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January 14, 2011

Druglords of Mexico

The following map is an excellent tool to understand the recent drug war erupted in Mexico and how cartels are effectively controlling the majority of the country. Mexico's drug wars have been escalating in the last year due to many factors: main one is the competition to control the drug trade which is becoming increasingly one of the main industries in Mexico. Another reason for the current degradation of the Mexican affairs is the peak of the super giant Cantarell oil field.
Until 2004 when the production peaked, Cantarell was bringing to the Mexican coffers almost 40% of their total revenues, the depletion of this massive oilfield which is in terminal decline and could be gone by 2020 has brought the country to a major crisis.
Social and economical troubles together with a booming demand on the other side of the northern border have no doubt caused an explosion of the drug related economy in Mexico and reduced consistently the capacity for a broke government to bring order. An underfunded and corrupt Mexican government is facing a difficult task at tackling the drug economy in Mexico which is poised to become the main industry of the country.

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