El Chapo's Capture Will Help Restore
Mexico's Reputation (Milenio, Mexico)
"Of course, the gringos always make a nuisance of themselves
by being the first to make the announcement - this time an 'official' from the U.S.
Drug Enforcement Agency. ... I don't see a problem here. If the effects of
criminal violence generated by these mafia groups are the most
distressing depiction of our current situation, effective lightning actions are
the way to reverse the picture to that of a country which energetically and
professionally fights those who bet
against the law. ... Today is not a day to demand more. Without haggling, we must
congratulate the government."
Car salesman Felix Betrán León being displayed by Mexico federal police as the son of Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzmán. The 2012 intelligence blunder was a major embarrassment and operational blow to the U.S. DEA and the Mexican authorities. Now, however, they have captured El Chapo himself.
It
must be said: The capture of El Chapo Guzman is an undeniable achievement of Enrique Peña Nieto's government. It is a success no matter how one looks
at it. It was a success for the armed forces, for the way the information is handled,
and in terms of the operational effectiveness and perseverance in achieving a
single goal: to stop and imprison the most wanted drug trafficker in the world.
Independent
of the undeniable and justifiable satisfaction that the government
feels, Mexicans, too, must be satisfied with the government's performance in
this regard. The capture of the legendary narco is a
down payment in the fight against crime and impunity.
The
operation to arrest him reflects well on the professionalism of specialized corps
of the Marines and Army. No longer need we imagine surgical operations as an
element of quirky movies or the capabilities of forces in other countries. In
Mexico there are institutions that function properly, and the successes of operations
against crime, whether government run or not, should give us all some peace of
mind and boost our sense of confidence. Posted By Worldmeets.US
It's
only natural that theories and scenarios are now doing the rounds about what will
happen after the fall of ArchivaldoJoaquínGuzmán. If the cartels fight
amongst themselves, violence will be unleashed that will get ugly fast. This is
likely to happen given the way criminal organizations are arranged. We don't
know whether El Chapo arranged for a successor, or if
we'll see the type of virulence we have
become accustomed to at times. The truth is, however, that what happens next
will largely be a function of the follow-up operations conducted by government
forces. The thesis, however, that we shouldn't hunt down the capos because of
the violence it will unleash - rather absurd in my view - is impermissible. The
place such people belong, given their criminal histories and treachery, is in prison.
The
participation of the United States in the operation should be seen as par for
the course. Sharing information is a basic activity among those seeking a joint
result. Of course, the gringos always make a nuisance of themselves by being
the first to make the announcement - this time an "official" from the
U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency. As a consequence yesterday morning, the first photographs
came from The New York Times and CNN. I don't see a problem here. The
Mexican government did what it had to do: it maintained control over their
information and acted in a timely manner.
The
capture of El Chapo will also reflect on the
country's global image. If it is undeniable that, particularly in some areas,
we suffer from the scourge of organized crime and violent images that impact perceptions
abroad, so, too, must the opposite be true when a criminal, whose illegal
operations have reached other countries, has been captured. If the effects of
criminal violence generated by these mafia groups are the most
distressing depiction of our current situation, effective lightning actions are
the way to reverse the picture to that of a country which energetically and
professionally fights those who bet
against the law.
Today
is not a day to demand more. Without haggling, we must congratulate the
government.
