Comments on: pax mexicana

Question: pax mexicana

elizeh — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 07:25:58 -0800

I'd like to read more about Mexico's narco-war (both the inner workings of the cartels and violence against civilians/journalists/law enforcement). Both articles and books are welcome--nonfiction and journalism preferred, but academic texts OK. English preferred, but Spanish is OK too.

By: ClaudiaCenter

ClaudiaCenter — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 07:33:56 -0800

The New Yorker had a recent heartbreaking article: The Kingpins: The fight for Guadalajara.
by William Finnegan July 2, 2012. I could barely finish it.

By: AwkwardPause

AwkwardPause — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 07:42:37 -0800

Alma Guillermoprieto's writings in the New York Review of Books are amazing. Unfortunately, many of them are behind a pay wall, but here's a recent example that is available to all.

By: tilde

tilde — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 07:51:18 -0800

Down by the river.

By: 26.2

26.2 — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 07:55:07 -0800

God's Middle Finger: Into the Lawless Heart of the Sierra Madre is personal account of traveling through that section of Mexico. It's interesting because it gives a perspective of the impact of frequent drug cartel violence - how little human life is valued. It's not specifically about narcotráfico, but drug traffickers feature prominently

By: bl1nk

bl1nk — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 07:57:06 -0800

Longform has a pretty good and current overview on Slate

By: MuffinMan

MuffinMan — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 08:00:55 -0800

Murder City, by Charles Bowden (also the author of Down by the River, mentioned above).

By: daksya

daksya — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 08:12:59 -0800

Sylvia Longmire, a former USAF officer, tracks the developments in Mexico, on her blog Mexico's Drug War.

By: scratch

scratch — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 09:30:01 -0800

This blog (warning: there are some VERY graphic images) was mentioned in a recent thread on the blue titled Mormons vs. Mexican Drug Gangs.

By: lapsangsouchong

lapsangsouchong — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 10:53:36 -0800

A couple of things from the London Review of Books: Jonathan Littell reporting from Ciudad Juárez, and a review (this one partly behind a paywall, I'm afraid) by Ben Ehrenreich of a book by Malcolm Beith. There are some entries you may want to look at on their blog, too.

By: ocherdraco

ocherdraco — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 11:44:40 -0800

El Narco by Ioan Grillo.

By: yoyo_nyc

yoyo_nyc — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 17:59:08 -0800

While I can't help you directly with your question, you may be interested in how Mexico became a narco nation at all. How America Lost the War on Drugs

Why Mexico is not a failed state and may "benefit" from the drugs.

And, while set in Florida and Miami, I can strongly recommend the documentaries "Cocaine Cowboys" I and II.

By: lukemeister

lukemeister — Sat, 06 Oct 2012 10:00:51 -0800

Read frontera-list, which is curated by Molly Molloy, who edited El Sicario with Charles Bowden.