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| Policing Mexico's deadliest beat | Policing Mexico's deadliest beat |
| (4 days later) | |
| Blanca Del Rio, has become one of Ciudad Juarez's new police cadets | Blanca Del Rio, has become one of Ciudad Juarez's new police cadets |
| Police in the Mexican city of Ciudad Juarez have a tough beat, with one of the world's highest murder rates and the all-powerful drug cartels to combat. Yet eager recruits are still ready to join the fray, as Katya Adler reports. | Police in the Mexican city of Ciudad Juarez have a tough beat, with one of the world's highest murder rates and the all-powerful drug cartels to combat. Yet eager recruits are still ready to join the fray, as Katya Adler reports. |
| Knick-knacks and wooden crosses adorn the pale pink walls of Blanca Del Rio's tiny bungalow. | Knick-knacks and wooden crosses adorn the pale pink walls of Blanca Del Rio's tiny bungalow. |
| It is impeccably clean and tidy. It almost hurts to observe the loving, painstaking attention to detail. | It is impeccably clean and tidy. It almost hurts to observe the loving, painstaking attention to detail. |
| Blanca has little, but makes much of it. Six-year-old Christian opened the door to us. He was wearing a police helmet, so big for him, it had slipped down his nose. | Blanca has little, but makes much of it. Six-year-old Christian opened the door to us. He was wearing a police helmet, so big for him, it had slipped down his nose. |
| His mum was in the bedroom ironing her uniform, he said. Blanca, a 25-year-old mother of three, is a police cadet in Ciudad Juarez, a city with one of the highest murder rates in the world. | |
| This was the eve of her passing out parade. | This was the eve of her passing out parade. |
| 'Plata o plomo' is the local saying - 'silver or lead' - you either work for the cartels or they kill you | 'Plata o plomo' is the local saying - 'silver or lead' - you either work for the cartels or they kill you |
| I warmed to her immediately. Immensely loving towards her children, gentle and self-deprecating, her large brown eyes and fragile frame belied immense determination and strength of character. | I warmed to her immediately. Immensely loving towards her children, gentle and self-deprecating, her large brown eyes and fragile frame belied immense determination and strength of character. |
| I searched in vain for signs of nervousness in her face. | I searched in vain for signs of nervousness in her face. |
| "Wasn't she even a little afraid about being on the frontline in Juarez?" | "Wasn't she even a little afraid about being on the frontline in Juarez?" |
| "Oh no!" she said. | "Oh no!" she said. |
| "I just want to do my duty here. Not to be corrupt or corrupted. My goal is to be a good officer." A big aim in a dangerous city where drug cartels rule. | "I just want to do my duty here. Not to be corrupt or corrupted. My goal is to be a good officer." A big aim in a dangerous city where drug cartels rule. |
| Protection money | Protection money |
| Their turf war cost more than 2,000 lives here last year alone. Blanca will always have to wear civilian clothes, when leaving or coming back home. | Their turf war cost more than 2,000 lives here last year alone. Blanca will always have to wear civilian clothes, when leaving or coming back home. |
| If word spreads that she is now a police officer, her young family could become a target. | If word spreads that she is now a police officer, her young family could become a target. |
| "Plata o plomo," is the local saying. "Silver or lead," you either work for the cartels or they kill you. | "Plata o plomo," is the local saying. "Silver or lead," you either work for the cartels or they kill you. |
| Young Christian knows more about life's dangers here than a child ever should. | Young Christian knows more about life's dangers here than a child ever should. |
| His father was recently murdered in front of him. His crime - not paying drug gangs the protection money they demanded. | His father was recently murdered in front of him. His crime - not paying drug gangs the protection money they demanded. |
| Christian's grandfather, a policeman himself, was killed before he was born. | Christian's grandfather, a policeman himself, was killed before he was born. |
| So what did Christian think of his mother's decision to join the police force? | So what did Christian think of his mother's decision to join the police force? |
| "I'm proud of her," he whispered. His eyes fixed firmly on the floor, avoiding having to meet mine. | "I'm proud of her," he whispered. His eyes fixed firmly on the floor, avoiding having to meet mine. |
| There were mixed feelings for thousands of other families across Ciudad Juarez that night. | There were mixed feelings for thousands of other families across Ciudad Juarez that night. |
| Their sons and daughters, husbands and wives would officially become local police officers the next day. | Their sons and daughters, husbands and wives would officially become local police officers the next day. |
| It was a reason for pride but, after only four months' training, you could not help wondering what lay ahead for these new recruits, facing the mighty drug cartels. | |
| Retaliation culture | Retaliation culture |
| Jose Reyes, a softly-spoken law professor and mayor of Juarez, knows the dangers of fighting crime here only too well. Soon after taking office, he fired half the local police for corruption. | Jose Reyes, a softly-spoken law professor and mayor of Juarez, knows the dangers of fighting crime here only too well. Soon after taking office, he fired half the local police for corruption. |
| Dozens of Juarez officials involved in the purge have since been murdered in retaliation. | Dozens of Juarez officials involved in the purge have since been murdered in retaliation. |
| The mayor travels in an armoured car, escorted by armed bodyguards. | The mayor travels in an armoured car, escorted by armed bodyguards. |
| He has sent his family to live over the border in the United States, in an attempt to keep them safe. | He has sent his family to live over the border in the United States, in an attempt to keep them safe. |
| Ironically, it is the United States - the world's largest consumer of illegal drugs - that, to a large extent, is at the root of the bloodshed in Mexico. | Ironically, it is the United States - the world's largest consumer of illegal drugs - that, to a large extent, is at the root of the bloodshed in Mexico. |
| Mexico's drug cartels are involved in a fight to the death over the multi-billion-dollar business that is smuggling locally grown marijuana and Colombian cocaine over the border. | |
| This culture of impunity and corruption is why I felt a sense of dread as I watched Blanca and her radiant fellow cadets shake Mayor Reyes' hand at their graduation ceremony | This culture of impunity and corruption is why I felt a sense of dread as I watched Blanca and her radiant fellow cadets shake Mayor Reyes' hand at their graduation ceremony |
| America's liberal gun laws also help to fuel the drug wars in Mexico. Ninety per cent of all the traced weapons confiscated from Mexico's drug cartels come from the US. | America's liberal gun laws also help to fuel the drug wars in Mexico. Ninety per cent of all the traced weapons confiscated from Mexico's drug cartels come from the US. |
| But Mayor Reyes told me he believes the Obama administration is sincere in wanting to help Mexico beat gun crime. | But Mayor Reyes told me he believes the Obama administration is sincere in wanting to help Mexico beat gun crime. |
| "Apart from anything else, the US is worried there could be a cross-border spill-over of the violence." he said. "Eventually we will beat the drug criminals. We have to." | "Apart from anything else, the US is worried there could be a cross-border spill-over of the violence." he said. "Eventually we will beat the drug criminals. We have to." |
| But can they? It certainly will not be easy if, as it seems, some of Mexico's drug bosses are protected at the highest levels. | |
| Drug wars | Drug wars |
| Joachin Guzman Loera, better-known as El Chapo - Shorty - is one of the world's biggest drug barons and, ostensibly, Mexico's most wanted man. | Joachin Guzman Loera, better-known as El Chapo - Shorty - is one of the world's biggest drug barons and, ostensibly, Mexico's most wanted man. |
| So one wonders why he feels safe enough to frequent local restaurants in his home county of Sinaloa and to stage a lavish, well-publicised ceremony in the mountains there to celebrate his marriage to an 18-year-old Mexican beauty queen. | So one wonders why he feels safe enough to frequent local restaurants in his home county of Sinaloa and to stage a lavish, well-publicised ceremony in the mountains there to celebrate his marriage to an 18-year-old Mexican beauty queen. |
| This culture of impunity and corruption explains why I felt a sense of dread as I watched Blanca and her radiant fellow cadets shake Mayor Reyes' hand at their graduation ceremony. | This culture of impunity and corruption explains why I felt a sense of dread as I watched Blanca and her radiant fellow cadets shake Mayor Reyes' hand at their graduation ceremony. |
| It was a beautiful morning. The sun glinted off the cadets' shiny new badges. The loudspeakers blasted out a cheesy number about love for and dedication to the city of Juarez. | It was a beautiful morning. The sun glinted off the cadets' shiny new badges. The loudspeakers blasted out a cheesy number about love for and dedication to the city of Juarez. |
| Afterwards, cameras clicked all around. The new recruits posed with friends and loved-ones - many laughing, many crying. I looked around to find Blanca amongst the crowd. | Afterwards, cameras clicked all around. The new recruits posed with friends and loved-ones - many laughing, many crying. I looked around to find Blanca amongst the crowd. |
| When I found her, I hugged her. Christian and his younger sisters were not there that day. | When I found her, I hugged her. Christian and his younger sisters were not there that day. |
| Their grandmother chose to keep them at home. Perhaps she felt even attending the ceremony could be risky. Probably she realised Mexico's drug wars could yet see her grandchildren orphaned. | Their grandmother chose to keep them at home. Perhaps she felt even attending the ceremony could be risky. Probably she realised Mexico's drug wars could yet see her grandchildren orphaned. |
| Find out more about Blanca's story - This World: Mexico's Drug War will be broadcast on Sunday, 7 February, 2010 at 2300 GMT. Or catch-up afterwards on BBC iPlayer | Find out more about Blanca's story - This World: Mexico's Drug War will be broadcast on Sunday, 7 February, 2010 at 2300 GMT. Or catch-up afterwards on BBC iPlayer |
| How to listen to:From Our Own Correspondent | How to listen to:From Our Own Correspondent |
| Radio 4: Saturdays, 1130. Second weekly edition on Thursdays, 1100 (some weeks only) | Radio 4: Saturdays, 1130. Second weekly edition on Thursdays, 1100 (some weeks only) |
| World Service: See programme schedules | World Service: See programme schedules |
| Download the podcast | Download the podcast |
| Listen on iPlayer | Listen on iPlayer |
| Story by story at the programme website | Story by story at the programme website |
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