's good to have such opportunities here. We have also been able to see relatives, friends from church and neighbors. We also had the opportunity to visit a first-rate agricultural operation in the country.

Mexicans continue to be killed in the ongoing drug war, which is a tragedy. Security is an important topic, so we are taking precautions to stay safe. So far we have been safe.

The biggest item in the news here though is not the drug war (which after all, goes on all the time) but the World Cup. The World Cup is sort of like the Olympics of Soccer, held every four years. It is a big deal in Mexico. (I myself knew almost nothing of it before I moved here.)

In the World Cup, national teams compete with each other for the championship. Four years ago, in 2006, the Italian team won. The Mexican team has never won the World Cup, but each four years Mexicans' hope is renewed again. This 2010 World Cup is being played in South Africa, and 20,000 Mexican fans traveled there to see it.

I'm not really a soccer fan or expert, but I enjoy the World Cup for its international flavor. I especially like to watch the opening of each game, when the two opposing teams line up and the national anthems are played.

So far the Mexican team has tied with host South Africa and has beaten France. Mexico's next opponent is Uruguay.

It should be interesting...

 

Fun in the Sun with Cervezas Mexicanas

                       © Tara A. Spears

One key Spanish phrase all tourists seem to master when vacationing in the coastal Riviera Nayarit is “Uno mas cerveza, por favor!”  Not only is the scenery spectacular, but so is the selection of Mexican beer and its low price here as compared to cost in other countries.  Perhaps you have been confused by the exotic brands when placing an order- consider this article your cervezas Mexicanas primer. All of the beers featured in this article are readily available throughout Mexico, but particularly in this area. Salud!

“A man is defined by the beer he drinks and the company he keeps, but mostly by the beer he drinks…”  anonymous Mexican saying

Beer story continues on page 2

 

Mexico Sees Kiwis in its Future
Associated Press
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June 24, 2010

Kiwi in your margarita? Mexico sees future in New Zealand's trademark fruit.

Mexico City - Mexico is scoping out its Pacific coast farmland for possible kiwi production with the help of technicians from New Zealand.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Mayorga says strawberries and other fruit that need similar conditions as kiwis are thriving in Mexico's central Pacific states.

The idea is still in the exploratory phase and there is no date for when production might begin.

Mayorga also said Thursday that Mexico plans to eliminate a 20 percent tariff on kiwi imports from New Zealand.

He said he was optimistic that could happen soon and expected little opposition from Mexico's farmers since there is no domestic kiwi production - yet.

David Perez - Yale Law School
go to original
June 24, 2010

	The conflict that Calderon is waging isn't so much a "war on drugs," as much as it is Mexico's first War on Impunity.

The Blame Game: What War is Mexico Fighting?

While Mexican President Felipe Calderon has received endless plaudits for his strong stance against drug cartels, the United States has been blamed for doing too little to curb the violence, even though it is the biggest market for drugs. As the violence enters its fourth year, many fault American drug users for providing the cash incentive for cartels, and the American gun market for providing the cartels' firepower. The consensus is that the United States must reform its drug laws and tighten its gun laws for the violence to subside. In fact, Calderon himself recently took the U.S. to task, blaming America for his country's woes. But Calderon's much-vaunted crackdown has been terribly misunderstood by both sides.

The real culprit here isn't America's addiction to drugs, but rather Mexico's addiction to criminal impunity. We don't all need to read Roberto Bolaño novels to discover that in Mexico rapes go unsolved, murders remain a mystery, bribery runs rampant, and yes, drugs move freely. So while it is pretty easy to scapegoat the United States, the main problem is not America's insatiable thirst for drugs (though that hasn't helped), but rather Mexico's ineffective criminal justice system. Indeed, President Calderon's real motive for cracking down on the drug cartels was to finally put an end to the lawlessness that reigns supreme throughout Mexico.

The conflict that Calderon is waging isn't so much a "war on drugs," as much as it is Mexico's first War on Impunity.

The Rule of Law in Mexico: Fostering a Culture of Impunity

Over the last twenty-five years most countries in Latin America have made great strides toward electoral democracy (Cuba is obviously an exception). Despite these advances, the rule of law has remained stubbornly porous. Although economic and social ills are often blamed, the region's antiquated criminal code is the biggest reason that Latin America's rule of law has languished, while other democratic pillars have flourished.

Accordingly, many nations in the region have begun to recognize how important criminal procedure reform is to democratic reform, and have enacted changes to their criminal code in an effort to curb impunity, reign in corruption, and cure the criminal epidemic. Guatemala and Chile are notable examples of countries that have reformed their criminal justice system -- moving away from archaic inquisitional models to embrace more adversarial elements. Mexico should pay attention.

In contrast, Mexico's criminal justice system isn't just broken; it's stuck in the past. In fact, Mexico's criminal code hasn't really changed in over 100 years: it still bears striking resemblance to the inquisitorial code it inherited from Spain 400 years ago.

For instance, pursuant to its civil law tradition, Mexico's criminal procedures often allow the same person who handled an investigation to also serve as the trial judge. This ensures that the proceedings are neither fair nor impartial. It is not difficult to understand why this concentration of procedural responsibility has been a lose-lose for Mexico. On the one hand, the process is easily short-circuited by bribes and threats, since criminals know that each step of the process pivots on the decision of one person, rather than many. On the other hand, if the proceeding does proceed to the trial phase, the system is rigged against the defendant since the same person who decided to bring charges will also often determine guilt or innocence.

In effect, Mexico's criminal procedure code presents a Catch-22: either criminals are let off the hook because judges are easily bribed or intimidated, or the proceedings are adjudicated in a biased manner to the detriment of those who could not afford to bribe or intimidate their way out. Criminals who are flush with drug money and supported by cartel artillery can easily avoid conviction by simply paying (or threatening) the right person.

But even if courts were willing to adjudicate more cases in an honest way, the inefficiencies inherent in Mexico's criminal procedure system have created an almost insurmountable backlog of cases. To illustrate, while 95% of all convictions in the United States end in plea bargains, in Mexico this procedure is largely unavailable. The inefficiency of not allowing plea bargains has been a major factor behind the astronomical levels of impunity because there simply are not enough courtrooms or prosecutors to try every criminal. Instead, most criminals walk free.

What Mexico needs isn't piecemeal legal reform; Mexico needs structural reform. The system that's tasked with enforcing its laws is utterly bankrupt. (What's the point of criminalizing drug trafficking if you can't enforce it? What's the point of murder and rape statutes if you can't prosecute murderers and rapists?)

As a result, the balancing act that every society confronts -- between individual rights and societal security -- has been completely perverted in Mexico. All too often Mexico's criminal justice system facilitates torture and police abuse for those too helpless too poor, while failing to actually combat crime. More than any drug cartel or criminal organization, Mexico's teetering criminal justice has been the biggest contributor to its absolute rate of impunity.

In particular:

• the police force is woefully understaffed, stretching resources and inviting abuse;

• prosecutors are imbued with tremendous powers, unchecked by a passive and corrupt judiciary, leading to prosecutorial indiscretions; and finally,

• poorly trained public defenders give defendants scant chance at a fair disposition, rarely challenging violations of substantive and procedural rights.

This institutional underdevelopment becomes both cause and effect of Mexico's culture of impunity. Now more than ever Mexico must rewrite its criminal code or risk becoming a narco-state, where the only real authorities will be the drug cartels.