Conflict and State Fragility in the Americas

Mexico's conflict with drug trafficking organizations escalated sharply after President Felipe Calderón deployed the military against cartels beginning in 2006, a strategy continued in varying forms by his successors, including the "hugs, not bullets" approach of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (2018-2024), which sought to address root socioeconomic causes rather than rely primarily on confrontation, and the continued security push under President Claudia Sheinbaum since 2024. The conflict has produced extraordinarily high levels of violence, with independent and government sources recording well over 400,000 homicides since 2006 and tens of thousands of people classified as disappeared, alongside violence targeting journalists, local officials, and candidates, making Mexico one of the most dangerous countries for both groups.