Mexico City: The government has stated that more than 61,000 people have gone missing in the Mexican ‘Drug War’, which started in 2006. More than 25% of the missing were women. On one hand, when the number of people gone missing is increasing, the extent of the violence between the drug cartels is also increasing where 31,000 people have been killed only in the year 2019.
Following the elections held in Mexico last year, Andres Lopez Obrador took over as the President of Mexico. He announced a softer policy of ‘Hugs, not bullets’ for the campaign against drug trafficking. But it is evident from the activities of the drug cartels that the President’s policy has failed miserably. The number of people missing and killed is proving this.
The Mexican government published the list of people gone missing over the last decade. A few months ago, the preliminary report said that the number of people missing is around 40,000. But in reality, this figure turned out to be much higher. As per the information given by the National Registry of Missing or Missing Persons, the number of people missing is 61,637.
The information regarding the number of missing people was collected after the Mexican government declared the Drug War in 2006. These numbers include nearly 25% of women. Soldiers from the security agencies also feature in the missing persons’ list along with common citizens. On one hand, the list of missing persons is growing and on the other, hundreds of unidentified dead bodies have been found. Till date, 1,124 dead bodies have been found at 800 locations.
The Mexican government shared the information regarding the intense violence by the drug cartels along with the increasing numbers of missing and dead people. In 2019, the drug cartel violence claimed more than 31,000 lives. The intensity of the drug cartel violence is the highest in Tijuana city. The drug cartel violence claimed 2,185 lives in Tijuana.
US citizens also have been killed in drug cartel violence. Severe reactions have emanated from the United States over this and President Trump has threatened to declare the drug cartels as terrorist organisations. The gangs in the drug trade have tremendous influence in Mexico. There are ten main drug cartels and of these, chiefs of five cartels have been arrested or killed. But despite these actions, the violence in Mexico seems to continue unabated.
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