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Mexico’s Forgotten Mayors: The Role of Local Government in Fighting Crime
Organised crime in Mexico has gone local, as cartels break up into sub-groups battling over smaller patches of turf.
At the same time, the federal government has wrested policing away from town halls.
- ICG
A reset is needed to re-empower municipal officials to protect the public.
What’s new?
Mexican mayors – who are prime targets of organised crime – have been moved to the rear in the fight to contain it.
Local corruption and the sheer magnitude of violence prodded national authorities to strip municipal governments of power and turn to the military to oversee public safety.
Why does it matter?
Mexican criminal groups…