Pubdate: Wed, 29 Nov 2006 Source: Dallas Morning News (TX) Copyright: 2006 The Dallas Morning News Contact: http://www.dallasnews.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/117 Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/topics/Mexico Absurd Reality: DRUG WARS REWRITING THE RULES IN MEXICO The news that popular banda musician Valentin Elizalde was gunned down Saturday in Mexico near the Reynosa fairgrounds stunned many residents on both sides of the border. The 27-year-old's black Suburban was sprayed with more than 70 bullets; also killed were his driver and manager - all just minutes after he performed at the annual fair. Such is the surreal world of the Mexican drug trade, a world in which newspapers are silenced by gunfire and a drug cartel takes out advertising blaming its rivals for the mayhem. The traffickers don't seem the least bit put off by increased federal efforts and more soldiers on the ground. After all, they've succeeded in pressuring newspapers to stop investigative coverage of cartels and to give little attention to drug-related violence. And when stories aren't reported in the Mexican press, it's even more difficult for the media in the U.S. to know what's really going on just across the border. Attacks against Mexican reporters are routine. In February, at least three masked gunmen barged into Nuevo Laredo's El Manana newsroom and unloaded 30 rounds and a hand grenade, injuring the police reporter. Reporting on the cartels may be scarce, but not so with advertising. Just days before Mr. Elizalde's death, The Family, a group believed to be associated with the Tamaulipas-based Gulf drug cartel, took out a half-page ad in Michoacan newspapers, blaming rival cartels for all the bloodshed. Mr. Elizalde was himself no stranger to the drug world, with songs detailing the bloodshed of innocent lives and immortalizing one of Mexico's most notorious drug lords, Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman of the Sinaloa cartel, still on the run after his 2001 prison escape. Probably no coincidence that the singer was killed on rival Gulf cartel turf. It's increasingly difficult to make sense of what's going on in Mexico, but the drug cartel exploits are certainly terrorizing top law enforcement officials. As one of them recently told a reporter from the San Antonio Express-News when questioned about the Elizalde death: "I don't want to say. I like my life too much. You should, too." SAMPLE LYRICS From Valentin Elizalde's song "Regresan Los Mafiosos," about drug gangs, with the English translation: Antes nomas se paseaban En unos carros del ano. Hoy tan solo se pelean Nada mas por unos gramos. Y solamente Dios sabe Lo que ahorita esta pasando. Before they just paraded In their brand new cars. Now they only fight For a few grams. And only God knows What's really going on right now. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake