Ground Zero in the U.S.-Mexico Drug War

No matter how many times you’ve heard the statistics, the violence in Ciudad Juarez is at absolutely stunning levels. The city is at the epicenter of Mexico's spiraling drug violence, and has experienced already 600 murders so far this year.

What accounts for the chaos? Failed drug war policies on both sides of the border. And while many assume that the victims are mostly gang members killed by other gang members, such a view overlooks the sprawling destruction the violence has triggered, and the countless civilians whose lives are jeopardized in the cross-fire.

The city of 1.5 million has seen nearly seven murders a day in 2010 — easily the highest murder rate in the world. In a series this week on Al Jazeera, reporter Mariana Sanchez reports on the city's paramedics, who are often threatened with violence when they respond to shootings. Gang members somehow get their radio frequencies and often warn first-responders to stay away — or be killed. The number of injuries from violent crime is three times the murder rate: accordingly, the city’s police force and its 10 ambulances are called into harm’s way to respond to such crime about 25 times a day.

As we’ve written here, Mexico’s spate of drug violence is a direct result of American and Mexican prohibition. About 60% of drug activity in Mexico is geared toward supplying marijuana to the United States. If we legalized pot here, the infighting for a slice of the Mexican market would plummet. Yet when Hillary Clinton led a recent, high-level delegation to Mexico to discuss this very topic, the old paradigm of throwing money, police and strict sentencing at the problem seemed as strong as ever — sensible alternatives weren’t on the table.

Another Al Jazeera piece focuses on the effect of violence on the city's children, who participate in drills during class to practice hitting the floor when they hear gunshots. When a teacher asks how many have seen a killing, nearly every hand in the crowded room goes up.

And Sanchez finds that the dangers faced by kids goes beyond stray bullets. Mexico’s fastest-growing population of drug abusers are between 12 and 17, and Juarez’s school dropout rate is 40%. Gangs are having no trouble recruiting young members. The violence even infects children's play. The city recently held a toy gun buyback — exchanging regular toys for plastic guns, so kids wouldn’t parrot the violence they see every day.

The unimaginable violence in Juarez will claim more victims today. Until we change our policies, more civilians will continue to die in an unnecessary war.

Check out Al Jazeera's videos below:

Photo Credit: scazon