Mexico's drug orphans

8/8/2019 Mexico's drug orphans

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Mexican drug Orphans OctOber 201

the littlest casualties of war

special report

by catherine breMer

CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico, Oc 6

aORlORn lIttlE IgURE, ve-year-od Brya perches a he door o IrmaCasass oce a a womes sheer i his

murderous border ciy. He has waked a heway here o e her, aai, ha his moher isi a bad way, aai.

A 23, Bryas moher recey became adru war widow or he secod ime wheher arcoics smuer husbad was sho ihe head by a eeae hima who sroedup o heir home as he was parki ouside,wih Brya, his moher ad baby siser i hecar.

Brya abbes ucoroaby, Casas says,abou how i was o see his sepahersbrais spi ou o his head ha day. I was

jus oe more kii i a brua war beweeriva dru racki cares ad Mexicasecuriy orces ha has kied eary 30,000peope i uder our years.

As ar as Casas kows, obody is rackiBryas aedace a schoo or providiherapy. the omes or his uure are ood.

She is aware o he risks o her chidrebu shes aways ived i his word. She haso exampes o oher ways o ive, Casassaid as she recoued he sory o Mariso,oe o housads o dru widows i CiudadJuarez, which has jumped ahead o paces

ike Bahdad ad Caracas o become hewords murder capia.Mariso was a prey 17-year-od whe

Bryas aher, a bi-eaue oca dru ord,seduced her ad ook her o as a permaemisress. He kep her shu up i oe o hishouses ad ook o beai her beore he wassho dead by a hired u rom a riva a.She married a ower-eve racker ad heyhad a baby ir. Bu sice he was murderedshe sis a home, depressed ad boaed romdriki a day. to sop her ia dauher

rom screami, she boe-eeds her wihbeer.

Squashed io a wo-room ciderbockhouse i a vas ad souess sum o heede o Ciudad Juarez wih her siser, asowidowed, ad her eeae kids, Marisopas o prosiue herse o oher drusmuers i wha coud be he a srawor he uure o her wo you chidre.

Decapiaed bodies. Murder vicimshai rom brides. Bood crused osree curbs where a assassi has sruck.these are he ruesome imaes he wordhas come o associae wih Mexicos druwar. Bu, ou o view, he pih o so-caed

arco orphas ike Brya is jus as haui.I may aso oree more mayhem i heyears o come.

Wih shoddy educaio sadards adpoor career prospecs aready hodi backMexicos youh, peope ike Casas worryabou he impac o sociey o es ohousads o kids rowi up emoioayraumaized ad wih heir prospecs orbuidi a beer ie or hemseves iaers.

there is a eormous cos because hese

art therapy: a tte r uses ou s os

ur outo ter t te cu Jurez r o

mexos di eeoet e auust 16, 2010

(oe). hand in hand: a k st

re see ere e ou oe ee ke erer

se ouse cu Jurez auust 15, 2010 (rt).

reuters/claudia daut

Decapiaed bodies. Murder vicims hai rom brides.Bood crused o sree curbs where a assassi has sruck.

these are he ruesome imaes he word has come oassociae wih Mexicos dru war. Bu, ou o view, he piho so-caed arco orphas ike Brya is jus as haui. Imay aso oree more mayhem i he years o come.


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kids are chidre as hey shoud be. theyare uure crimias. Wha oher aspiraiosare hey oi o have? Wha kid ouure awais hem? Casas said over aucomoraby eary supper i a brihyi ma i Ciudad Juarez, where hese dayspeope avoid side srees ad do say ou

aer dark.neiher Mexicos overme or hevarious idepede roups sudyioraized crime keep rack o he umbero arco orphas who have os ahers, adsomeimes mohers oo, o he dru war.

Veera huma rihs awyer gusavo dea Rosa, a ivesiaor or he Chihuahuasae huma rihs commissio ha coversCiudad Juarez, aayzed a poo o 5,000

dru war dead i he ciy, oy separaedrom E Paso, texas, by a wire ece adhe dry river bed o he Rio grade. Basedo daa showi Mexica me aed 18-35 have a averae 1.7 kids, de a Rosaesimaed hey e 8,500 orphas behid.

Exed he mah over a aioa evead Mexico, which cosiders a chid o beorphaed eve i is moher survives, coudbe ooki a a oa o 50,000 dru warorphas o dae.

Is ike a war zoe, de a Rosa od

Reuers. there is o proram, o ieresrom ay oraizaio o ook aer hesiuaio o orphas. these peope are ivio a kie ede bu or he overme is asi he probem does exis. Is e or heamiies o dea wih.

Mexican heMOrrhage

Preside eipe Cadero auched his druwar upo aki oce i December 2006 oake a ouh sad aais dru cares whosepower had row seadiy over decades o

oe-pary rue. Cadero says his oesive

has weakeed he cares operaios, bu ihas backred by sei o horric eves oboodshed ad aii Mexicos sadi asa sabe deveopi ecoomy ha is sae ororei compaies ad ouriss aike.

this year, dru as have ake heirbae acics o uprecedeed ew eves,sei o car bombs, murderi a spae oow mayors ad hreaei, abduci adkii jouraiss. Cadero has admiedha he securiy risk i Mexico has reacheda disurbi ew eve. His Aorey geera

Aruro Chavez describes he dru vioece

a hemorrhae.Whie overme ocias sress hMexicos overa homicide eves are oheadies abou ope-air shooous amuiaed corpses dumped everywherom he resor o Acapuco o cobbesoeaway ows ear Mexico Ciy are aarmioreiers ad he U.S. overmeIcreasiy, he aios pih is drawiparaes wih Coombia, which is si scarrrom is h i he 1980s ad eary 90s wu-o arco errorism.

There is an

enormous cosT

because These kids

arenT children

as They should be.

They are fuTure

criminals. WhaT

oTher aspiraTions

are They going To

have?

picture this : a o rests s e t res re eter ru roteto ngO e t ett re o t

streets cu Jurez auust 17, 2010. reuters/claudia daut


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naioa securiy spokesma AejadroPoire od reporers i Sepember ha heovermes oa has aways bee o makehe coury saer. the bae wihou quareruderake by he edera overmeaais crimia oraizaios is causiheir visibe deerioraio, he said.

Mos o Mexicos dru war vicims arerackers, hime ad poice, some ohem areed or bei i he pay o rivasmui as, ad here is a edecy iocia quarers o dismiss he dead as baduys who had i comi.

Ye aayss ad academics recko severahousad o he vicims were ioce copsor civiias cauh up i he cross re, ad aeas 1,000 were miors: eiher he osprio rackers or hime, or eeaerssucked io dru crime or wa o beeropporuiies i a coury which has a hirdo is empoyed workorce suck i he ray

ecoomy.the rowi poo o dru war orphas is

a sai o Mexicos socia abric. too smao make a major de i he courys uureecoomic rowh, hey are easy o iore,bu hese kids, arey abadoed by heauhoriies, wi be omorrows crimias ado-erm uempoyed whe hey coud havebee pushi io Mexicos si-oo-smamidde cass wih bue-coar jobs or smabusiesses.

I Ciudad Juarez, a disma mass oassemby pas ad sum housi ha

cous 300 murders a moh i a popuaio

o 1.5 miio, may are e usupervised,maki hem easy prey or recruiers or heciys severa hudred crimia as, asheir widowed mohers o ou o work oacory shis.

the sree as are raii camps orhired kiers, ow i sro demad by he

dru cares who are osi dozes o youme a day i sayis aroud he coury.U.S. auhor Chares Bowde, who hassudied Ciudad Juarez cosey, esimaes hao he adoesces here are uempoyed orcao aord o o o schoo.

there is a opporuiy cos rom hesehudreds o housads o youhs i Mexicowho are eiher orphaed or par o crimiaas, said Edardo Buscaia, a expero armed cofic ad Mexicos dru radewho icreasiy aks abou Mexico adAhaisa i he same seece.

these are peope who are rowi

up wih hih eves o deprivaio, idysucioa amiies, wih sexua abuse,ad hese risk acors shoud be addressed.theres o poicy o address hese issues adwe are reay cocered ha a some poii wi be oo ae o sop he socia ures ocome.

graVes and FaKe FlOWers

Mexico is raked 53rd ou o 182 couries ia 2009 Uied naios Huma DeveopmeIdex, beow Cuba bu we above Braziad amo he hihes deveopi coury

scores.

the raki masks he ac ha a iy ei Mexico drips wih weah ad busieopporuiies whie amos ha he couives uder he aioa povery iCorrupio ad oraized crime have awaexacerbaed povery eves i Mexico, whiwas uder oe pary rue or seve decadui 2000.

now more pervasive ha ever, crimas hur amiy busiesses wih exori

demads ad kidap rasoms. Socie

graVeyard sOccer: cre soer o street er eeter cu Jurez auust 17, 2010 (TOp RighT). parental shield: a ou oers te ees o r to reet er

ro see re see cu Jurez auust 15, 2010 (oe). reuters/claudia daut


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suers as he overme pows uds hacoud have oe io educaio io hicrime as. the oi produci aiohas spe severa biio doars so ar oCaderos army-ed dru war.

O hose youhs o he boom ru oMexicos ecoomic adder, oo may are ow

dyi i dru-paued ciies beore hey evehave a chace o sar a career, judi byhe rows o raves o eeaers ad youhsi heir eary weies i Ciudad Juarezs SaRaae cemeery.

gaudy ake fowers ad cheap woodcrosses paied whie mark he dru warraves o he as ew years, icudichidre as you as our. ies buzz overmouds o resh earh a he commuarave where uideied bodies are buried.

We have o review he way chidreare bei aeced by his dru war.there is impuiy. the acs are o bei

ivesiaed, said Jua Mari Perez,head o Mexicos nework or he Rihs oChidre, a o-overmea oraizaio.

the Mexica overme does o keepa cou o chid deahs i dru vioece buPerezs cacuaios rom oca media adocia daa show ha 1,120 chidre havedied i he 3-1/2 years o dru vioece siceCadero ook power.

the wors hi is ha here is o ociarespose o ry ad preve chidre dyi,o sop hem bei used i oraized crime.Pracicay obody is aki abou his,

Perez od Reuers.Mexico is osi ivesme ad ourism,

bu perhaps he mos serious hi is ha weare osi he ives o chidre. no oy hedead oes bu a he ohers aeced by his.

JuniOr hitMen

A op U.S. rade parer ad oi suppier wihrobus mauacuri ad ourism idusries,Mexico has bee a emeri markes darior years, eve despie is 1994 tequiaCrisis currecy coapse. Whie some oreicompaies i Mexico e posers hey are

rowi more ervous abou dru vioece,orei direc ivesme is seady adMexicos peso currecy ad sock markeshave ye o suer rom he risi isecuriy.

Uike i a uy feded war zoe whereeire idusries are saed, a ew es ohousads o dru war dead cao impaca ecoomy ha srues o creae eouh

jobs or is you popuaio ayway -- asevideced by he sream o Mexicas ryio cross he U.S. border each day. Addi up

os hours o educaio ad ecoomic oupu

rom dru war vicims, who maiy die iheir prime, aed bewee 18 ad 35, is aieresi exercise, bu arey meaiessex o he are umbers o uempoyed.

Ideed he up o $40 biio o esimaeddru smui reveues comi io Mexicoeach year -- hree imes as much as ourismeeraes -- keeps may rura commuiiesafoa i swahes o dru care erriory iorher Mexico as dru ords spread heircash aroud ad pay ocas o be ookous.

there is a o omoey fowi hrouhMexico as a resu o hedru war. I simuaesoca ecoomies jus as much as i providopporuiies or vioece, oes laAmerica eopoiica aays Kare Hoop

a oba ieiece compay Sraor.Uskied yousers i Ciudad Juarez cear $700 a moh worki as juior drhime, hree imes wha heyd ear i assemby pa produci microwaves or cpars or he U.S. marke.

A oime proessioa dru a kiierviewed by Reuers earier his year isecure ocaio i Ciudad Juarez rued hoi he od days he was paid $15,000 a powhereas owadays, hey pay peaus a

lOst & FOund: a o tout e, eter

oe or resue ro oest or ru oee, rests

r t te cu Jurez r o mexos di

eeoet e auust 16, 2010 (oe). pulling

strings: a s o tres to re ooe to ur

ter t te cu Jurez r o mexos di

eeoet e auust 16, 2010 (rt). reuters/

claudia daut

The WorsT Thing

is ThaT There is no

offical response

To Try and prevenT

children dying, To

sTop Them being

used in organized

crime. pracTically

noboby is Talking

abouT This.


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everybody is a care kier: dru addics,eeaers ad ow-eve cops.

A ha said, Mexicos Cera Bakgoveror Ausi Carses, speaki i eary2009, ad iace Miiser Ereso Cordero,speaki i Sepember his year, have bohsaid dru care crime ad vioece coudbe shavi a eas a perceae poi oMexicos ross domesic produc. tha isa och o rowh ha woud be wecomeas he coury baes o row 5 percehis year aer a 6.5 perce sump i 2009duri he oba ecoomic crisis.

As emeri marke rivas such as Chia,Idia ad Brazi overake Mexico i ivesorporoios wih sro rowh, we-ru

idusries ad beer-educaed workers,hodi back he poeia o es ohousads o arco orphas is o oi ohep Mexico cach up.

Cadero has ackoweded ha he druwar wi as or severa years ye, meaihe o o dead ad orphaed chidre is seo keep risi.

I he same red coiues, we edhis overme wih a deah o o 74,000,ad hey are kii youer peope a heime, said Mexica poiica scieis adoraized crime speciais Eduardo guerrero.

the amosphere o exreme vioece brisprobems i he o erm. We shoudmiimize he impac.

Oriiay coceraed ao Mexicosborder wih he Uied Saes, he maimarke or marijuaa, cocaie, heroi admehampheamie, he vioece is ow sowidespread ha a sudy o dru a deahsduri he rs ha o 2010 by he Uiversiyo Sa Dieos tras-Border Isiue oudoy oe o Mexicos 31 saes reisered zerokiis.

O he courys 31 saes, pus a edera

disric coaii he capia, 13 couedmore ha 100 dru kiis over he periodad seve coued more ha 250 deahs, ia sweep o boodshed ha rus rom CiudadJuarez o he orher border dow o hesouher Pacic coas sae o guerrero.

or a o ime, pos showed haMexicas saw dru vioece as much ess o

a issue ha he ecoomic sowdow, busurveys ow idicae ciizes are rowimore worried as he vioece spreads. Moreha ha o Mexicas hik dru cares arewii he dru war ad some respodesee he army presece across he coury ismaki his worse by sparki more urwars.

eVerything happens

Cadero came o power, i a whisker-hieecio vicory, o a paorm o job creaio.

He has aso pushed or beer educaio ohe hees o his predecessor, Vicee owho auched a ieraioay audscheme o hadi amiies cash i reur kids schoo aedace.

the proram, caed Oporuidadereaches 5.8 miio amiies across Mexiad has bee ramped up i Ciudad Juarez

hep 26,000 amiies, up rom 12,000 a ed o 2009.today Mexico speds 5.5 perce o gD

o educaio, oy a ie beow Briai arace, accordi o he mos rece Cdaa. Ahouh Mexicas are o bi readepreerri drama-packed tV soap operahe coury has a 86 perce ieracy raad he averae Mexica compees 13 yeai schoo -- we wihi he kid o oaposavored by he Uied naios as a way deveopi couries o proress.

haunted hOuse:cre ter t rou er oe ouses ter eoe fe ru oee te

eoroo cu Jurez auust 15, 2010 (oe). dOll parts:a tte r os oto er re o e e re

trou cu Jurez auust 15, 2010 (eo). reuters/claudia daut

if The same Trend conTinues, Well end This governmenT WiTh

a deaTh Toll of 74,000, and They are killing younger people all

The Time.


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I dysucioa dru war ciies ike CiudadJuarez, however, i is easier o skip schoo iyour pares are missi, ad socia workersare deepy worried abou he amou ochidre awpi a he aermah o hedaiy dru kiis.

Is a woma. She died o a druoverdose, 11-year-od Oscar es Reuers

maer-o-acy as oresic expers pu aback pasic ba over a decomposi bodyo a pach o wasead i a diapidaed red-ih disric. Here everyhi happes, hekid says, shaki his head weariy.

the boodies fashpoi o Mexicos druwar, wih a dru war deah cou o moreha 6,600 sice vioece ook o here iJauary 2008, Ciudad Juarez has becomeembemaic o a ha is wro i Mexicooday. Shabby irasrucure, desoaesrees ad priso-ike houses coraswih he shiy shoppi mas o E Paso,

aaiziy visibe hrouh he ece hamarks he words oy ad border beweea rich ad a deveopi aio.

May midde-cass Juareses used ohave border passes ad day jobs i E Pasoad ave heir kids back i Mexico America-ifueced ames ike Ashemy, Aimee orDayaa. the vioece has drive housadsfeei over he border permaey, heirhomes ow sadi abadoed.

Where U.S. ouriss oce crossed heborder o ejoy cheap equia, srip jois

ad burrios i veues made amous i heciys U.S. Prohibiio-era heyday, Chihuahuagoveror Jose Reyes Baeza has ow waredha peope i he ciy shoud say idoorsaer dark.

Oce eed or is U.S. rade iks aswahes o acories, Ciudad Juarez becamaied by a series o womes murders i 1990s. the, dru a kiis spured 2008 as Joaqui Shory guzma, Mexic

The hiTmen donT care if There are people around, They jusT do

WhaT They need To do. many innocenT people are dying.

cOOling OFF: cre fte oo outse ouse ext to oe e oere or se eoroo

cu Jurez auust 15, 2010. reuters/claudia daut

FOllOW the leader:cre o e oters s e k to ss roo or t te cu Jurez r o mexos di eeoet e auust 16, 2010 . reuters/

claudia daut


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op dru uiive ad head o he Siaoacare rom orhweser Mexico, se ihis hime o ry o ede ou he icumbeJuarez care ru by riva dru ord ViceeCarrio.

now masked poice poii machie usroar hrouh he srees i rucks o reachhe kiis spashed i oca papers uderheadies ike Six kied i 20 miuesad Hime Ha-rick. Shayows adrash-srew wasead ri he ciy whereshoois ow happe i broad dayih, ipubic parks ad busy aveues. Bues have

eve srayed io schoo payrouds.the dead jus keep pii up, said Aa,33, whose husbad was kied his year whemasked ume burs io a uera parorduri a wake ad sprayed machie u rea mourers. the hime do care i hereare peope aroud, hey jus do wha heyeed o do. May ioce peope are dyi.

pOlitics OF chaOs

Coroed by a hadu o poweru amiies,

Ciudad Juarez is a microcosm o heisiuioaized corrupio which heped heiea dru rade fourish duri 71 years orue by he Isiuioa Revouioary Pary.Pos show ha Mexicas, disiusioed wih

he rui coservaives, coud voe he Pback io power i he 2012 presideeecio.

Whoever succeeds Cadero, i is hard see how hey ca do much beer aai

hands up:cre so ter s st root e roo t te cu Jurez r o mexos di eeoet e auust 16, 2010. reuters/claudia

daut

ck o k o vo o

r.om:

http://link.reuters.com/byb37p
http://link.reuters.com/neh94phttp://link.reuters.com/neh94phttp://link.reuters.com/byb37phttp://link.reuters.com/byb37phttp://link.reuters.com/neh94p


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Toso Reuters 2009. a rts resere. 47001073 0310Reuto or restruto o Toso Reuters otet, u r or sr es, srote tout te ror rtte oset o Toso Reuters. Toso Reuters te Toso

Reuters oo re restere trerks trerks o Toso Reuters ts te oes.

OR MORE InORMAtIOn COntACt:

Jim Impoco, Eerprise Edior, Americas

+1 646 223 8923

[email protected]

Caudia Parsos, Depuy Eerprise Edior

+1 646 223 6282

[email protected]

Caherie Bremer

+52 55 5282 7147

[email protected]

poor kids i dusy yards od Reuers heyhave see o evidece o ay moey beispe.

I a oviy decoraed sae orphaae,urses i boes boe-eed ias rescuedrom dru a vioece ad soohe hem oseep wih aped uabies. Docors moior

a aeic-ooki odder wih bruises, aracured sku ad permae brai damaerom his cocaie addic sepahers beais.

Ocias a he Ciudad Juarez brach oMexicos DI amiy deveopme aecycosider i depressi ha hey cou jusie dru war orphas i heir care, meaihousads more are a are.

those are he chidre I ie i bed ad worryabou a ih, said Maria teresa Mariez,direcor o graja Hoar orphaae.

tiy pairs o shoes si eay a he oo oeach co ad sheves i he payrooms aresacked wih dos, oy cars ad xyophoes

-- payhis aimed a hepi hese chidreore he word ouside.

there are o mosers, o oy sodiers, oswords ad o us. I o rid o a he vioeames, Mariez said. this is a I ca do.Is my rai o sad.

cOVer phOtO:To re st e oe e s eers o ores te ork t re see ere ee ke erer cu Jurez auust 15, 2010. reuters/

claudia daut (MexicO)

Water Fight

cre ro

seure

eoroo

t

eter ru

roteto

ngO e t

ett reo te streets

cu Jurez

auust 17, 2010

(oe). scen

OF the criMe

peoe t

re see

ere

eek ke er

cu Jure

auust 15, 2010

(et). reuter

claudia dau

(MexicO)

Documents

Mexico's drug orphans