Mexico "drug war" affecting 52 % of municipalities

While the violence, as is often pointed out, is concentrated in a far fewer number, Mexico's attorney general office PGR stated that the 1269 municipalities, or 52 percent, have nonetheless been directly affected by the government's fight against organized crime (and their own infighting), according to today's El Universal.

For instance, in 97 percent (!) of the municipalities in Morelos, there have been deaths directly attributed to the drug "war" debacle. Michoacán, "my" state for a range of reasons, have as well as stunning 95 percent of its municipalities as having experienced drug war murders.

Nuevo León ex governor who claimed PRI pacted with narcos questioned

Sócrates Rizzo García was governor of Nuevo León 1991-1996, for the Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI). It therefore sent quite a few shock waves through the political spectrum when he last February made some comments that strongly suggested that the even national had been making pacts with the drug gangs in the 1990s. The PRI-controlled presidency,

“tenía resuelto el problema del tránsito” de (droga), pues de algún manera se les decía (a traficantes) ‘tu pasas por aquí… pero no me toques estos lugares’”.

Rizzo was now - 8 months later, mind you - questioned by the PGR or the federal attorney general's office regarding these claims. Yet what did he state now? "I was not aware of any" narco pacts.

I know nothing! (couldn't help this one)

Coahuila debt scam to be invesitigated by Mexico's attorney general

PAN is not letting go of the debt and apparent document falsification scandal in Coahuila: PAN's presidential hopeful Ernesto Cordero said yesterday that the Mexican Attorney General's office (Procuraduría General de la República, PGR), will launch investigation as well, in addition to other auditing organs, as his finance ministry has sent or will lodge a formal criminal complaint.

Meanwhile, the Confederacion Nacional Campesina (CNC), a PRI corporatist organization, gave its full backing to Moreira

Did Gregorio "Greg" Sánchez meet twice with El Chapo?

The story of Gregorio "Greg" Sánchez is getting ever more bizarre. Now, the Mexican Procuraduría General de la República or Attorney general's office claims that the former Cancún mayor and PRD gubernatorial candidate of Quintana Roo actually met with drug kingpin El Chapo Guzmán, and even on two occasions to boot. PGR says it has evidence of this, and a "protected witness" claims that Greg received copious amounts of money.

Lest we forget, he has in the past as well been accused of consorting with 1) the Beltrán Leyva brothers, 2) the Zetas, and now 3) El Chapo, implying either utter stupidity or a suicidal death wish.

Until the PGR coughs up the evidence, I take this with a pail of salt, no less.