Breathe
By Sandra Romandía
President Donald Trump's recent designation of six Mexican cartels as terrorist organizations has generated a firestorm of debate and questioning. However, beyond the controversy, an even more troubling question arises: why limit it to six? In the vast and complex web of organized crime in Mexico, there are other equally dangerous groups that, by being omitted from this list, appear to operate under an umbrella of impunity.
Take, for example, the Juarez Cartel, also known as "La Linea. This group has been singled out by Mexican authorities as responsible for the heinous massacre of the LeBaron family in 2019, an act that left nine dead, including six children. Despite the brutality of this crime, which shocked international public opinion, La Linea does not appear on the US list of terrorist organizations. Does selective geopolitics dictate which atrocities deserve to be labeled as terrorism?
Another emblematic case is that of the Guerreros Unidos and Los Rojos, groups implicated in the forced disappearance of the 43 students from Ayotzinapa in 2014. This event, which laid bare the collusion between organized crime and local authorities, remains an open wound in Mexican society. However, the Trump administration has decided to overlook these actors in its crusade against terrorism. Could it be that selective memory is also a tool of diplomacy?
La Barredora, active in Tabasco, has been accused of operating under the protection of high-level security officials during the administration of Adan Augusto Lopez. This collusion between political power and organized crime raises serious questions about the effectiveness and sincerity of security policies. However, this cartel has also not been the subject of terrorist designation by the U.S. Could it be that endemic corruption is too uncomfortable an issue to address head-on?
