Jalisco, a failed state? A UdeG report shakes Mexico

An academic report from the University of Guadalajara has raised alarm bells nationwide by painting a portrait of Jalisco as a potential "failed state" in terms of security. Its conclusions regarding drug control and government inaction resonate as a warning for the entire country.

MEXICO CITY.- What happens in Jalisco doesn't stay in Jalisco. The devastating report presented by a panel of experts from the University of Guadalajara (UdeG) has transcended state borders to pose an uncomfortable question nationwide: Is Jalisco the model for what happens when a state loses the battle for security?

The diagnosis is so serious that it has led many to use the term "failed state" to describe the situation, turning the local crisis into a case study of relevance to the entire Mexican Republic.

For the rest of the country, which may not be familiar with the details of the Jalisco situation, the UdeG report offers an "anatomy of a failure" in security. The key points, which could serve as a model for other entities, are the following:

* Total Absence of Strategy: The state government operates “on autopilot,” without a coherent security plan or prevention policies.

* Territorial Control Ceded: It is bluntly stated that the Jalisco territory is "under the control of organized crime."

* Endemic Violence Overcome: The homicide rate (29 per 100,000 inhabitants) almost triples the WHO threshold, indicating a situation out of control.

* Humanitarian Crisis of Missing Persons: Half of all disappearances in the state's history have occurred in the last six years, a fact that points to a humanitarian catastrophe.

This combination of factors, documented by a credible academic source, is what has elevated the debate from a local issue to a national concern. The question many are asking is: How far is my state from a similar situation?

As expected, the political reaction has been a crossfire of accusations. While the UdeG report and its local critics point to the state government's "inertia," national opposition figures, such as PAN Senator Francisco Ramírez Acuña, blame the failure of the federal strategy of "hugs, not bullets."

"I believe that 'hugs, not bullets' is already a crisis today. I believe this demonstrates seven years of the federal government's, the Morena government's, inability to prosecute the country's criminals." – Sen. Francisco Ramírez Acuña.

This political dispute, although predictable, diverts attention from the underlying problem: the inability of institutions, at all levels, to guarantee the safety of citizens.

The Jalisco report isn't just local news; it's a warning. It presents a documented scenario of what happens when security strategies fail systemically. For the rest of Mexico, the Jalisco case becomes an urgent call to evaluate their policies and demand results before the crisis becomes irreversible.