Releasing El Chapo’s son has undermined Mexico’s war on drug cartels

Mexican President André Manuel López Obrador has come under intense criticism after releasing drug trafficker and member of the Sinaloa Cartel, Ovidio Guzmán López. López is the son of former international drug kingpin Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzmán and is accused of trafficking drugs to the United States of America. The arrest and release of López, without a sufficient plan, is a foolish move on behalf of the Mexican authorities. It is of paramount importance that the Mexican government begins to implement a long-term strategy to combat the existence of drug cartels.

The arrest of Guzmán López caused a wave of attacks by cartel gunmen. Cartel members kept soldiers hostage and the northern Mexican city of Culiacán has been kept under siege. The violence led to the murder of eight people, whilst 16 more have been wounded. The police were outgunned by cartel forces and amidst the chaos, 51 inmates escaped from the Aguaruto prison. Social media footage showed heavily armed gunmen terrorising the streets of Culiacán, where there were 14 separate attacks on the military and nineteen roadblocks put up around the city.

The arrest of cartel members does nothing but stimulate violent reactions and a reorganisation of the drug cartel

Defence Minister Luis Cresencio Sandoval told reporters that López’s arrest had been, “badly planned”. The failure of the government to communicate with the people of Culiacán added to the panic and sense that the state is unable to address the instability across the city. President Obrador has insisted: “there will be no impunity”. He seems keen to assert the power of the law over the dominance of cartel rule, but his actions dictate otherwise. A video uploaded to social media on Thursday showed cartel gunmen shaking hands with soldiers and so, collaboration between cartels and the state is still ongoing.

The unplanned arrest of López caused the violence that erupted across Culiacán. The arrest of cartel members does nothing but stimulate violent reactions and a reorganisation of the drug cartel. Furthermore, co-operation between the state and cartels is an ineffective strategy and has seemingly legitimises their exploitation of the law. Thus, it is essential that the government tackles the longer-term factors which have caused crime such as addressing the poverty levels across Mexico.

Citizens of Culiacán have lived under cartel rule for a long time, as the Mexican government struggles to maintain control over the region. It is clear that cooperation with drug kingpins has not worked, whilst heavy-handed military crackdowns does not address the long-term factors which lead some Mexicans to join drug cartels. The government needs to implement a strategy which improves pre-existing socio-economic conditions. Politicians are reluctant to take such an approach as it does not produce instant results; something which is essential if the government seeks re-election.

The Sinaloa cartel threatened and used violence to demand the release of López, and they won

President Obrador defended his decision to release López arguing that the, “capture of a criminal is not worth more than people’s lives”. The effectiveness of the new President’s drug strategy has been called into question. Carlos Bravo Regidor, Professor at the Centre for Research and Teaching in Economics said the decision to release López was a, “political disaster”. The aborted arrest and civil unrest led to accusations that the government have retreated from their tough stance against drug cartels.

It is clear that Mexico’s war on drug cartels requires strategies that address long-term issues, such as reducing poverty and unemployment levels across Mexico. The release of El Chapo’s son may lead to a decrease in violence across Culiacán but it also reflects the government’s inability to control the drug cartels. The Sinaloa cartel threatened and used violence to demand the release of López, and they won. The President and Mexican security forces must be better prepared for the violence that may erupt from the arrest of a high-profile member and remain committed to dismantling cartel control across Mexico.