Is Mexico, awash in drug violence, the new Colombia? - Wire - Lifestyle - bellinghamherald.com

Is Mexico, awash in drug violence, the new Colombia? - Wire - Lifestyle - bellinghamherald.com: "MEXICO CITY Car bombs. Political assassinations. Battlefield-style skirmishes between soldiers and heavily armed adversaries.
Across big stretches of Mexico, deepening drug-war mayhem is challenging the authority of the state and the underpinnings of democracy. Powerful cartels in effect hold entire regions under their thumb. They extort money from businesses, meddle in politics and kill with an impunity that mocks the government's ability to impose law and order.
The slaying of a gubernatorial candidate near the Texas border this year was the most stunning example of how the narco-traffickers warp Mexican politics. Mayors are elected, often with the backing of drug lords, and then killed when they get in the way."