“If we don’t fight organized crime together now, it’s going to get much worse” said U.S. ambassador Christopher Landau during a symposium at Tecnológico de Monterrey.
MONTERREY, Nuevo León (Times Media Mexico) – The US ambassador Christopher Landau emphasized during a symposium at Tecnológico de Monterrey, the need for cooperation between Mexico and the United States on 3 major binational issues:
- Organized crime
- The illegal trafficking of weapons and drugs
- Illegal immigration.
The US ambassador mentioned that in multiple parts of Mexico, criminal organizations function as parallel governments and their power will increase unless a serious effort is made to stop them.
“We’ve already seen that in several parts of Mexico there is a parallel narco-government . . . where on the surface it appears that everything is normal, right?” Landau said at a symposium in Monterrey, Nuevo León. “People go to school, to the movie theater… don’t interfere with the narcos –who– really have the power. The territory where they have this kind of power cannot be allowed to continue expanding through the Republic. It’s very important for the future of Mexico. If we don’t combat it now, it will get much worse,” ambassador Landau expressed.
Regarding the extraordinary show of strength in the now called “Culiacanazo” in Sinaloa, Landau said: “If Culiacán doesn’t wake us all up to the reality of the situation, I don’t know what we are waiting for. If organized crime is not stopped, this is a threat that is going to get worse.”
He added: “We have to confront these security challenges; it’s extremely important for the future of Mexico. There cannot be criminal groups that have control of part of the territory, that’s basic to sovereignty. It must be the Mexican army that must have the monopoly.”
Ambassador Landau acknowledged that the increased demand for drugs in the United States and the trafficking of U.S. arms to Mexico are the main causes of the violence that is plaguing the country. “. . . It’s an embarrassment that there is such a strong demand for drugs in my country. I don’t understand why this happens in a nation that provides so many opportunities,” Landau said.
Landau also explained that US authorities are investigating 200 cases of arms trafficking to Mexico and that so far, 19 people have been arrested in connection with a case related to firearms found in Guadalajara, Jalisco.
After the massacre of the LeBaron family members on November 4, Donald Trump said the U.S. was prepared to help Mexico “wage war” on drug cartels but President López Obrador declined the offer.
The ambassador, who took office last August, expressed that a prosperous Mexico is important for the economy of the United States. He also mentioned he wants to be involved as the “person who plays an important role in achieving successful security cooperation between Mexico and the United States” said at the end of his speech.
San Miguel Times
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