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Currently, seven powerful drug-trafficking organizations occupy different regions of Mexico -- La Familia Michoacán, the Gulf Cartel, Los Zetas, the Beltrán-Leyva Organization, the Sinaloa Cartel, the Tijuana Cartel, and the Juárez Cartel.

For example, the Mexican government is working to improve the effectiveness of its federal police force, planning to hire 8,000 additional police investigators during 2010, while at the same time trying to purge the force of corruption.

In August 2010, nearly 10% of the federal police were fired for failing lie detector, drug, or other tests that form the "trust control exams" designed to identify officers with ties to organized crime.

In addition, Plataforma México, a recent reform related to information management, aims to create real-time interconnectivity within Mexico's police force by developing a national crime database to facilitate tracking drug criminals.

More importantly, the government is taking the punishment of convicted drug criminals seriously and has increased extraditions to the U.S.

An estimated 7,000 people died in Mexico in 2009 as a result of the drug war -- significantly more than the 1,300 people who are believed to have died in 2005 before the war began. There were also an estimated 1,200 kidnappings in 2009.

Pemex, the state-owned petroleum company, has been a repeated target of the cartels. In 2010, the company experienced multiple kidnappings and theft by the cartels and corrupt employees. Reuters estimates that Pemex loses "US$750 million of fuel and oil from its pipelines each year" along with "valuable spare parts and equipment."

In August 2010, the far-reaching impact of Mexico's drug-related violence prompted Calderón to open debate on legalizing drugs.

For the past two years, American Chamber Mexico (AmCham) has conducted a survey of its members -- foreign and national managers -- to gauge their sentiment regarding corporate and personal security: 75% say their businesses have been affected by the country's insecurity.

Nearly 60% of the respondents felt less secure on a personal level in 2009 than in 2008; but the same respondents were equally divided as to whether their respective companies were more, less, or equally secure across the same period.

Of the third of the respondents who viewed their companies as being less secure than the year before, the most commonly noted contributing factors were the strengthening of organized crime activity, impunity in the judicial process, and activities associated with drug trafficking. Among those who felt their companies were more secure, 25% credited the work of the Mexican authorities, while 75% attributed the improvement to the results of efforts within their own companies.

As previously noted, vehicle armoring is a principal offering of the security industry, and it is not surprising that the growth of the market is most visible in this subsector. In Latin America, the armoring market has increased by 850% in the last eight years, and Mexico is now the second largest market after Brazil. Since 2008, the number of armored cars has increased by 25% in Mexico City and by 60% in the rest of the country. This market is expected to grow by 20% in 2011. Businesses have responded to this need: There are now 70 registered providers of armoring, compared to only three 15 years ago.

Kroll estimates the direct cost of insecurity to the government, businesses, and citizens to be US$65 billion, or 8% of GDP.

focuses

What makes products like pomegranates, almonds and especially grapes so exciting, experts say, is that a plot of these legal gems can be five times more profitable than an equivalent-size plot of poppies.

The drawback, however, is start-up time.

Poppies, which are cultivated to produce opium, are an annually harvested crop. The establishment of a grape vineyard could take three to five years

the production cycle is only part of the problem

Saffron is also a high-value crop: one kilogram can fetch $2,000 to $3,000 in the local market

That compares to just over $90 a kilogram for poppies

The farmer's problem is processing, development, getting a brand and entering the international market ...

it's more practical to focus on enhancing the production of crops that farmers are already growing — like wheat and corn.

"Getting a farmer to try something new is very, very difficult. So we're trying to get them to take what they're doing now and just do it better,"

there has been significant progress. Over 1,000 new orchards have been planted, 30,000 tons of improved wheat seeds were distributed and ministry officials in provincial centers are working with foreign counterparts on development projects including aid programs to wean farmers off poppy

many complain that government involvement at the local level remains minimal to nonexistent.

"Agricultural production in Afghanistan needs long-term commitments and investments

The diplomatic cable quotes Uranta as blaming "no more than 15 percent" of oil thefts on militants operating in the delta, a tropical maze of creeks and waterways about the size of South Carolina. Instead, politicians, retired admirals and generals and others in the country's elite profit from the thefts. Typically, thieves solder or cut into oil pipelines running through the mangrove swamps of the delta. Some refine the crude into kerosene or diesel in crude refineries, while other oil sails out to foreign ports for sale.

The large-scale theft, compounded by anger over unceasing poverty and pollution in the delta despite 50 years of oil production, led to an uprising of militants in the region beginning in 2006. Military-grade weapons funneled into the region, turning gunrunners into militant leaders who espoused political ideas — but kept their eyes on the profits from stolen oil.

Libya holds around 44 billion barrels of oil reserves, the largest in Africa.”

The sudden change in Libya, a fallout of the democratic fervour blowing across North Africa and the Middle East, now meant that Libya oil supplies are in jeopardy, pushing the supply pressure on Nigeria and Angola.

Comments :   Now Nigerians,Africans & all the world can see the reason why IMF wants SANUSI TO DEVALUE NIGERIAN NAIRA so that the WESTERN WORLD will gain.SANUSI MAY THE GOD ALMITHY continue to strenghten u $ MR PRESIDENT never to listen to those animal impersonators.They thought u wiil be like IBB & others. Posted by: wyclef kojak , on Sunday, February 27, 2011 Report this comment This is a great opportunity for our country to make profits and use them for infrastructural development. I hope our government has the right sense to invest and appropriate this. Instead of diverting them for selfish and political purposes. Posted by: OgaFatai , on Saturday, February 26, 2011 Report this comment

The Australian and Queensland governments are putting fossil fuel company profits ahead of human safety.

Mexico cannot win its war against the cartels unless the U.S. does more to curb insatiable American demand

Weak democratic institutions, a corrupt and ineffective judicial system and underdeveloped infrastructure have made it virtually impossible for the Mexican government to break up the country’s vast and flexible criminal networks.

Calderon would be better advised to focus on more attainable goals; like implementing judicial reforms, expanding access to credit, growing the middle class, and promoting government accountability and transparency.

Restoring a semblance of order to Mexico’s civil and political society would be a good first step toward reversing the country’s slow economic growth and declining global competitiveness.

most of Mexico’s major cartels do not have a political or social agenda

The fight against drug traffickers - and the militarization of domestic security - is eroding Mexico’s democracy

escalating violence and terror is endangering business growth and fledgling civic networks.

using the Mexican military to fight the drug war point to the army’s success capturing drug kingpins and cartel cell leaders

drug war has destabilized the cartel leadership and led to the atomization of powerful criminal organizations into smaller, more regionalized gangs.

If left alone, these weaker organizations will wield considerably less influence over local governments and law enforcement than their predecessors. Stronger democratic institutions and a reformed criminal justice system would further marginalize and weaken these gangs.

Calderon could recall the 45,000 troops he sent to fight the drug war and call for a ceasefire between the Mexican army and the cartels

Money, not power, is the goal for the vast majority of Mexican traffickers. The cost of fighting a multi-front war seriously cuts into profits.

As long as American demand exists, the drug trade will thrive south of the border. But as the cost of doing business in Mexico increases, the nexus of power will shift to other Latin American countries.