Mexico’s President Calderon Says Criminals Threaten Democracy
Mexico’s President Felipe Calderon, marking his fifth year in office, said organized crime gangs threaten democracy and pose his biggest challenge in returning security to the country.
About 43,000 people have died in drug-related violence since Calderon launched his offensive against drug cartels when he took office Dec. 1, 2006, according to an Oct. 4 report by the Drug Enforcement Administration. The most recent evidence includes the discovery of 26 dead in Guadalajara in abandoned trucks last month and an arson attack on a casino that killed 52 people in Monterrey in August.
“Those who say that it would’ve been better not to confront the criminals are roundly mistaken,” Calderon said during an event in Mexico City. “If we hadn’t done this, the criminals would have advanced on our societies and institutions.”
To contact the reporters on this story: Nacha Cattan in Mexico City at ncattan@bloomberg.net; Jose Enrique Arrioja at jarrioja@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Joshua Goodman at jgoodman19@bloomberg.net
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