After murders, cardinal urges continued fight against drug cartels

Published: 2005-01-26

MEXICO CITY (CNS) -- Mexico City Cardinal Norberto Rivera Carrera urged authorities to continue fighting the nation's powerful drug cartels despite the murders of several state employees in an apparent attempt to intimidate the government. Authorities blame drug lords for the Jan. 20 murder of six prison officials from a penitentiary in the Texas border city of Matamoros following government efforts to break up organized crime activity in another jail. "Whenever there is an effort to rid society of a bad element, there will be a reaction ... but the government has to protect people from this evil that is afflicting all of Mexico," Cardinal Rivera told Mexican media Jan. 23, following Mass. Mexican President Vicente Fox has vowed not to back down, saying he will wage the "mother of all battles" against the nation's powerful drug cartels. "It's clear the homicides in Tamaulipas are a challenge to the government because we've attacked the interests of organized crime, particularly drug trafficking," Fox said Jan. 21, referring to the state where the murders took place. "We're going to use all the resources within the law to combat these delinquent groups who seek to alter the peace and security of the nation."

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