MUZZLED PRESS HANDS POWER TO DRUG CARTELS

Like all terrorists, Mexican drug cartels do not have to fire a shot
to spread fear and anxiety. The mere threat of violence and chaos is
enough to do their evil work.

Residents see this phenomenon playing out in the border town of Nuevo
Laredo, where journalists have lost their vitality in the wake of
attacks on their colleagues.

In a compelling and disturbing story by Express-News staff writer
Mariano Castillo, media representatives acknowledge the intimidation
that has stifled the press - a situation that became apparent when a
recent shootout went unreported.

"Call it self-censorship," Raymundo Ramos, a former police reporter
who now runs a local news Web site, said. "This is a silenced press,
enforced because there is no guarantee for our safety."

What makes the situation doubly tragic is that self-censorship is
worse than the kind imposed by a tyrannical government. When
journalists mute their own voices, they become the enemy. They become
the force that stamps out freedom of the press.

Still, it is hard to blame them. They have their well-being - and
that of their loved ones - to consider. Recklessness should not be a
prerequisite for the job.

The fact remains, however, that a muzzled press contributes to the
reign of terror fostered by the drug cartels. And, in some cases, the
journalists may abet the criminal activities. One reporter told the
Express-News that colleagues serve as spies for the drug lords.

The U.S. State Department has issued a warning for U.S. residents
traveling to Mexico, and law enforcement officials on both sides of
the border have pledged to cooperate in the investigations of a
series of kidnappings in Nuevo Laredo.

That may not be enough. The U.S. must help its neighbors, but the
Mexican government must take the lead in ferreting out corrupt
officials and journalists.

"It seems to me that drug violence has overwhelmed the governments of
the PAN, the PRI and the PRD," Mexican President-elect Felipe
Calderon said in a recent radio interview, according to the Associated Press.

If the problem is "overwhelming," one of the reasons is that the
Mexican government has failed to address it adequately. Calderon must
show that he is more willing to tackle the problem than his
predecessors. And he could start by cleaning out the soiled officials
in the Mexican government.