Has the Time Come to Legalize Drugs?
Andres Oppenheimer

Legalization of drugs -- long an issue championed mainly by fringe groups -- is rapidly moving to the mainstream in Latin America. A recent surprise statement by former Mexican President Vicente Fox in support of 'legalizing production, sales and distribution' of drugs made big headlines around the world

The New Cocaine Cowboys
Robert C. Bonner

In the last two decades, Mexican drug cartels have acquired unprecedented power to corrupt and intimidate. Three factors account for their rise: preexisting corruption, the inability of weak law enforcement institutions to counter them, and the demand for illegal drugs in the United States.

Mexico has its own 'Arizona' problem
Andres Oppenheimer

One of the most frequent arguments of supporters of Arizona's anti-immigration law is that it doesn't do anything different than what Mexico does with undocumented Central American migrants, or what most Latin American countries do with their own illegal immigrants. It's a powerful argument, and partially true.

Obama Criticism of Arizona Immigration Law Ignores Federal Incompetence
Bonnie Erbe

Not so fast, Mr. President. I'm not saying I support the Arizona immigration legislation, but I have two points to make about President Obama's claim that federal legislation is needed and that Arizona's bill is misguided

Mexico's Big Hope: Get 5 Million U.S. Retirees
Andres Oppenheimer

Mexico is silently working on proposals aimed at drawing millions of U.S. retirees to this country, which could eventually lead to the most ambitious U.S. - Mexican project since the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement.

Mexico Facing Six Wars Not Just One
Andres Oppenheimer

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's trip to Mexico drew a lot of media attention to the bloody U.S.-backed war on the drug cartels along the border. But Mexico is facing five other wars that nobody is talking about, and that may pose even bigger threats than the drug lords.

Mexican Violence Rising but Less Than in Washington
Andres Oppenheimer

Despite the escalation of drug-related violence in several Mexican cities, and the pictures of mutilated bodies dumped on the streets of Ciudad Juarez and other cities along the U.S. border, a dispassionate look at Mexico's murder rates shows that some parts of the country are indeed dangerous, but the country as a whole is safer than what the latest headlines suggest.

Street Blockades Breed 'Anything-Goes' Culture
Andres Oppenheimer

The street blockades that almost paralyzed Mexico City and Buenos Aires in recent days, interrupting traffic and keeping millions of people from going to work, are becoming a major economic problem. But their invisible costs may be larger than their immediate monetary impact

Politics Not Economics Sinking Mexico
Latin American Current Events, News & Affairs - Andres Oppenheimer

Everything that could possibly go wrong seems to be going wrong for Mexico, Latin America's worst performing economy this year. But a new government idea could put this country back on the road to prosperity for decades to come -- if government officials really are serious about it.

Latin American Economy Will Do Well, but Not Great
Latin American Current Events, News & Affairs - Andres Oppenheimer

The news that Brazil and Mexico have come out of the recession and are poised for solid growth in 2010 should be celebrated, and both countries' leaders should be given credit for their sound economic management. But in the global economic context, the two Latin American giants' recovery will be modest.

The Real War in Mexico
Shannon O'Neil

Mexico is engulfed by escalating violence. The question is not whether the Mexican state will fail. It will not. The actual risk of the violence today is that it will undermine democracy tomorrow.

Another Swine-Flu Casualty: Good Journalism
by Andres Oppenheimer

The swine flu outbreak that has wrecked Mexico's economy may become a case study in reckless journalism. Like most of you, I had taken it for granted that the disease had started in Mexico.

Cambio de plataforma y servidor

Mexican Cartels Control Parts of Arizona
A lack of will leaves America vulnerable.

The Biggest Drug Addict in the World
Felipe Calderón is right.

Drug Cartel Plotted to Blow Up Texas Dam
Policymakers fiddle while the southern border burns.

Latin America Spurns U.S.
Latin American and Caribbean nations vote to keep the U.S. out of their affairs.

Mexican Border City Calls for UN Peacekeepers
Just yards away from El Paso, Texas, violence engulfs a city of 1.5 million.

Report: Drug Cartels, Terrorist Organizations Cooperating
More than just drugs could be crossing the border.

Hezbollah Agents Flood Into America
Iran is using the Mexican drug cartels to smuggle terrorists onto American soil.

The Drug Cartels Are on Our Payroll
A vivid illustration of how America’s sins are becoming curses

Is a Trade War With Mexico Imminent?

Mexico: Bordering on Collapse
The United States faces a number of serious crises. Here’s one many Americans haven’t yet considered.

Iran Sends Explosives Lab to Venezuela
The Islamic Republic tries to send a suspicious package containing “nothing important” to Latin America.

Mexican Drug Cartels Growing Problem for U.S.

Disorder South of the Border
A cauldron of crises is bubbling over in Mexico; economic and social collapse could affect more than just America’s southern neighbors.

A Key to Winning the Drug War
Exposing the empty, violent, seedy wasteland that is substance abuse.

Border Water Shortage Causes Conflict
The Texas-Mexico dispute over the Rio Grande’s water continues. What is the cause of this world’s water crises?

If You Think Gas Prices Are High Now...
Signs of a coming oil crunch

U.S.-Mexico Border Growing More Dangerous
The Border Patrol reports that attacks on agents are up nearly 40 percent from last year.

Oil Storm Clouds Gather in Gulf
Oil producers, still not recovered from the 2005 hurricane season, are wary of more infrastructure damage.

Express Kidnappings: America's Newest Threat
Illegal immigrants have brought a new form of kidnapping to American soil.

Illegals Setting Fires to Cross Border
Forest fires, crude firebombs among tactics

The Danger in China's Mexican Port Grab
Once the United States begins regularly receiving containers from the Far East by way of Mexico, America will become beholden to its southern neighbor—and China.

Nation: A Place With Borders
The debate over illegal immigration shows a fundamental misunderstanding of what’s at stake: the nation itself.

U.S.-South American Relations Poisoned
President Bush’s recent trip to South America provided ample evidence that this continent’s future alliances do not lie with the United States.

Mercenaries Protect Drugs Flowing Into the U.S.
Passage through the U.S. border is being kept safer than ever—for drugs and illegal aliens.

Latino Connections

Mexican shootout leaves 25 drug suspects dead
A shootout between soldiers and suspected drug dealers in northeast Mexico left 25 of the suspects dead, the regional military said Thursday.

Migrant who survived Mexico massacre: Don't leave home
A survivor of a massacre in Mexico that left 72 dead advised other would-be migrants to stay at home to avoid a fate like the one he and his companions met.

Police: Human smugglers kidnap 16 migrants in Mexico
At least 16 migrants, including a woman, were being held for ransom by human smugglers in Tijuana, Mexico, according to a migrant who was freed, authorities said late Wednesday.

Cuban migrants held for ransom in Mexico rescued, government says
Mexican authorities have rescued six undocumented Cuban migrants who had been held for ransom for a month in Cancun, a vacation hotspot on the nation's Yucatan Peninsula, the state-run Notimex news agency reported Wednesday.

Police: Accused drug lord moved tons of cocaine to U.S.
Authorities in Mexico revealed additional details Tuesday about an accused American-born drug kingpin detained Monday who they say moved tons of cocaine into the United States.

Mexico City woos same-sex honeymooners
As more governments approve same-sex marriage laws, officials here are hoping to attract a growing part of the tourism market: gay honeymoons.

Mexico to announce plan to protect migrants
Mexico's government will present a new strategy for preventing the kidnapping of migrants Tuesday, the nation's interior ministry said.

Police: American-born drug kingpin arrested in Mexico
American-born Edgar Valdez Villarreal, believed to be one of Mexico's most ruthless drug traffickers, was captured Monday, Mexican authorities said.

Man shot dead by police after Mexico City chase
A man was shot and killed by elements of the Mexican federal police Monday afternoon after a chase on one of the busiest beltways in Mexico City, state-run news agency Notimex reported.

Clashes in eastern Mexico leave 8 people dead
Eight people, including one soldier, died on Monday in clashes between the military and suspected drug cartel members in Mexico's eastern state of Veracruz, Salvador Mikel Rivera, the area's attorney general, told CNN.

As Mexicans mourn slain migrants, explosive goes off
An explosive device detonated Saturday three blocks away from a Mass honoring 72 migrants found slain near the Mexican border, state media reported.

Lead investigator in Mexico massacre is missing
A lead investigator and another official looking into the massacre of 72 migrants whose bodies were found this week in northern Mexico are missing, President Felipe Calderon said Friday.

Car bombs explode near Mexico TV station, transit office
At least two car bombs exploded Friday near the television studios of Televisa in Ciudad Victoria, the capital of Tamaulipas state in northeastern Mexico, authorities said.

Human trafficking second only to drugs in Mexico
Mario Santos likely never made it to the United States.

Mexican investigators trying to identify 72 bodies found near border
Mexican investigators have asked diplomats from El Salvador, Honduras, Ecuador and Brazil to help identify the bodies of 72 presumed migrants discovered at a ranch in northeast Mexico.

Hurricane Frank leaves death, destruction behind as it moves off shore
As Hurricane Frank gained strength far from land over the Pacific Ocean on Thursday morning, southern Mexico dealt with the aftermath of the system's assault on the mainland earlier in the week.

72 bodies found in Mexico were immigrants, officials say
Seventy-two bodies discovered at a ranch in northeast Mexico belonged to migrants who were making their way toward the United States, Mexican officials said Wednesday.

Storm leaves 4 dead, 30,000 affected in Mexico, government says
Four people died and at least 30,000 residents were affected in southern Mexico as a result of heavy rain and winds from then-Tropical Storm Frank, which has now intensified into a hurricane, the government-run Notimex news agency said Wednesday.

Quake shakes Mexico's Pacific coast
A strong earthquake rattled the Pacific coast of southwestern Mexico on Monday evening, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.

Mexican security official dies in ambush
Gunmen shot dead the Sinaloa state director of Mexico's security agency, the agency said Saturday.

Attempted robbery in Mexico leaves suspects with peanuts -- literally
Mexican federal police say two men tried to steal a truck, but ended up with peanuts.

Mayor of Santiago, Mexico, kidnapped
The mayor of a town on the outskirts of Monterrey, Mexico, was kidnapped by gunmen overnight, Nuevo Leon state officials said at a news conference Monday.

Mexican high court upholds adoptions by same-sex couples
Mexico's Supreme Court on Monday ruled that a law allowing for adoption by gay couples in Mexico City is legal.

More suspects arrested in Mexico journalists' abduction, police say
Mexican federal police have arrested five more suspects in the kidnapping of three journalists last month, the state-run news agency reported.

Mexico prison riot leaves at least 14 dead, government says
At least 14 inmates died Friday in a prison riot in northeastern Mexico, the state news agency reported.

Car bomb rocks government offices in Tamaulipas, Mexico
A car bomb rocked the headquarters of the Tamaulipas State Public Safety complex in Ciudad Victoria, Mexico, the agency said Thursday. No one was hurt; two police cars were damaged, it said in a news release.

Mexican Supreme Court upholds gay marriage law
Mexico's Supreme Court on Thursday upheld a Mexico City law that legalized same-sex marriage. In an 8-2 vote, the high court found the law, which went into effect in March, constitutional.

Study: Nearly 1.3 million Mexicans in capital don't have running water
Nearly 1.3 million Mexican residents don't have running water in Mexico City, the nation's capital, a university study has revealed.

Mudslide kills 2 workers in Mexico, 3 others injured
A rain-induced mudslide at a construction site in Mexico's capital has left two workers dead and three others injured, city officials told CNNMexico.com.

Mexico says it will sue BP over oil spill in the Gulf
The Mexican government is planning to make BP and the United States pay for damages and for costs associated with the company's ruptured oil well in the Gulf of Mexico, the state news agency Notimex reported Monday.

Explosive fired at Mexican police in shootout with drug cartel
In a sign that the use of more sophisticated weapons may become routine in Mexico's war against the drug cartels, officials in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, were studying an explosive projectile launched at federal police Sunday night during a shootout.

Mexico prison riot leaves 2 dead, 10 wounded, government says
A prison riot in northern Mexico left two inmates dead and 10 wounded, the state-run Notimex news agency said.

Drug cartel behind Mexican journalists' kidnapping, official says
Mexico's top security official says the Sinaloa drug cartel was likely behind the kidnapping of a group of four journalists, two of whom were freed in a police rescue.

Three of four kidnapped journalists freed
Two journalists kidnapped earlier this week by armed gunmen in Gomez Palacio, Mexico, were freed by their captors unharmed Saturday, according to the state-run news agency Notimex.

Gunmen execute 15 in Mexico
Fifteen people -- including two women -- were tortured and executed in the border state of Tamaulipas, state media said.

Guard slain at Mexico prison where inmates were let out to kill
A guard has been killed at a Mexican prison where authorities say the warden let out inmates at night to commit drug-related slayings, the state-run news agency said.

Official: Severed heads found in Mexico
Eight severed heads were found Tuesday in Durango, a city in central Mexico, the state attorney general's office said.

Mexican officials: Prison inmates released to commit killings
Top officials in Mexico said Sunday that authorities at a prison released and armed several inmates to attack a group of people during a birthday celebration last week in a killing spree that left 17 dead.

Mexican authorities deactivate explosive found outside shopping center
An explosive device was found outside a shopping center in Tonala, Mexico, public security officials said Tuesday.

17 killed at party attack in Mexico
Seventeen people were killed and 10 injured in an attack on a party in Torreon, Mexico, the state-run news agency Notimex reported, citing a representative of the federal attorney's general office.

At least 12 killed in Mexico clashes
Three separate clashes between soldiers and gang members near the U.S. border in Mexico left a dozen people dead and 21 injured, authorities said.

Bodies of escaped prisoners found hanging from bridge in Mexico
The bodies of three convicts who escaped from a local prison were found hanging from a bridge Tuesday in the central Mexican city of Cuernavaca, the Morelos State Attorney General's Office said.

Winning candidates in Mexico get death threats, party says
At least two winning candidates in Sunday's elections in Mexico have received threats saying they will be killed if they take office, the government-run Notimex news agency reported Thursday.

Towns stranded, thousands homeless in wake of hurricane
Communities in northeastern Mexico found themselves flooded and isolated Tuesday as Mexico's National Water Commission tried to manage high levels at area reservoirs due to Hurricane Alex.

Major Mexican wildlife trafficker arrested, officials say
Mexican federal authorities say they have arrested a major trafficker of animals in danger of extinction and confiscated 196 birds and other wildlife.

Bus-truck crash in Mexico kills 6, injures at least 20
A crash Tuesday morning between a passenger bus and cargo truck killed six people and injured at least 20 near Mexico's capital, the state-run Notimex news agency reported.

21 dead after shootout near border in Mexico
A shootout near the U.S.-Mexico border between rival groups with ties to organized crime left 21 people dead Thursday, Mexican police officials said.

Tropical Storm Alex continues to weaken in march across Mexico
Tropical Storm Alex continued to weaken Thursday as it slogged across Mexico, with top sustained winds decreasing to near 40 mph with higher gusts, the National Hurricane Center said.

Undocumented workers need legal rights
By now it should be clear that we need a new national economic strategy for a global economy -- and we cannot talk about one without facing head-on our own contradictions, hypocrisy and history on immigration.

Hurricane Alex could make landfall in Mexico, Texas Wednesday evening
Hurricane Alex was aiming its fury toward southern Texas and northeastern Mexico on Wednesday as it churned in the western Gulf of Mexico, but it was "moving in no hurry," the National Hurricane Center said.

Airlines waive fees for travel in hurricane's path
As Hurricane Alex spins toward northeastern Mexico and southern Texas, airlines are rolling out policy waivers for travelers likely to be affected by the storm.

Southern Mexico rattled by earthquake
A strong earthquake hit southern Mexico's Oaxaca state early Wednesday, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.

Gunfire kills gubernatorial candidate, 3 others in Mexico
A gubernatorial candidate in the state of Tamaulipas, Mexico, was killed by gunfire Monday morning near Ciudad Victoria, a top government official reported.

Gunmen open fire at political rally in Mexico, killing 2
Two people were killed and one more injured when gunmen opened fire at a political rally in southern Mexico on Saturday afternoon, authorities said.

Mexico sends arrest petition for TV producer charged in wife's death
Three weeks after a Mexican judge ordered the arrest of Bruce Beresford-Redman in connection with the death of his wife, the reality TV producer is still living free with his children in Los Angeles, California.

Mexico files court brief against Arizona immigration law
Mexico on Tuesday filed a brief in federal court in Arizona supporting a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of a tough new immigration law, Mexico's foreign ministry said.

Mexico garbage dump explosion damages 100 homes, government says
Gas accumulation triggered by intense heat caused a garbage dump explosion Tuesday in central Mexico, damaging about 100 homes but leading to no known fatalities, the state-run news agency reported.

Two trains collide in Mexico; at least 10 dead
Two trains collided head on Tuesday morning in northwestern Mexico, leaving at least 10 dead and five injured, state news agency Notimex reported.

Death tolls climb from Mexican police ambush, prison uprising
The toll climbed to more than 50 people killed in Monday's ambush on a Mexican federal police convoy and an unrelated prison uprising, authorities said Tuesday.

8 killed in plane crash in Mexico
Eight people, including members of a local politician's staff, were killed when a small plane crashed in Mexico, the state-run Notimex news agency reported Sunday. The politician, Roberto Borge Angulo, who is running for governor in the state of Quintana Roo, was not on the plane, the agency said.

At least 20 found dead in northern Mexico
The bodies of at least 20 people were found in various sectors of the municipality of Ciudad Madero, Mexico, south of Tamaulipas, state news agency Notimex reported Friday.

Drug cartel leader captured in northern Mexico
The alleged leader of a regional branch of the Los Zetas drug cartel was arrested by the Mexican Army Wednesday, Mexico's state news agency Notimex reported.

Authorities say Mexican man gave away children to pay off debt
The words Javier Covarrubias Gonzalez used to describe the violent kidnapping of his two young children were so vivid that his neighbors and police combed the streets to find them.

Mexico eyes the Gulf oil spill
Five Mexican states are monitoring the Gulf oil spill, Mexico's top environment official said, according to the state-run news agency Notimex.

Remains exhumed for Mexico's bicentennial
Experts are examining the exhumed remains of men who fought for Mexico's independence as part of the country's bicentennial celebration.

CNN Poll: Support for border crackdown grows
Public support for beefing up security along the U.S. border with Mexico and deporting all illegal immigrants has grown significantly, according to a new national poll.

Former 'Survivor' producer leaves Mexico
Reality TV producer Bruce Beresford-Redman has returned to the United States despite a request by Mexican authorities that he remain in Mexico while they probe the death of his wife, his lawyer said.

I had to pay twice for my flights to Mexico
Colleen Farmer's flight to Mexico is rescheduled multiple times before she leaves on her vacation, but when she finally shows up at the airport, her airline demands an additional $948 for two one-way tickets.

4 kidnapped from Juarez, Mexico, wedding found dead, police say
The bodies of four men kidnapped from a wedding in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, have been found in the bed of a pickup truck in the city, municipal police said Tuesday.

U.S. extends travel warning to Mexico
The U.S. State Department on Thursday extended a travel warning that had been issued for Mexico because of the region's high level of drug and gang violence.

An insider's guide to Mexico City
Mexico City, the country's capital, is one of the world's important cultural centers -- showcasing Latin America's rich history and traditions.

Retire to Mexico -- the price is right
The years-long trend of Americans buying homes and expatriating to Mexico has collapsed, done in by a trifecta of the recession, swine flu and an epic crime wave.

Family of Slain Producer's Wife Goes to Mexico Seeking Justice
"I am bleeding inside," says one of Monica Beresford-Redman's sisters

10-year-old's pregnancy fuels Mexican abortion debate
A pregnant 10-year-old, allegedly raped by her stepfather, has become the latest lightning rod in the country's heated abortion debate.

Senators urge stepped-up Mexico border security
Sens. Jon Kyl and John McCain, both Republicans from Arizona, called Monday for the immediate deployment of 3,000 National Guard troops to the border with Mexico and other steps to increase security.

Court appearances due in massive border smuggling bust
Criminal defendants are expected to make initial appearances in federal courts in Phoenix and Tucson on Friday in connection with what one federal agency calls the largest human smuggling investigation in its history.

Identity is about leaving a mark, a sign, a sound
I grew up in Oaxaca, Mexico, and Minneapolis, Minnesota. My father was a university professor, and my mother is a beautiful Mixtec woman. (The Mixtec group is one of 16 indigenous groups in the State of Oaxaca, in the southeastern part of Mexico).

Weekend shootouts in northeastern Mexico kill at least 9
At least nine people died in shootouts over the weekend in northeastern Mexico, an area where two drug cartels have been waging a bloody war since January.

Security video captured bloody shooting spree in Mexico
Chilling video captured by a security camera shows more than a dozen armed men carrying out a shooting spree in broad daylight that left eight people dead last month in Mexico's Chihuahua state.

U.S.-Mexico 'war on drugs' a failure
Last week during the day, some kids in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, were playing soccer in a park when a car slowed down, guys got out and executed a 13-year-old boy. And then they drove away, unmolested in a city with 11,000 army and police officers.

Police: Missing California family may have disappeared intentionally
Police say it now appears that a southern California family missing since early February voluntarily left for Mexico.

Bargains abound at Top 10 destinations
Vacationers will follow the sun and the deals this summer, travel service companies say.

10 people, ages 8-21, shot dead in Mexico
Ten children, youths and young adults between the ages of 8 and 21 were gunned down, presumably by drug traffickers, in the northern Mexican state of Durango, the state's attorney general said Monday.

Mexico drug cartels extend reach in U.S.
The availability of illegal drugs is increasing in the United States -- fueled largely by expanding activity from Mexican drug cartels -- and abuse of controlled prescription drugs is getting worse, according to the National Drug Threat Assessment 2010 report, released Thursday.

Feds in Texas seize thousands of rounds of ammo bound for Mexico
Federal agents seized 2,880 rounds of ammunition found inside an SUV that was being driven from Brownsville, Texas, to Mexico, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said.

Mexican border an imaginary line?
Like many people, I have been following the Obama administration's preparation for the renewed debate on immigration reform in Congress, a debate that largely concerns Mexicans living in the U.S. So when I read the tragic news about the murder of American consulate workers in Ciudad Juarez, there was an added resonance.

Mexico apologizes after soldiers kill two students
The Mexican government has apologized to the families of two students killed early Friday who officials initially said were drug gang members.

Drug criminals block roads in Mexico
Five presumed drug gang members and one soldier were killed in shootouts Thursday and Friday after criminals blocked thoroughfares in two northern Mexico states to prevent military reinforcements from arriving, authorities said.

House of the setting sun
For the launch of VICE magazine in Mexico, we decided to make an entire issue about Mexico, written entirely by Mexicans.

3 people associated with U.S. consulate killed in Mexico
Three people connected to the U.S. consulate in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, were killed in two drive-by shootings, a senior White House official told CNN Sunday.

5 couples in Mexico City inaugurate same-sex marriage law
Five gay and lesbian couples were married in Mexico City on Thursday, the first such ceremonies since a law went into effect this month legalizing same-sex marriage in the Mexican capital.

Mexico to U.S.: Allow cross-border trucking
Mexico asked the United States to move forward with creating a proposal to end a ban on cross-border trucking in violation of the North American Free Trade Agreement.

Mexico City law allowing same-sex unions takes effect
A law allowing same-sex weddings took effect Thursday in Mexico City, one day after the second same-sex marriage was performed in Argentina.

Report: Marijuana cultivation in Mexico rises
Marijuana cultivation in Mexico increased 35 percent in 2008 and continues to grow, even as authorities there push forward with a large offensive against drug cartels that smuggle the product into the United States, according to a State Department report released this week.

Luis Bueno: Mexico faces important friendly on road to World Cup
Mexico will open the World Cup against South Africa on June 11 in its most important game in four years, and each match El Tricolor goes on to play in the tournament will only increase in significance.

7 killed in Mexico shootouts
Shootouts between drug suspects and the military in the Mexican northeastern border state of Tamaulipas have left seven dead and 11 wounded, the government reported.

Mob action in Mexico City concerns interior secretary
Mexico's interior secretary is expressing concern over a mob action in Mexico City that left dozens of police officers injured.

U.S. says agents won't embed with Mexican police
Increased cooperation with the United States in the fight against Mexican drug cartels is vital, but American agents will always be limited on their actions in the country, Mexico's interior ministry said Wednesday.

U.S. renews travel alert to Mexico
The United States has renewed a travel alert to Mexico, citing increased violence in the country.

Juarez mayor: Drug violence rooted in Mexico's social ills
Jose Reyes Ferriz, the mayor of violence-plagued Ciudad Juarez, said the drug cartel war gripping his city is rooted in social decomposition such as broken homes.

Grief Across Latin America for Migrant Killings
Migrants are apparently dying at the hands of a drug gang seeking money or possibly recruits, officials said, though no nobody knows for sure.

Suspected Drug Lord Is Arrested in Mexico
The man, known as La Barbie, could be extradited to the United States to face charges of cocaine trafficking.

Drug Cartel Gunmen Kill a Mexican Mayor
The assassination was the latest episode of increasing drug-driven violence in Tamaulipas State, near the Gulf of Mexico.

Prosecutor Investigating Massacre in Mexico Is Missing
A prosecutor investigating the killings of 72 migrants was reported missing, and a television network’s office was damaged by an explosion.

Mexico Massacre Victims Found
Seventy-two people whose bodies were found Tuesday were killed by gunmen who tried to take their money.

A Global Patchwork of Air Safety Rules
After the F.A.A. downgraded Mexico’s safety rating, attention turned to the inconsistencies in global guidelines.

Lawmakers in Mexico to Debate Drug Fight
With the pace of killings rising, President Felipe Calderón plans a meeting to show that his government is willing to engage its critics and listen to suggestions.

Lawmakers in Mexico to Debate Drug Fight
With the pace of killings rising, President Felipe Calderón set up high-level forums in an effort to show that the Mexican government was willing to engage its critics and listen to suggestions.

A Proposed Billy the Kid Pardon Stirs Passions in New Mexico
Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico is considering whether to grant a pardon to Billy the Kid. Among opponents are descendants of the sheriff who killed him.

Asylum Granted to Mexican Woman in Case Setting Standard on Domestic Abuse
The closely watched case brings new clarity to asylum law after almost 15 years of arcane and tangled litigation.

Mexico President Seeks Crime Answers
Felipe Calderón is holding a series of public sessions on anticrime strategies, amid increasing criticism of his offensive against drug gangs.

Mexican States Ordered to Honor Gay Marriages
All 31 states must recognize same-sex marriages registered in Mexico City, potentially making gay marriage legal nationwide, the Supreme Court ruled.

Protests Test Patience of Mexico City Drivers
Since Mexico City does not regulate protests, people are free to block traffic whenever they please.

Police Rescue 2 Kidnapped Mexican Journalists
Javier Canales and Alejandro Hernández, both camera operators, had been kidnapped earlier in the week by suspected drug traffickers seeking to silence the media.

Death of a Mexican Drug Lord May Not Make People Feel Safer
The coordinated raid that led to the death of Ignacio Coronel Villarreal on Thursday may make way for a competing cartel.

Mexico's Calderón defends his strategy for fighting crime

Two survived massacre of 72, Mexican authorities say

Drug-trafficking suspect 'La Barbie' tells of drug kingpins' meeting in video of interrogation

Illegal migrant total down nearly 1 million in U.S., Pew report says

Drug lord's arrest called mark of progress against Mexican cartels

Estados Unidos Mexicanos (Spanish) / United Mexican States

Capital: Mexico City

The United Mexican States (Spanish: Estados Unidos Mexicanos), or commonly Mexico (Spanish: México), is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bounded on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the North Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of Mexico. The United Mexican States comprise a federation of thirty-one states and a federal district, the capital Mexico City, which is one of the world's most populous cities.

Covering almost 2 million square kilometers, Mexico is the fifth-largest country in the Americas by total area and the 14th largest in the world. With an estimated population of 109 million, it is the 11th most populous country and the most populous Spanish-speaking country in the world.

As a regional power and the only Latin American member of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) since 1994, Mexico is firmly established as an upper middle-income country.

Mexico is the 12th largest economy in the world by gross domestic product (GDP), on par with countries like Canada and Spain, even though income inequality is still high. The economy is strongly linked to those of its North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) partners. Elections held in July 2000 marked the first time that an opposition party won the presidency from the Institutional Revolutionary Party (Partido Revolucionario Institucional: PRI) which had held it since 1929, culminating the political alternation at the federal level, which had begun at the local level during the 1980s.

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexico