Billboards Across Mexico Ask Government To Respect Narco’s Families, Craft Skills

Last week, banners created by drug traffickers popped up across 14 Mexican states, urging President Felipe Calderon and three Mexican federal law enforcement officials to respect that families of those suspected to be narcotics traffickers. The hand-made signs were usually draped over overpasses in high-traffic areas with one, in Oaxaca City, splashed across the headquarters of the country’s PRI party. The banners asked the government to consider the “class” of people overseeing the narco wars (people with spare time and glitter paint?), and accused federal police of kidnap, murder and rape. 

Last year, so-called “narco billboards” sprouted across territory run by the Zetas paramilitary drug gang, spelling out threats to rival drug gangs and the government alike. In Chihuahua, billboards appeared after a mass shooting, warning more violence was to come.

And in Juarez, billboards were put up around May 12th - a mere two days before President Calderon was scheduled to visit in order to reviewed Mexican troops and oversee an homage to 83 soldiers killed on anti-narco missions. 

Who would have guessed that narcos had such killer… PR skills? Really though, if shooting people in front of elementary schools and turning enemies into soup aren’t enough to frighten Mexican citizens and make the government (… members that aren’t on the narcos’ payroll) take notice, we’re not sure some hand-painted signs will do the trick. Then again, they do show what pelotazos the drug traffickers have, especially those who put up signs in Juarez right before Calderon’s visit. 

Narco Billboards Unlimited [New American Media]