In what media sources and Mexican officials are calling one of the most violent and brutal attacks in recent history, a group of unidentified men mostly likely associated with cartel rivalries, torched a casino in Monterrey, killing 52 innocent people trapped inside. According to witnesses, at least six armed men burst into the casino on Thursday yelling at patrons to leave, doused the building in gasoline and setting it on fire. While some costumers were able to escape through the front exits before it was engulfed in flames, the rear exits were blocked, trapping many people inside. The efficiently orchestrated operation took only several minutes, suggesting the work of the powerful Los Zetas drug cartel.
In a series of comments made this weekend, Felip Calderón said the attack was committed by ‘true terrorists’ and declared three days of national mourning. Calderón increased military presence in the region, ordering the deployment of 1,500 federal troops to Monterrey over the next few days and calling citizens to set their political interests aside and allow the security forces to ‘do their job.’ He asked the country to unite against the criminals, in a ‘unanimous condemnation’ of the violence by ‘society, politicians, political parties, leaders, and the media.’ Calderón also made a plea to the United States to reduce its drug consumption, trafficking of high-powered arms, and to take greater responsibility for its role in the increased violence. According to Foreign Policy magazine, the choice of actions and words following this attack will prove to be vital. Even though Calderón’s leadership is coming to an end, the attacks in Monterrey necessitate concrete solutions that can quell the ‘state of anxiety’ dominating the electorate.
The attack occurred on in Monterrey, the capital city of Nuevo Loredo, one of Mexico’s most modern cities and a ‘hub for big businesses. The area has been seen as a fairly isolated safe-haven from the drug-related violence spreading throughout Mexico in recent years. However, Monterrey has seen a dramatic increase in violent attacks as tensions and rivalry mount between Los Zetas and Gulf drug cartels. Murders in the state of Nuevo Leon have jumped from 267 in 2009 to 828 in 2010—a figure which was already surpassed mid-June this year. The Zetas have increased violent efforts against the Gulf and Sinaloa Cartels in a rivalry war over control of the Northeastern region of Mexico. The spread of brutality into what is considered the most Western city in Mexico is an urgent call for action—as Gilberto Marcos, a prominent Monterrey businessman put it, “if Monterrey falls, then Mexico does too.”
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