Opponent of Mexico’s Cartels Is Detained in Vigilantes’ Deaths
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/13/world/americas/opponent-of-mexicos-cartels-is-detained-in-vigilantes-deaths.html?_r=1
SUMMARY
This article is about Hipólito Mora, a man associated with vigilantism against the Knights Templar cartel that terrorized local lime growers. A year after those events, however, Mora is now being accused of those same offenses. He was detained as a suspect for the deaths of two men of a rival group. “Mora’s arrest tells us about the risks of vigilantes, acting according to their own standards,” said Rául Benítez Manaut. “They are in a state where justice is a very relative thing; they are used to living in a context where justice dos not exist.” Many people have defended him as a victim of a conspiracy, questioning the legality of his arrest. The government had at one point worked with Mora and his vigilante group to attempt to get rid of the Knights Templar. The leader of the Knights was killed. “The government should be very careful,” said Mr. Benitez. “They can’t start arresting vigilantes indiscriminately."
ANALYSIS
This story almost rings as a Batman story. You see the discrepancy within the government when it comes to which types of groups it "supports" and which it hunts down. At one point, it asked for help from Mora and his group of vigilantes, and then later arrested Mora. Does this prove that vigilantes tend to be fighting for their own gain and not for the side of the law and justice? There are reasons as to why the US has set up laws against vigilantism, no matter how much we like to go and see a movie about it every once and a while. In the end, it's a very dangerous game.
I agree on your argument. I think an essential part of being able to retain legitimacy within a government is through controlling, regulating, or in the case of the US, banning dangerous organizations like these vigilantes of late. Mexico struggles with retaining an actual legitimacy in the role of government. This article is yet another example besides the drug cartels of groups that threaten the government's right or ability to rule. If Mexico's government can't figure out how to lessen the power of these groups then I'm afraid there might not be a legitimate Mexico in the near future.
ReplyDeleteYah sadly no how much we like our batmen and spidermen there is quite a danger to people who fight for their own gains. The government has to control them otherwise eventually the vigilante could turn towards and attack them instead.
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