Mexican President Calderon addresses his nation: admits violence worse

Mexican President Felipe Calderon admitted drug violence was worsening in Mexico but said the cartels had been weakened by the toppling of several major drug bosses, in his annual address Thursday.

“It’s an ever more bloody war between organized crime groups fighting for territory, markets and routes,” a defiant Calderon told hundreds of top officials and politicians at Mexico City’s National Palace.

The Mexican leader is under increasing fire for his military crackdown on organized crime launched in 2006, which has been accompanied by an eruption of violence including the recent massacre of 72 migrants by a suspected drug gang in northeastern Mexico.

The annual state of the nation report said authorities had made 34,515 drug-related arrests in the past year and confiscated more than 34,000 weapons, more than 72 million dollars and 133 million pesos (10.2 million dollars) in cash.

They seized the equivalent of 2.5 billion dollars in drugs, said the report published late Wednesday.

Drug violence — including beheadings, hangings and shootings — has meanwhile expanded to more of the country, including several car bombs for the first time this year. More than 28,000 people have died in drug-related attacks since 2006, according to official figures.

Calderon highlighted efforts to root out corruption and modernize police, after the firings this year of some 3,200 federal officers for poor performance.

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