We Surrender, just take over dammit!

News from Mexico:

this is from the primary newspaper in one of the major Mexican cities near the border, and heavily infested with drug gang(s) who seem to be killing journalists writing disapproving stories:

From this Sunday's editorial in Diario de Juarez, translated by Borderland Beat:

We would like it to be known, we are communicators, not psychics. With that in mind, as information correspondents, we want you to explain, What is it you want from us? What is it you want us to publish, or stop publishing? Explain so we can attend these issues.

You are, at present, the de facto authorities of this city. The legal security commands have done nothing to prevent our colleagues from being killed in the line of their duties, although we have repeatedly demanded protection.

That is why, faced with this indisputable fact, we are writing to you and asking, because the last thing we want is another one of our colleagues to become another victim of your shootings.

The whole editorial is important and a condemnation of Calderon's policies towards CJ. However, I thought the key line was the one in which the newspaper declared that they believe the organizations to whom they address the editorial are "the de facto authorities of this city." While some pundits argue that Mexico's organized criminal groups don't have the goal of overthrowing or replacing the government, Diario de Juarez is suggesting that, at least in one city, they already have.

So much for government, apparently. Of course, thats how the robber barons originally got into the business, so I suppose there is a certain appropriateness to it.