From Mexico Corespondent Dori Rangel…

While world attention is focused on the U.S. plans to build a fence or wall along the border adjacent to Mexico, monitoring, land and air Increases each day in an effort to prevent the crossing of illegal Immigrants from different countries. What is sometimes left out is another border in Mexico Known as, The Forgotten Frontier – the border between Mexico and Guatemala in recent years has become a high risk crossing point.

Information released by WikiLeaks and published in Spain by in the newspaper “El Pais” said: while the U.S. has 30,000 agents along the border with Mexico, only 125 Mexican police are protecting the border with Guatemala. The Police are “ineffective or corrupt and people abandoned by the state for centuries, have decided to accept the protection of powerful criminal groups such as Los Zetas,” they add.

While the 3,000-mile border between the U.S. and Mexico is guarded by 30,000 U.S. agents (10 officers per kilometer), Mexico only has 125 officers for 1,000 kilometers from the southern border (eight kilometers a police officer), “Mexican officials repeatedly confirmed that they have no human resources to lead efforts to effectively along the southern border, “notes the information.

The border region shared between southern Mexico and Guatemala has a length of about 956 km.

Most of these people go to Mexico in order to reach the United States. The documents of most of the transmigrants put them in a position of helplessness and vulnerability, making it difficult to keep tabs on the conditions they endure on their journey. Migrants and transmigrants face serious risks in the migration process and are exposed to situations that endanger their lives, physical integrity or threaten their migratory project: assaults, robberies, accidents, injuries, rapes, extortion, cheating, and smuggling.

Migration, drug trafficking, arms trafficking and the violence stemming from organized crime are part of everyday life on the border and have created a series of efforts by both nations.

This institutional situation must be added the existence and proliferation of criminal groups, known as Maras and the Zetas, criminal groups operating in both countries. These gangs have emerged and develop in the context of poverty, unemployment and marginalization in which millions young and whose conditions facilitate the presence of a large number of veterans who participated in the civil war in Central America, and the presence of youth who have been deported from the U.S. and who are unable to readjust to life in Central American societies. These situations lead young people to join gangs that are inevitably associated with organized crime, violence, drugs and abuse of immigrants, among other crimes.

Human trafficking is another risk factor for migrants, who are often deceived by smugglers, who say they will lead those interested to the U.S., but in fact abuse the ignorance of many and leave them in the Mexico. Women and children are particularly vulnerable to trafficking, as they face the additional risk of being mixed up in prostitution.

Representatives of Mexico and Guatemala signed an agreement to improve migration policies between the two Nations; the agreement was drafted for the violations of human rights of undocumented Central Americans in Mexico.

At the end of last year, the government of Guatemala requested Mexico to improve its internal security, citing the disappearance of at least forty undocumented Central Americans, including many Guatemalans, kidnapped by organized crime. Commitment between the two countries to strengthen cooperation on migration and safeguard the rights of Central American immigrants who pass through Mexican territory en route to the United States.

 In Central America, each year about 300,000 undocumented people leave through Mexico, where at least 9,000 immigrants are victims of some form of abuse. Central American governments in Mexico have called for greater respect to immigrants and personal security guarantees to the harassment of criminal gangs.

The massacre of 72 undocumented Latin Americans had ​​a strong impact on public opinion; several activist organizations have urged the Mexican government to protect illegal immigrants passing through Mexico and purge of corruption in the institutions of migration, as 18,000 immigrants were kidnapped in 2009 alone.

All this for pursuing a dream, the American dream, a dream that becomes a nightmare for many immigrants trying to reach the United States. Those who make it across Mexico could be exposed to the fate of the northern border, but that’s another story…

From Mexico Corespondent Dori Rangel…

“There are side effects of the government’s fight against drug trafficking.” These were the recent words of the president of the Mexican Republic, in referring to the increased number deaths in the war on drugs.

The fight against drug trafficking has not only become a national slaughter, but has also resulted in a death march for minors. In recent years, 900 children have died in Mexico as a result of the war against drug trafficking.  In 2010 alone, an estimated 100 children have already been killed.

With the number of child deaths rising, people are unhappy with the results of the government’s efforts. Drug trafficking is a phenomenon that has become an economic and political problem, but the family unit’s breakdown and the physical and mental suffering of Mexicans that has followed, are striking the deepest wounds upon our nation. Simply put, the increasing violence in my country leaves a tremendous amount of pain and sadness in the homes of average Mexicans, as the drug war continues to claim its victims each and every day.

The phrase drug trafficking can strike fear in those who only read the headline or watch it on TV. The words conjure up images of violence, death, and loss. Above all else, people are instilled with fear, with many afraid of going out into the streets.

Many voices throughout the country have risen to cry out for justice, to cry out for peace – a peace that every day appears further away from being achieved. Far too often, justice is interrupted by corruption within the governance and justice sectors of Mexico. Many have told me never talk about the subject, let alone write about it. Those who publish reports about drug trafficking, government failures, and political corruption are often threatened with death. It may sound like a movie or an exaggeration, but this is simply a fact in Mexico. Journalists have routinely been killed or kidnapped again and again. Worse still, many have shared how their families have been threatened with death, including the lives of their children.

Nearly every day we hear about the deaths of children caught in the crossfire between the Mexican Army and drug-dealing kidnappers. Children are also commonly used as mules, abducted and forced to fill their small bodies with drugs in order to bring them to the United States. Many are often left alone on the streets afterwards, and some are simply killed.

Human rights groups have sent recommendations to the Mexican supreme court, but it will take a lot more than that to curb our problems.

We need to be more aware of the fact that the decisions we make can affect innocent lives.  People who have not had the opportunity to live, even in the worst kind of poverty, are dying because of both drug use and the violence caused by its incessant trafficking.

Professionals, politicians and lawmakers, people whom we trust, are often the most corrupt and this encourages the drug trade tenfold. This is why the worst thing we can do is remain silent and not report these crimes, not talk about them. We need to stand up and be heard. No matter what your culture or religion, take a minute of your time to cry out for peace and for an end to the death of innocents.  We must not allow this evil into our peaceful existence. We must not remain silent.

From Mexico Corespondent Dori Rangel….

A strange mix of feelings runs through my body whenever I think about immigration. It’s difficult for me to process the large number of thoughts and images that come to mind, as well as the many stories I’ve heard since childhood. Throughout my life time there seems to have been a never ending stream of people who have left behind what was most important – their families, their homes, their Mexico – in hopes of a better life.

Years ago, when I was still a student, a group of my friends came to me with news that someone offered them employment in the United States. It was legal work in a carpet factory that offered a high salary for the average Mexican. It was for a period of 6 months with an option for another 6, and offered both food and lodging.

I listened in amazement at their enthusiasm, as many of my friends were educated, professional people with stable lives. I felt my goals were here in Mexico and so I passed. Regardless of my personal take on the matter, many of my friends and colleagues were intrigued. Soon enough, more than 25 of them decided to take the job offer.

I remember a couple of friends sold all their possessions, even their own beds, to cover the cost of making the move north to America. When the big day arrived, they made their way to the airport to leave for the United States, everything they owned packed into a suitcase.

The man who had supposedly hired them all and processed their visas for a fee however, never arrived. They waited for hours, and eventually discovered no one was coming. No tickets were issued in their name, no contracts ever existed. All been conned out of what little money they had. With broken dreams they returned to the city, many having lost their life savings, along with their faith in most anything at all. Some even found themselves homeless.

There’s no doubt, it’s difficult to find good work in Mexico. Not everyone has the luck or the opportunities. Sometimes people with college degrees, work under the command of people who haven’t studied past high school.

I studied pharmaceutical chemistry in university, but to this day I haven’t been able to utilize my degree. The chemistry sector is saturated in Mexico. These days I run a small business and work for the government part-time.

Years ago, one of my best friends decided to try his luck in Canada. He called and told me I should come as well, as there were many jobs available and the overall standard of life was high. I discussed it with my family and eventually, the anguish of being unable to obtain a decent job furled my decision to go. This in spite of the suffering my children would have to endure.

I sent my documents and after a time was approved to legally work there. Not long before going, my mother suffered a stroke. It was our original plan for my mother to join us, but now she couldn’t and I no longer had the support of my mother to care for my children. I never went to Canada and today I’m still in Mexico.

The lack of jobs and further still the high quantity of low paying jobs, are the main factors in that lead many to choose migration as a solution to hardship. This choice then triggers a series of consequences.

What it does is in fact create a greater sense of desperation in the economic sector and worse still, a false dream of America; one that does not import all the risks and dangers involved in a “jump to the other side.”

Among the many of consequences is the disintegration of entire families. Before it was only the men, brave, despereate and adventurous, but now many women go alone. More often than not, it’s done for the love of family. Children stay behind under the care of an immediate family member, but who can replace the figure of a father or mother? Absolutely no one.

Another result of the nearby border is many young Mexicans simply choosing, from day one, not to study or build a life in their own country. In leaving Mexico behind, many lose a sense of identity, do not have U.S. citizenship, and are often not even recognized as Mexicans.

In the end, Mexican immgrants are often exposed to unscrupulous people who pack them away in trains and trucks, leaving them without food or water. When they reach the other side of the border extortion, discrimination, beatings, sexual violence, abductions and even murders are often waiting for them. Few manage to achieve the American dream, and those who manage to do so lose some of their roots.

Through all of this, the one question I keep asking myself is, “Why are we doing this to ourselves?” 

We were created to be free and equal, and our dedication to making things better for ourselves and our families is what makes us human.  But why do we suffer for wanting a better life in a country other than our own, instead of making our lives better here at home? We can do it, each and every one of us. I know we can…. all we have to do is try.

From United States Correspondent Gibbs Burke…

Arizona has received more then its fair share of the spotlight in the past weeks for the recent signing of a new immigration law. Due to the nature of the bill it has ignited a great deal of debate both from those in favor, and those opposed. Even with valid points from both sides, the bill has unearthed a social chasm ever present in the United States. How do we solve a problem, without doing anything about it?

Illegal immigration has and is a problem in the United States for quite some time. Close to an estimated 12 million illegal immigrants reside in the US, more than 50% of them being from Mexico. Yet somehow we are supposed to catch these individuals without taking a single progressive measure to do so.

Racial profiling seems to be the common concern over the newly passed bill. But like many other terms and labels in the US, racial profiling has stemmed from a common practice known as offender profiling. Race is often if not always a characteristic of the profile. Police within an investigation use race all the time to narrow down suspects, and find the culprit. But like so many other things in US culture, political correctness has cast a negative condemnation on such practices negatively affecting the actual use and effectiveness.

If your argument is then that it is unconstitutional, then your point is simply invalid. An illegal immigrant, residing in the US, is not granted protection under the 14^th amendment and therefore is not given the rights granted by the constitution. Furthermore, the constitution grants the states rights in creating laws that are not outlined within the constitution. Since immigration will likely be less of a problem with central states, Arizona is well within their constitutional right to create laws affecting their sovereign region.

If you think this isn’t going on already, then you’re sadly mistaken. The US Border Patrol is part of Homeland Security, which patrols the boarder and enforces the very same principals outlined in the Arizona law.

So, while the Democrats demonstrate for the legality of illegal immigrants, businesses complain about the economic impact, because they cater to illegals. All one has to do is prove one is legal, either by valid driver’s licenses, visa, or papers, which should be done anyway. I guess it’s just idiotic to have to follow the law, and even more so to catch those that don’t.

When American politicians talk about building a wall to keep Mexicans from illegally entering the United Sates, emotions flare on both sides. Thing is, Mexicans are not always so crazy about the kind of Americans that routinely cross the border into their country either. From the comedy kings over at the theonion.com, watch this classic what if scenario and try not to smile at the irony. The video clip also points out the audacious arrogance that fuels the very idea of building a wall between the two countries in the first place.

From Campeche, Mexico Special Guest Dori Rangel…

I run an internet Café in Mexico; a humble job but one that gives me what I need. On one occasion, I bought a box of candy and gave away a few pieces to each customer as they entered my shop. My first customers that day were European tourists. I wanted to give them some candy, but they looked at me with a puzzling stare, not willing to accept. They seemed to believe accepting the candy would come with some kind of condition and refused. After several attempts, a large smile always upon my face, they agreed, but seemed to do so unwillingly. I assigned them their computers and continued working, not thinking much of it. Soon enough I received other customers and gave them their candy, a warm smile still on my face. I noticed how my first clients were watching me and both appeared surprised.

When they finished using their computers, they came to me with a shy smile of their own and told me they were sorry for being suspicious. They said they didn’t expect to find such kind people here and without finishing their sentence, gave me a big smile and a hug.

When you hear the name of Mexico, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? Narcotics? Kidnappings? Violence? Unfortunately, this is how the international news media most often portrays my country these days.

Certainly, drug trafficking and violence have invaded northern and central Mexico as of late. With that said, we constantly struggle to overcome them. The eradication of this evil starts with education, and education begins in our homes. The death, violence and abductions are huge footprints upon our hearts that are hard to erase. Every day we struggle to get by, have better opportunities, better employment, better education, and to raise the name of Mexico to a higher place. People have taken to the streets in protest of all that has been happening recently; walking together, dressed in white, calling for peace. If we put our struggles in the balance, there are far more Mexicans whose love of Mexico will defeat the drug trade. We are proud to be Mexican, love our home and in the end, this will make life better for all of us.

More than anything, I want to tell you Mexico is far more than what you read in the headlines.  It’s a country full of traditions, culture, flavors, colors and wonderful people. Even before the Spanish conquest, Mexico was alive with amazing culture. The country was made up of more than 30 ethnic groups, all using different dialects, and the Mexican landscape was a priceless treasure of silver, exotic animals and of course cocoa, which was eventually taken to the old continent by the Spanish.

I live in Campeche, a city full of magic and of Mayan descent.  It was conquered by the Spanish and became a walled city to prevent pirate attacks. A city with mixed cultures, Spanish castles and Mayan ruins, a few years ago Campeche was proclaimed a World Heritage Site and we are all very proud of this accomplishment. My home is one of the oldest cities in the country and the people are always warm and friendly. We enjoy receiving visitors and sharing our stories, our history and of course our cuisine with all those who travel from far away to see us. We simply love to watch people feel the warmth and enjoyment of the vast amount of sights, colors and sound, along with the inviting smell of the sea that surrounds my beautiful city.

In Mexico, family values are important and the respect for tradition is part of our heritage. It has taught us all to respect each person and most of all, to win back the pride of our country, to rescue our peace and tranquility from those who are working so hard to take it away. My country is surrounded by the magic of its legends, history, and people and if something lifts up Mexicans and preserves our love of life and country more than anything else it’s art. In Mexico, art is essential part of life.  In fact, everything is art in Mexico.

Perhaps a smile is a form of art as well and if a friendly smile won the trust of those tourists, I am convinced, no matter how idealistic it may be, that something as simple as a smile can make a big difference. In fact, if more if us simply smiled at on another… the world as we know it could change.