Tabasco souse…

PHOTO: APF, via BBC

This aerial shot is of Villahermosa yesterday, not New Orleans in 2005. Tabasco is, in some ways the Louisiana of Mexico — with low-lying rivers, a lot of oil and crooked politics (all of which may be a factor in this disaster).

Rivers ususally rise this time of year, but the devastation has been catastrophic: 70 percent of the state is underwater, and crop losses are estimated at 100 percent. With Rio Grijalva showing no indication of returning to its banks any time soon (it’s still raining), it’s only going to get worse. The Associated Press is reporting that 300,000 people have been affected, and tens of thousands left homeless.

Tabasco is THE oil state, and this is going to affect world oil prices somewhat. Just because this year the U.S. “only” had some major fires, we have been told that Global Warming means more flooding in wet parts of the world and drought in dry ones — so far, the unprecedented floods in Tabasco haven’t sunk in with us, as we go through drought in the south, and fires in the west.

NarcoNews blames the Calderón Administration — and the “War on Drugs” (aka, “NOT Plan Colombia, Plan Mérida” ). In a roundabout way, there is a connection. Globalization and it’s discontents have something to do with making conditions worse. The Mexican Army — as they were in New Orleans — has been sent to coordinate disaster relief efforts.

That’s what the Mexican Army does — disaster relief. NarcoNews’ contention is that by diverting military resources to the U.S. backs “War on Drugs” they’re not able to take on the task.  Think of the shortage of National Guard troops available in disasters in the U.S. recently (and remember that Mexico is not fighting a foreign war — and except for World War II, never has — and that responding to natural disasters is their primary mission):

Tabasco Governor Andres Granier made the rounds of TV and radio outlets lamenting the lack of manpower to help in evacuation, rescue and assistance efforts. Specifically, he decried the fact that only 5,000 soldiers have been sent to the state (which is now 80 percent covered in water) whereas in 1999 when the last flooding event occurred, 20,000 troops were sent in, although the crisis was much less severe. Why isn’t the federal government deploying troops to Tabasco? Because they are far flung throughout the countryside, away from their barracks, on a wild goose chase to catch the drug kingpins that cynical President Calderon knows they will never find – since in many cases they are protected by the politicians and military officers supposedly trying to catch them.

There is money in Tabasco — though a lot of it has been pissed away over the years by crooked politicians (when Roberto Madrazo ran for Governor in 1994, he spent $70 million on his campaign. Bill Clinton and Al Gore only spent $62.5 million two years earlier in what was then considered an excessively expensive campaign — and for a much larger prize). Andres Manuel Lopez Obradór got his start as a “Mr. Clean” figure as the states Indigenous Affairs Commissioner (and even there money had a way of disappearing). Blame will be flying around on misspent funds and misdirected priorities when — if — the waters recede, but in the meantime expect conditions to get worse, not better.

(Sombrero tip to RJ_1 at ThornTree)