Laguna Murders

Two somewhat related pieces of news: the Laguna will soon have a permanent military presence, with 700 soldiers to be housed in a new military facility in Gómez Palacio. And through November 12, the number of murders in the Laguna jumped by 86 percent in 2009 compared with last year. And last year the number of killing more than doubled from 2007. This year, 80 percent of the killings have stemmed from organized crime, compared to around half last year, which makes me wonder if the authorities adopted a more expansive definition of organized crime in 2009.