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City in Mexico Drug Wars Renames Itself 'Heroic'

Ciudad Juarez celebrating 100th anniversary with a name change

By Kevin Spak, Newser Staff

Posted May 20, 2011 4:04 PM CDT

(Newser) – When your town is best known as the epicenter of Mexico’s drug war, maybe it’s time for a rebranding. Ciudad Juarez is changing its name to Heroica Ciudad Juarez, meaning “Heroic City of Juarez,” in commemoration of the 100^th anniversary of a critical Mexican Revolution battle fought there, Reuters reports. “This is an alternative to the defamatory way the city has been treated,” one state lawmaker explained. It becomes official tomorrow.

But many residents think it’s a pretty lousy time to celebrate. More than 9,000 have been killed in the war between the Juarez and Sinola cartels since 2008, and more than 230,000 have fled the city. “These politicians are trying to manipulate things so that the violence doesn’t see the light of day,” says one electrician. “They want to straighten things out, but they are not going to do it like this.”

Demonstrators hold a banner reading 'Victims day Stop now!' during a protest march against drug violence in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, on May 7, 2011. (Getty Images/AFP)

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COMMENTS

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Showing 3 of 10 comments

TheVEG

May 21, 2011 12:51 AM CDT

OK Mexico!!! It's time you adopt the 2nd Amendment of our Constitution. How else is the turkey shoot going to stop?

schmidtkoff

May 20, 2011 6:15 PM CDT

mexico, and america, have both lost the "war on drugs". america profits from the drug trade in that it fills up the prisons and supports a very lucrative prison industrial business. locks, gear, chairs for those who are combative. whereas mexico suffers losing innocent citizens through murder by drug thugs, corrupt cops and military who have crossed over for pesos. or american dollars. both lose in the end. this is a tragedy that does not have to go on. unfortunately our govt. and the govt. of mexico seems to want to maintain the status quo. but one hand does not wash the other in this scenario. the only solution is to decriminalize drugs. get them taxed and given out to those who elect to use them. as for pot, the argument is such a no brainer. yet out govt. refuses to give an inch. the killer weed. the evil weed. the downfall of society as we know it. i am however convinced that this is the only way to leap forward. a start, so as to speak.

finkster

May 20, 2011 6:14 PM CDT

This reminds me of the old saying..."You can put a dress on a pig.... but it's still a pig"

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City in Mexico Drug Wars Renames Itself 'Heroic'

Ciudad Juarez celebrating 100th anniversary with a name change

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Mexican drug war • Ciudad Juarez • Mexican drug cartel • Heroica Ciudad Juarez

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