Ohhhhh, Mexico

My cover for the Phoenix New Times is out today. The story details the consequences of our American "War on Drugs" and former Mexican President Felipe Calderon's war on cartels. Since Calderon declared his war in 2006, some 100,000 people have been murdered in Mexico. For an explanation for the range of different death toll numbers read this. The cover article explains how despite the government claiming that "90% of the victims are criminals killed by other criminals," the truth seems to be much more complicated, and much more nefarious than that.

What makes the government line about most victims being criminals so incredible, is that so many journalists have been killed. Reporters that detail corruption in the army and police often end up murdered, to which the government responds with a convenient excuse that the reporters were likely killed because they were involved in the cartels. The vast majority of homicides are never investigated, and the crime is quickly swept under the rug. The story is a frightening but important look at how Mexico is being rotted from the inside out, as a result of our drug war. A war that is apparently soon to be waged in Africa as well. One of my early sketches mimicked the flag a little more- the skulls more closely resembled the shape of the cactus, and the foliage underneath was made up of drug paraphernalia- but we decided that was a little overkill.

 Thank you, Peter!