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Category Archives: México

Hasta los dientes (2018), directed by Alberto Arnaut Estradas

11 Fri Dec 2020

Posted by ztnh in Anti-Fascism, Anti-Totalitarianism, Latin America, México

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CopWatch, IMDB, Internal Security Law (Mexico), Netflix, Organization of American States (OAS), United Nations (UN)

LUMPENPROLETARIAT—I have been in the presence of fascist thugs, armed to the teeth, since I was a kid. My earliest experiences were as an American kid, visiting relatives in Mexico. One thug, armed to the teeth, pulled over my family’s pick-up truck. I was riding in the back; the truck had a camper shell. I must have been in my early teens, mid-1980s. It never sat well with me that armed thugs could pull us over, search us, and interrogate us for no reason, without a warrant, without any probable cause, and so on. But that’s life in Mexico, at least during the various years when I have visited my family there.

Hasta Los Dientes (2018) [Armed to the Teeth]

Some Mexican paramilitary types had pulled us over. In their warrantless search of our vehicle, one of the armed thugs caught me in the back, armed with a sling shot—or, more precisely, a “folding, steel framed wrist brace slingshot using tubular bands.” The assault-rifle-strapped thug seemed to respect my evident contempt for his ilk. A lot is communicated in silence, simply with eye contact. The moment seemed to take forever. It was dark, dawn. The soldier in black waved around his mini mag light around into the bed of the truck through the camper shell door, holding onto the shell door, as if, he did’t trust the camper shell door shocks to work. But the pick-up was tip top.

If memory serves me, it was a brand new Ford F-250. I must have looked like a weak puppy, snuggled up in some warm blankets with books and pillows, amidst the luggage in the back. My father stood by the side of the pick-up truck. I knew my father had my back; I think he had firearms, which he would’ve responsibly declared from the outset. But I also knew Mexican military don’t play. The assault-rifle-strapped thug smiled and asked me, “¿De qué calibre es tu resortera?” I think I smiled, fighting back my fear. Maybe dad smiled, too. After they took a cash bribe from my father, who already understood how Mexican fascism works, they let us go on our way. That wasn’t the first, or the last, time I experienced fascism. But I must save those narratives about my home, the United States of America, for another time.

I will say this, in hindsight, my experiences with the Mexican military rank-and-file have never been as bad as my experiences with the Mexican federales. Those fuckers… slovenly lot, in t-shirts with exposed beer bellies hanging out. Half the time, you can’t even tell, if they’re legit federales, or la federal, when you get pulled over for the mordida, or bribe. At least, back before 1998, the last time I visited Mexico. But you can always tell the weaponry looks legit. Or, at least, you don’t really wanna test ’em. You just wanna be on your way. They all kill the same, whether Mexican military, or the federales, or the judiciales. Real life is nothing like those Hollywood movies.

Admittedly, I rarely get to watch TV. But I watch TV, every chance I get, which is usually when I sit down to eat a meal, alone. This documentary synopsis looks compelling, Hasta los dientes. It brings back old memories of travelling through Mexico by land. The filmmaker never intended to be a filmmaker. But he was compelled by loyalty to his childhood friend, Javier Arreondo. Arnaut decided to dedicate his life to mastering the craft of filmmaking, instead of pursuing communications, when he learned that Javier had been murdered. Arnaut became a filmmaker just so he could tell this story about what the Mexican state did to his childhood friend, Javier, and Javier’s colleague, Jorge. Hasta los dientes is about a couple of honor students, who were accused of delinquency by the Mexican government; and, then… Well…

I’m only, like 20 minutes in, but I had to pause it to jot down these notes and finish my breakfast. I couldn’t help reading some background information on this story, though. It turns out this documentary film “is also a harsh criticism of [Mexico’s] Internal Security Law, a controversial measure that has been denounced by hundreds of civil associations—in addition to the UN and the Organization of American States (OAS)—because according to them,” the Internal Security Law allows active military loose on the streets, effectively doing the work of local cops. Damn. Talk about a fascist police state. At least, that’s how it looks from the outside looking in. We need our Mexican brothers and sisters to tell us in their own words what it’s like living in Mexico these days. In the meantime, let’s watch this award-winning documentary film, which took the filmmaker, Alberto Arnaut Estradas, some eight years to complete, shall we? Veamos esto, ¿de acuerdo?

Messina

***

Hasta los dientes is currently available on Netflix (c. DEC 2020), watch it here: https://www.netflix.com/title/81123826

Hasta los dientes está disponible ahora en Netflix (c. DEC 2020), míralo aquí: https://www.netflix.com/us-es/title/81123826

***

IMDB—On March 19th 2010, the Mexican government announced the death of two hitmen [i.e., sicarios], armed to the teeth, in the city of Monterrey, Nuevo León. Days later, it was discovered that they were in fact […] [SPOILER ALERT, even though it’s a true story…]

— snip —

Learn more at IMDB.

***

EL PAÍS—[15 May 2018] ‘Hasta los dientes’: la historia de cómo el Ejército mexicano ejecutó a dos estudiantes
Recibieron un disparo a un metro de distancia y los hicieron pasar por sicaros, el documental que dirige Alberto Arnaut revive aquel asesinato en plena guerra contra el narco

Un vídeo gris de una cámara de seguridad muestra cómo un joven entra corriendo a las instalaciones del Tec de Monterrey. Habían disparado a su amigo y estaba pidiendo ayuda. No volverá a aparecer. En una de las universidades privadas más importantes de México se acababa de cometer uno de los peores y más crueles crímenes de la guerra contra el narcotráfico. En el campus de Monterrey (noreste del país) murieron asesinados el 19 de marzo de 2010 dos estudiantes. Y el que apretó el gatillo no fue un capo de la droga, sino el Ejército mexicano. “Los muertos no declaran”.

El documental Hasta los dientes, que dirige Alberto Arnaut, narra cómo la metralla de aquella guerra alcanzó también a la población civil, a quien pretendía salvar. Dos estudiantes yacían en el piso de una institución académica sagrada sujetando, ya muertos, dos armas largas. Nadie dudó entonces de que habían ejecutado a dos sicarios. Y lo celebraron. En esos momentos de terror, un asesino menos en las calles era recibido como una victoria para el país. Pero ellos no eran narcos, eran dos alumnos que se habían quedado hasta tarde estudiando y habían salido a por algo de comida. En la puerta de su universidad les alcanzaron los balazos. Podría haber sido un error fatal, pero no lo fue.

Unas imágenes tomadas por testigos de los hechos y por cámaras de televisión, que incluye el documental, muestran cómo allí cualquiera podría haber acabado igual. En medio de una gran avenida de esta ciudad industrial se había abierto un frente de guerra. Metralla y granadas. Los coches daban rápidamente marcha atrás, una moto perdió el control y se estrelló contra un muro, ninguna autoridad impidió que la población se interpusiera entre las balas de los militares y los sicarios. Y allí en medio estaban Jorge Mercado y Javier Arreondo.

Según muestra Hasta los dientes, que utiliza los detalles del expediente del caso, las imágenes de las cámaras de seguridad, testimonios de testigos, de las familias, declaraciones del personal de seguridad de la institución y de las autoridades de Gobierno, Jorge y Javier fueron ejecutados de manera extrajudicial. Javier había sido herido por unas balas perdidas de aquel enfrentamiento. Pero Jorge estaba todavía vivo. Los militares se dieron cuenta de su gran error. Aquellos jóvenes no tenían pinta de asesinos. Llevaban unas mochilas, salían a comer. Pero, como señala un militar que interviene en el documental: “Los muertos no declaran”. Esas eran las ódenes de aquel Ejército entrenado para exterminar en las calles a los miembros del crimen organizado. Y acabaron los dos muertos con un balazo recibido a un metro de distancia. Un tiro de gracia. Les propinaron unos golpes y construyeron una escena del crimen a su medida: cada uno agarraba un rifle.

— snip —

Aprende más en EL PAÍS.

***

HEAVEN OF HORROR—[13 AUG 2019] HASTA LOS DIENTES is a new true crime documentary on Netflix. While it runs a bit long, it features a fascinating and scary true story. [SPOILER ALERT, even though it’s a true story…]

Read more at HEAVEN OF HORROR.

***

NOTAS POST MORTEM: Dios, maldita sea. Por favor mire esta película.

***

POST MORTEM NOTES: God, damn. Please watch this film.

(c. 57:45) One eye-witness, among a group of others at a convenience store nearby, observed the so-called Mexican ‘War On Drugs’ military assault being ambushed by narcotraffickers. She said they were all recording on their phones, all copwatching, just like the Black Panther Party pioneered back in the 1960s. She recalled her experiences, as she replayed her smartphone video recording:

“Those were the soldiers. They were going from side to side. At the same time, cars were passing by there. What shocked me the most that night was that I suddenly saw a column of soldiers going inside Tech [i.e., the university]. That’s when they entered Tech. You can see the bars in the back, the light you can see is the campus lighting. At that moment, I knew something serious was going on. We stayed at the store for 20 or 25 minutes, which seemed endless. And all the people in there were filming with their phones… to try to understand what was going on outside, and why there wasn’t anyone telling us what to do.

Because I’m here.</strong>”That’s when a soldier came in. He hit the counter and said, ‘Don’t film this.‘ Don’t film this? ‘Don’t film this.’ Easy. Okay. Okay. ‘Don’t film this. Easy. No. Easy. No. ‘Why are you filming?’ Because I’m here.

***

[11 DEC 2020]

[Last modified on 24 DEC 2020 at 03:51 PST]

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Línea Abierta On Radio Bilingüe Network: State-Sanctioned Mass Graves In México?

20 Mon Jun 2016

Posted by ztnh in Anti-Fascism, Latin America, México, Police State, Political Science

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Expresión Libre, KMPO, Línea Abierta, mass graves, Morelos, police terrorism, Radio Bilingüe, Radio Bilingüe Radio Network

radio-bilingue-logo-spanish_05LUMPENPROLETARIAT—Are you bilingual?  Are you a polyglot?  Is Spanish one of the languages you speak, or are interested in learning?  If so, then Radio Bilingüe, a free speech bilingual radio network broadcast across California, the American Southwest, and beyond, may be beneficial and/or of interest to you.  As a Chicano who grew up on lowrider oldies, many of us appreciate the oldies show.  Then there is some nice mariachi and other traditional classics in the morning commute.  Plus, there is also some nice talk shows, including in the Spanish language.  For example, since Democracy Now! has begun producing a Spanish language version of their broadcasts, Radio Bilingüe airs Democracy Now! en español.  Another talk show is Línea Abierta, which is the first—and only—national live talk and call-in programme in public broadcasting interconnecting Spanish-speaking audiences and newsmakers throughout the USA and Mexico. [1]

Today’s broadcast of Línea Abierta investigated wanton killings of civilians by México’s local, state, and federal police.  Mass graves have been found, including in the Mexican state of Morelos; and experts are arguing that state complicity goes up to the highest ranks of government.  Listen (and/or download) here. [2]

Messina

***

ExpresionLibre,20JUN2016,Monday_673x324LÍNEA ABIERTA—[20 JUN 2016] State-Sanctioned Mass Grave?

Mexican authorities began exhuming more than 100 bodies found in an illegal mass grave in Morelos, a state that’s among the hardest hit by drug-related violence. The dumping site was under the supervision of the state attorney general office. Advocates of the victims call this a state crime.

Guests: Javier Sicilia, Writer, Peace Activist, Cuernavaca, MX; Juan Villoro, Writer, Journalist, Cuernavaca, MX; Dr. Jesús Alejandro Vera, President, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos; María Concepción Hernández Hernández, mother of Oliver Wenceslao Navarrete Hernández, case that triggered the exhumations; Guillermina Sotelo Castañeda, Mother of César Iván González, who disappeared in Guerrero.

Photo: expresionlibre.org

For more information about Linea Abierta click here

To visit Linea Abierta audio archives go to archivosderb.org

Learn more at LÍNEA ABIERTA.

***

[1]  Línea Abierta is the first — and only — national live talk and call-in program in public broadcasting interconnecting Spanish-speaking audiences and newsmakers throughout the United States and Mexico.  Each weekday, Línea Abierta offers an hour of news, analysis, features, interviews, round-tables, special series and listener call-ins on current events, health, jobs, politics, the environment, education, the arts and culture, race relations and immigrant rights, and more. Diverse guests and audience members exchange views and crucial information, as our experienced hosts lead the dialogue.  Radio Bilingüe launched Línea Abierta in 1995 to meet the void of intelligent, thoughtful Spanish language and Latino-oriented public affairs programming in public and commercial media — and it is still unmatched today, carried by 75 stations across the nation. Available free to stations via satellite, content deport and radiobilingue.org.

[2]  Terrestrial radio transmission, 88.7 FM (KMPO, Modesto-Stockton, CA), with online simulcast and digital archiving:  Línea Abierta, program #7808, Monday, 20 JUN 2016, 21:00 PDT, originally broadcast 12:00 PDT.

Also see “Las fosas clandestinas de la Fiscalía de Morelos”, Expresión Libre, 6 NOV 2015.

***

[20 JUN 2016]

[Last modified  10:29 PDT  21 JUN 2016]

 

 

 

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The People’s Oscars 2016: Cartel Land (2015)

02 Tue Feb 2016

Posted by ztnh in Anti-Fascism, Anti-War, Documentary Film, Latin America, México

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Dr. José Mireles, Grupo de Autodefensas, Kathryn Bigelow, Matthew Heineman, Mexico, Michoacán

Cartel_Land_posterLUMPENPROLETARIAT—Dubious politics abound in the motives driving the narrative agenda behind Matthew Heineman‘s Oscar-nominated Cartel Land.  And this, whilst ostensibly letting the vigilantes speak for themselves.  Cartel Land has no narrator whatsoever beyond the narration cobbled together by the filmmakers’ documentary footage.

To earn an Oscar nomination, Heineman insidiously paired a narrative of the Grupo de Autodefensas, or Self-Defense Group, in the Mexican state of Michoacán, which developed organically out of the people’s frustration with drug cartel tyranny, with the white supremacist border vigilante groups and militias.  But the two are very different things.  Yet, the filmmakers seem determined to conflate the two, almost as if justifying the agenda of white supremacist xenophobes by conflating them with the organic people’s resistance to drug cartels, which developed after some twelve years of drug cartel rule, replete with torture, beheadings, and terrorising of the public with the grisly carnage.  One involves xenophobia in a relatively orderly society.  The other involves a people’s revolt to a narco state.  Everywhere I looked illegals were taking construction jobs, said one border vigilante, featured as the solitary figurehead for the armed, anti-immigrant, self-appointed border troops dressed in military fatigues and armed with automatic rifles.

The filmmakers filmed, among other locations, in downtown Apatzingan, Michoacán, a central city in Michoacán’s central valley, known as tierra caliente, or hot land, a double entendre, connoting, both, the hot climate in the valley, and the heat resulting from drug cartel violence.  Although the filmmakers didn’t identify a memorial of the signing of the Constitution of Apatzingan, it is easily recognisable in the film.  (Your author recalls the last time he was down in Apatzingan back in 1998 on a trip to visit a grandmother.  Back then, although there was cartel activity, it hadn’t reached the chaotic level it would soon come to reach.)

The founder and initial leader of Michoacán’s Grupo de Autodefensas, or Self-Defense Group, Dr. José Mireles, a Michoacán-based physician who initially led the Autodefensas is followed by the camera crew to a swimming pool park outside of Apatzingan, which my family and friends would also visit.  It’s heartbreaking to see the city, from which one’s family hailed, become plagued with wanton violence.

Soon, after being shown to be a womaniser, Dr. Mireles is shown being taken by ambulance after a mysterious plane crash, as dissension within the anti-drug cartel group festered due to ideological differences, or apparently infiltration and sabotage.  Dr. Mireles, left with half his face paralysed, designated a man called “Papa Smurf” to be his substitute while he convalesces.  But “Papa Smurf”, who is shown later to be incapable of rallying community support, as Dr. Mireles had done.  Crowds at a public rally took “Papa Smurf” to task, complaining that some of the Defensas Ciudadanas, or Citizens Defense, had been abusing their powers, raiding innocent homes, and behaving inappropriately with the local women.  This was a less-than-happy crowd, which seemed unconvinced of the sincerity of Dr. Mireles’ leadership and the Autodefensa forces.  (Pitfalls abound; Ralph Nader once testified before the US Congress that one shouldn’t have to live like a saint to work in the public interest; one shouldn’t have to be celibate just to avoid being seduced and fall prey to designs of entrapment.)

Absent in all of this rather strange documentary is any type of narrative or analysis.  The only notable coverage of state officials is showing some news footage of politicians making empty promises, as the Autodefensa forces come to wrest control over half the state.  The next politician is Michoacán’s State Security Commissioner who comes to glad-hand “Papa Smurf” for his agreement to legitimate the Autodefensa group by becoming an appendage of the state, which soon seems to lead to a corruption of the group.  But no indication is made that any attempts were made by the filmmakers to directly contact state officials, or to question the politics behind the policies, which lead to drug prohibition and, then, cartels.

The footage captured by shadowing and trailing Dr. Mireles, the Autodefensa  forces, their rise and apparent fall, or cooptation, as well as of the towns of Michoacán and their initial solidarity against the barbarisms of the drug cartels is compelling.  But mutely intertwining the parallel story line of armed US-Mexico border vigilantes, Border Recon, making armed citizen arrests of migrants crossing the border conflates xenophobic immigrant scapegoating with sincere people’s anti-drug cartel efforts, which seek to restore the rule of law in a failed state.  But, then, this documentary film is executive produced by Kathryn Bigelow, a non-journalist mainly known for her works of fiction.

Messina

 

Cartel Land (2015)

***

[Last modified 3 FEB 2016  02:09 PDT]

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