What is Midnight in Mexico? It could be said that it is the darkness that expats are left in, when it comes to knowing and understanding the intertwined worlds of crime, corruption and drugs in Mexico. Others say it is that midnight is the time of new hope for a brighter day in Mexico. Actually, Midnight in Mexico is a new book, written by journalist Alfredo Corchado, who dared to write about the heroic and often fatal consequences of journalism in Mexican's drug torn cities.Having been to Mexico several times, I must say, I've never felt unsafe. That's not to say I haven't been on the edge of my seat - flying out of my comfort zone. Those that know me, know that I can be more than a little blind to dangerous situations. I am glad that I've never been in a car accident in Mexico, in need of medical care, or worse, arrested! Although there was that time....
I made our reservation to Mexico the same week news broke about the 43 college students who were killed and incinerated after they were seized by police in Guerrero, which, if you read the reports sounds like an episode of Breaking Bad. It was no wonder that our friends and family members were saying, "Mexico, REALLY? Isn't the cartel there?"
I must say, the big question gringos visiting San Miguel ask is, "Is the drug cartel in San Miguel? The short answer, according to the locals is, "absolutely". So when I read that Alfredo Corchado, Mexican Bureau Chief for the Dallas Morning News, and author of Midnight in Mexico, was speaking in San Miguel, I was curious. Just what is the experience of journalists, trying to report on the convergence of crime, corruption and the cartel?
We arrived on-time (shock of shocks). But by then, over 200 people had assembled, filling the Bellas Artes and spilling out onto the balcony. Apparently, I wasn't the only person that was curious. While Carchado's book delves into the incestuous relationship between the drug cartel and Mexican government, it is also a self-described confession to his mother, who he promised he would write about travel, food, entertainment - anything but the shadows of Mexico.
It's been said, that Carchado doesn't just report the news, he lives it. In his opening remarks, he shared that his current view of reform in Mexico, is that the government has done a good job getting people to "believe" it's changed. In reality, reporters that insist on covering the Mexico beat are often found dead, tortured, or worse, their families are kidnapped. So, the real stories go untold. According to Corchado, over the last four years 97 journalists have been murdered, at least 12 have disappeared and still others have fled for their lives, been threatened or assaulted - after attempting to uncover and report the realities of Mexico. You could hear a pin drop in the audience, when Corchado followed-up by saying, "When you silence a journalist, you silence a community". This has left many journalist in a state of apathy - to question, why speak up, if nothing's gonna change? The reality hit hard - unless a story can find its way from a Mexican journalist to a newsroom in the US, it often goes untold. 
In his book, Midnight in Mexico, Corchado proclaimed that it's not just the violence that's plagued Mexico, it's the lack of "rule of law" - fueled by government promoted propaganda and institutional corruption. Corchado went on the say, "It's obvious, Mexico is the tale of two countries - the "haves and the have-nots". And, from discussions here on immigration, and from what I know now, it seems that money lines the pockets of elected officials rather that being allocated to programs for the poor. Perhaps the most well known example, being protested by the Mexican people, is the $7.1 million home, purchased recently by Mexico's newest president, Enrique Peña Nieto.
So what is needed in Mexico? Corchado suggests that it's building the infrastructure and that police officers need to be paid better and receive pensions. The government must instill a sense that law enforcement officers are guardians not enemies. A sign that things have improved is when journalists can freely report the news and when people become more civically involved. When asked if legalizing drugs would end the cartels, it was suggested, that if not drugs, the cartels would find the next illegal thing to transport across the boarder. History shows that when the crackdown on drugs was happening, organized crime leaders just shifted to kidnappings, extortion and robberies. It was a "game-changer", when people stared hanging from bridges. "Bottom line, - the thirst for money will never end", said Corchado.
We ended our evening by learning that San Miguel wasn't without violence to reporters, as a kidnapping that took place just outside of our town in June, 2007. Eduardo Valseca, son of a prominent newspaper publisher was kidnapped and held for ransom for more than 7 months. Edwardo Valseca
We left the Bellas Artes in silence, as we processed all that we had heard. We walked for some time, through the dark streets of San Miguel, feeling enlightened - a little more realistic about paradise and a lot more appreciative of those that risk their lives to tell Mexico's stories. I almost wished we hadn't gone, there were things about Mexico that I didn't want to know. It was nice to be in the dark - not safe, but nice.
