Mexican president deploys troops in wake of oil pipeline bombings

In the wake of a coordinated series of oil pipeline bombings on September 10, Mexican President Felipe Calderon ordered the deployment of tens of thousands of army troops throughout the country. This action follows a first year in office in which Calderon, of the National Action Party (PAN), had already militarized Mexico to an extent not seen for over 70 years under the guise of waging a war on violent drug traffickers.

According to Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex), the Mexican national oil company, the bombings in the states of Veracruz and Tlaxcala caused a 25 percent drop in the supply of natural gas available to consumers across Mexico; at least 10 states reported natural gas shortages. More than 60 percent of Mexico's steel production was halted and General Motors, Ford, Chrysler, Volkswagen and Honda shut down auto plants for a few days due to lack of natural gas needed to power operations. Damage estimates run in the hundreds of millions of dollars. Ten of thousands of people were also evacuated for a few days from the vicinity of the explosions.

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The political situation in Mexico is extremely unstable. At least 24 million Mexicans live in misery and millions more continue to work in oppressive conditions just to eek out a living. Calderon took office amidst popular uprisings throughout the country and his own election, suffused with charges of fraud, provoked huge demonstrations in Mexico City. The Mexican ruling elite and its backers in the US government rightfully fear mounting popular anger and desperation.

This is why Calderon has consistently sought any excuse to build up the state's repressive power in the form of domestic military deployments, legal attacks on basic human rights protections, and domestic spying programs, all in close concert with the Bush administration.