Drug Gangs Use Violence to Sway Guatemala Vote

It is a sign of the increasing influence of drugs and drug violence. Latin America's worsening poverty is a breeding ground for the spread of the drug gangs. Certain parts of Mexico are virtual war zones. If you think this doesn't affect you--your mistaken. Drugs and drug violence are on the rise and headed for the States. And as unemployment rises and poverty increases in the U.S. illicit drugs will once again devastate our society:

It is election time in Guatemala and that means rallies and banners — and body bags.

In the campaigning leading up to elections on Sept. 9, the authorities have reported 61 violent attacks on candidates and political activists. The death toll is 26, including seven national congressmen and numerous other office seekers.

The flurry of bullets, and the occasional machete attack, make this the bloodiest campaign season in the history of a country with a long tradition of political violence, including 36 years of civil war that ended in 1996. But what makes the bloodletting different this time is that it has been attributed to narcotics traffickers and their allies intent on infiltrating Guatemala’s political system.

If you'd like an example of things to come:

An ice cream truck parked in front of a junior high school was offering up cocaine and marijuana along with the soft serve, police said.