Porkins Policy Review

On this week’s episode Traces of Reality’s contributing editor Danny Benavides joins us once again to discuss the mass disappearance in Iguala, narco-cartel reorganization and the prospect for a “Mexican Spring.”  We begin the conversation by discussing what actually transpired last September in the city of Iguala, in southern Mexico.  Danny explains  who the Normalista students are and why, in fact, they were in Iguala.  Danny and I explore the complex web of connections and familial relations between Iguala Mayor Jose Luis Abarca, his wife Maria de los Angeles Pineda and the Guerreros Unidos cartel, as well as the Mexican military.  Danny breaks down how the mass disappearance, and the players involved, represent a microcosm of the endemic problems Mexico faces today.  Later we discuss the reorganization of the narco chessboard that we have seen happening in the past few years.  Danny explains how the arrests of high-level narco leaders and the destruction of large cartels like Sinaloa, La Familia, and Caballeros Templarios have led to the rise of smaller but equally effective cartels and drug gangs.  Later Danny presents his own theory as to what may have happened to the missing 43 students.  Unlike the official narrative that places blame solely on “rogue policemen” and Guerreros Unidos, Danny explains how this might actually be a diversion to distract people from a much larger conspiracy, possibly involving the military.  We then explore the large-scale protests that have been taking place in Mexico, and whether or not these represent the beginning of a Mexican Spring.  We discuss the similarities between these protests and the student protests of 1968, both of which involved agents provocateurs attempting to subvert and disrupt the movement.  We end the podcast with a look at a recent Wall Street Journal article which revealed that US Marshals, disguised as Mexican troops, have been participating in operations with the Mexican military.  While this is not too surprising, Danny and I explore what it really means — how this is yet another cog in the massive money-making scheme that is the illegal narcotics trade.  This is a long podcast with lots of important facts, details, names and threads that require further investigation, so have  pen and paper ready so you can continue this research for yourself.

Download PPR episode 32

Show Notes:

PPR episode 23: Danny Benavides on Michoacan’s autodefensas and cartel wars in Tamaulipas

TOR Radio: Mexico’s murderous narco state

Iguala Mayor and wife allegedly behind disappearance of students

“You fucked with me, so I will have the pleasure of killing you” said Mayor of Iguala before shooting activist

Remains of 1 missing Normalista identified

What is Guerreros Unidos?

MIL of Iguala’s fugitive mayor tells of narco links to government in interrogation video

Fugitives Ex-Mayor of Iguala and his wife arrested

Premier Leader of Guerreros Unidos captured

Another principal suspect captured in Iguala Normalista case

Guerreros Unidos cell in US dismantled

University Experts: Normalistas we not burned in Cocula landfill

Calls for President to resign continue and violence ensues

Are the missing student protests turning into a Mexican Spring?

Armed forces guarding the facilities of Angels hospital (El Debate article in Spanish)

WSJ: Dressed as Mexican Marines, US Justice Department Pursues Capos

Music:

Woody Guthrie – “Going down the road feeling bad”

Woody Guthrie -“All you fascists bound to lose”