As the number of complaints of torture by Mexican authorities continue to increase and various human rights groups along with journalists continue to criticize that country’s governments over the methods used by authorities to get information out of cartel members, former soldiers and residents along the border appear to be in agreement with the tactics calling them a sort of retribution on their part.
The issue became a hot topic in Mexico after the release by Mexican news and Breitbart Texas of a video that showed Mexican soldiers and federal police officers using a trash bag to suffocate a woman during an interrogation.
The video caused an uproar in that country as multiple human rights groups criticized that country over the “torture” of detained individuals. Soon after the video was released, it was revealed that the woman was a member of a kidnapping cell working for a Mexican cartel.
The outrage at the government was heightened even more when just four days later, Breitbart Texas exclusively released photographs of a Mexican special forces marine who would dress captured cartel bosses on women’s lingerie, force them to dance and kiss each other and then photograph them in the embarrassing situations.
Despite the loud protests from human rights groups about the heavy handed tactics against cartel members, various residents in border cities actually support the actions and frown upon the activists who they perceive to always be unfair. The concern from individuals is that human rights groups are quick to criticize the government when they torture cartel members, but they remain largely silent as organized crime members carry out unspeakable atrocities all across Mexico.
Most recently, AFP in Mexico City interviewed a former Mexican soldier who defended the torture of cartel members arrested by the troops he oversaw. The information was obtained through heavy handed tactics including, trash bags, as the only way to get past the cartel’s wall of silence. The rough measures used to get the information paled in comparison with what cartel members do to any soldiers they capture. Any information that authorities gathered ended up becoming intelligence, the former soldier told AFP.
In a recent article published after the scandals broke, Breitbart Texas published a piece from by the guest writer @MrCruzstar about how residents of Mexican border cities have become accustomed to living under violent conditions and rather than being outraged by the torture of criminals, residents in fact welcome the actions.
Ildefonso Ortiz is an award winning journalist with Breitbart Texas you can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook.
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