The International Red Cross (IRC) declared that violence in Mexico now resembles an active war zone. The agency reported massive disruptions such as prolific murders, disappearances, and citizens fleeing their homes to escape violence.
Wars between drug cartels increasingly target civilians, and travelers from the U.S. are being caught in the crossfire.
The IRC’s recent 2022-2023 Humanitarian Balance report expressed growing consternation over the situation south of the border. Oliver Dubois issued a written statement denouncing the troubling and tragic spread of mayhem across the country.
And it’s remarkably similar to living in a war zone such as Ukraine.
As he noted, “the pain of those who look for a loved one [or] the people who are forced to abandon their homes to save their lives and the lives of their loved ones…is similar to the one faced by people in other parts of the world affected by armed conflicts.”
Jordi Raich, head of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said “the violence is turning people, families, and communities into the living dead.”
Just like those areas, parts of Mexico suffer from being deprived of essential services because of random attacks by drug cartels and other criminal gangs.
SINCE THE BIDEN REGIME TOOK OFFICE… Red Cross Reports Mexico’s Violence Similar to a War Zone https://t.co/N5ZyUqacT7
— deborah green (@NewaiGreen) April 21, 2023
The raw numbers for the U.S.’s southern neighbor are startling.
Last year, the nation reported 30,968 murders. This followed a staggering 35,625 for 2021, according to the IRC report. The agency also noted that Mexico in 2022 had more than 100,000 forced disappearances.
Mexico’s own government defines these violent incidents as incidents where an individual is kidnapped and the government gives its permission, conceals evidence, or refuses to act in a law enforcement capacity. These cases are nearly impossible to solve.
In 2021, the IRC cited violent incidents in the country resulting in over 379,000 internal displacements or situations where people had to flee their homes for safety. That was a stark increase from the 262,411 displacements in 2020.
Even as the Biden administration turns a blind eye to the spiraling situation at the border, Mexican violence is affecting U.S. citizens. It is the height of irresponsibility to ignore the very real threat posed by drug cartels and criminal gangs, and securing the border is a must.
