03/11/09 - How the United States might help the authorities subdue drug-related violence in Mexico was the topic of a meeting on March 7 between President Barack Obama and Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman Michael Mullen. Admiral Mullen had just returned from Mexico City. The purpose of his trip was to investigate the growing violence between drug cartels and Mexico's military.

Clashes among powerful drug cartels and between the cartels and security forces have been especially acute in Mexican border towns including Juarez, Nogales, and Tijuana. One of the headless bodies found in Tijuana in early March belonged to an American citizen. President Obama is interested in how the U.S. military might aid Mexico in stemming the violence, possibly by providing intelligence and surveillance capabilities.

Travel Warnings to Students Heading to Mexico For Spring Break

The burgeoning violence in parts of Mexico is making some American parents very nervous. Every year more than 100,000 U.S. teenagers travel to Mexican resorts for Spring Break. On February 20 the U.S. Department of State issued a warning for travellers in Mexico. Most of the popular Spring Break destinations such as Cancun, Cozumel, and Cabo San Lucas remain fairly safe. But the State Department says that foreigners have been among the bystanders injured or killed across Mexico. U.S. universities in the West and Southwest are encouraging students to avoid Mexican border towns or to choose an entirely different venue for their vacation.

SOS Children's Villages Saves Lives in Mexico

Children at the SOS Children's Village in Morelia, Mexico

SOS Children's Villages, the world's largest charity devoted to providing loving homes to orphaned and abandoned children, operates eight villages in Mexico. The troubled border town of Tijuana, near San Diego, houses one of these villages. In Mexico since 1971, SOS has villages as far south as Comitán, in Chipas, Mexico's poorest federal state. SOS Children's Village Tijuana opened its doors to children and specially trained SOS mothers in 1993.

A girl at the SOS Children's Village in Morelia, Mexico

Many people from southern Mexico have moved to Tijuana, hoping to find a good job or to emigrate to the United States, which is risky and in most cases, illegal. Their lack of education and professional qualifications make many of these people poor and destitute. Some end up as criminals or prostitutes. As a result of the area's terrible social and economic situation, many children are abandoned and abused.

At the SOS Children's Village in Tijuana, children are given a loving mother, a home, and a stable community in which to develop. An adjoining SOS youth facility helps young people prepare for independent living.

If you would like to help a Mexican boy or girl secure a warm home and a bright future, consider sponsoring a child.