John Ross Speaks to Grand Rapids Crowd

Last night about 60 people came out to hear radical journalist and author John Ross speak as he travels the country on his current book tour. Ross just published the book El Monstruo: True Tales of Dread and Redemption in Mexico City.

Ross began the talk by reading a poem from Subcommandante Marcos entitled Hasta Cuando – Until When, which speaks about the cry from the oppressed who ask the question “until when, will we have justice and freedom?”

The author was asked to address two aspects of US policy as it relates to Mexico, immigration and the drug war. Ross harkened back to May of 2006, when millions marched in the US for immigration rights. Ross mentions the significance of May 1 by discussing what happened to immigrant workers at the Haymarket incident in 1886. Immigrant workers were striking for an 8-hour workday in Chicago when a bomb went off killing several policemen. Labor organizers were accused of killing the cops and were executed. Around the world workers have since the Haymarket killings have marched on May 1 to commemorate worker struggles everywhere.

Ross then mentions that 200,000 people marched in DC last Sunday for immigrant rights to show that there is some continuity between the mass protests on May 1, 2006 and what kind of organizing is taking place today. Ross said that the Bush administration attacked immigrant rights by using Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) to threaten, detain, arrest, and deport immigrant workers after the 2006 demonstrations, which have kept many immigrants in the shadows politically.

Ross said people need to find a way to have some of the same kind of organizing and mobilizing this year, especially for immigrant rights and real immigration reform. However, Ross was critical of the proposed legislation that is being put forth on Immigration Reform, particularly by Senator Charles Schumer. For a good analysis of that legislation see a recent article from long time immigration activist David Bacon.

Anti-immigrant commentary in the US, Ross said, is really just a form of Mexico bashing. “It is a mechanism to avoid talking about what is really going on in the US.” He also said that whatever agreements the US makes about immigration always comes with some demand on Mexico that will ultimately benefit the US. Ross said that the NAFTA negotiations were in part a deal that the US made some concessions on immigration in order to have greater access to the Mexican economy.

The journalist/author made the same point about the so-called war on drugs in Mexico, in that whenever the US has become involved there have been trade offs. Ross said he hates to talk about the drug war because it gives a negative image about Mexico that prevents us from talking about how civil society is engaged in social change. But the drug war plays well in US media, since headlines about the violence associated with the drug trade sells papers.

Ross noted that there have been numerous campaigns against drug trafficking in Mexico with the most recent drug war beginning when Mexican President Calderon was sworn-in in 2006. Many people believed that Calderon won that election by fraud. In fact, the election was so contested that the day when he was sworn-in Calderon had to be escorted by the military, because the opposition was trying to actually prevent him from making his first address to the Mexican government. Six days later Calderon began his war on drug by sending 30,000 troops to Michoacán, which has resulted in the deaths of thousands of civilians.

Ross said that all Mexican presidents have gone after specific drug lords as a way of winning political points, particularly with the US. When US President Clinton bailed out Mexico in 2005, Clinton demanded a drug lord in return. Mexican President Ernesto Zedillo complied and then the Juarez cartel took over as the main drug gang in the late 90s. It was during this time that several Mexican Generals were arrested and implicated in the drug trade, which raised more questions about the effectiveness of the drug war. The drug cartel doesn’t use the military anymore because they are so corrupt.

A man by the name of El Chapo Guzman is now the lead narco-lord in Mexico, according to Ross and Guzman hasn’t been seen since 2001, which suggests that the Mexican government is not really interesting in shutting down his operation. To illustrate this point Ross mentioned a recent study that looked at 50,000 drug arrests in Mexico and virtually none of those arrested were Chapo’s people. Ross believes that President Calderon may be collaborating with Chapo, so as to have some negotiating power with the drug lord when it comes to rival drug gangs.

At this point Ross made the distinction between the drug war and the drug problem in Mexico. It used to be kids were sniffing glue or paint thinner from Sherman Williams. Now kids are on the street using crack.

The violence from the drug trade, according to Ross, is turf wars between local drug gangs. He says what you see in Mexico is like what is depicted on the HBO show The Wire, in terms of the kinds of violence associated with the drug trade. However, Ross pointed out that when 4 out of 10 Mexican workers who had jobs are out of a job, you have a serious problem, which makes the drug trade very inviting.

Add to the problems associated with the drug war and increased poverty and unemployment the fact that people can’t get out of the country because of increased border patrol. “So the country is a powder keg with the lid ready to blow off,”

Ross concluded his comments by making mention of the visit that Hillary Clinton and other high ranking US officials made to Mexico the other day. During this visit it was announced that there would be a joint US/Mexican control center in Mexico City, which will allow the US greater influence in Mexican politics. The DEA, FBI, ICE and US military are all involved in Mexican agencies, which threatens national sovereignty, according to Ross. This infiltration of the Mexican security apparatus is an attempt by the US to regain control over Mexican, and potentially other Latin American countries, that have shifted left in recent years.