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Column 100311 Brewer

Monday, October 3, 2011 Terrorism vs. Mexico's Media and the Silencing of Opinion' By Jerry Brewer A terrorism agenda includes the prime necessity for exposing, on a grand international scale, that agenda, and their message, alleged power, and ability to instill fear and control government and its people. The media in turn, and for the most part, are driven by viewer and reading surges and ratings. The deadly dividing line and counterpoint between the terrorists and the reported media coverage is quite simply the degree of intended importance that the media sets for this reporting agenda, and how the stories are framed in terms of their influence as to how the message is understood and interpreted. It should be clear by now that the so-labeled "war on drugs" in Mexico has become a terror agenda. Terrorism is in fact the calculated use or threat of violence or coercion, against a government or society, to attain desired goals or objectives. The drug trade via demand and supply is the vehicle for narco-terrorists as they drive violence, threat, intimidation, and fear for profit. However that is the critical caveat, and the proverbial line in the sand and point of demarcation. The drug traffickers certainly do not want to stand in the clear and wave their banners of drug supply to their voracious audience of demand. The demand side knows where to find it and could care less who delivers it.

Why does the "narco-terrorist" obviously seek to graphically commit the most barbaric and grisly acts of torture, murder, and dismemberment? It is clear to them that these acts will definitely ensure attention on an international scale, but will they increase their drug sales? These organized criminals, as drug merchants and transnationally represented cross-border insurgents, have realized the theatrical nature of their murderous acts as "machismo." This not so cleverly represents identity to them, although they are also known as drug traffickers for profit which is not their intended message. However, the violence is cleverly choreographed to clearly demonstrate that they are an organized force representing power and control like any other guerilla-like insurgent group. As the media crosses the perceived line of ethics of these groups relating to their performance and individuality aspects, media-types are watched, stalked, kidnapped, tortured, and murdered in true terrorism modus operandi, and a new message is placed before the audience to be interpreted. At least 11 journalists in Mexico are known to have been killed so far this year. As well, terrorist's modus operandi has now escalated to include freelance blogger-types, with two having been found recently with their tortured bodies hanging from a bridge with open warnings to bloggers, and users of Twitter and social media sites. Officials at "Reporters without Borders" believe that, in all, "there have been at least 80 journalists killed in Mexico during the past decade." Moreover, those officials have stated, "The country is immersed in an all-out war, and just writing the word narcos' or trafficking' can cost you your life.'' As well, the murder of journalists and other media people is a worldwide dilemma that has seen decades of such violence in attempts and retaliation for speaking out and informing an audience of

listeners and observes. The Organization for the American States (OAS) published a report detailing the "anti-democratic" trend in Venezuela, as "Hugo Chavez continues to crack down on those who oppose him." The 300 page OAS report by jurists and civil rights activists from Antigua, Argentina, Brazil, Chile and the United States pointed out the "increasing role that violence and murder have played in Chavez's consolidation of his power, including the documented killing of journalists." Cuba had 21 journalists in prison in 2008, placing it second only to the People's Republic of China, according to The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). Those campaigning for freedom of speech against "the repression of bloggers around the world," correlate recently with a prominent Cuban dissident who reported that she was beaten up for her online activities. A Cuban author and blogger known as Yoani Snchez - a "critical voice against the Castro government," recently stated that "she and other bloggers had been attacked in Havana." She referred to the incidents as "gangland-style kidnapping." The Latin American media business is becoming a high risk job, forcing many into "underground activity." In Honduras, human rights advocates are reporting a climate of impunity in continued human rights abuses, and in particular "by politically motivated attacks on journalists." In Mexico, many newspapers are treading softly on specifics as to suspects and their respective organized crime affiliations. And Mexican President Felipe Calderon has been blamed for not having the political will to stop the violence against the press. With all of this, one must now ask how long will Mexico's journalistic practices be significantly opinion-silenced? ----------

Jerry Brewer is C.E.O. of Criminal Justice International Associates, a global threat mitigation firm headquartered in northern Virginia. His website is located at http://www.cjiausa.org/. TWITTER:

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