If you are interested in the Torre Centinela that is almost fully operational in downtown Ciudad Juárez, then you should read this story from RestOfWorld.org.
For decades, Juárez, which sits just across the border from El Paso, Texas, has been considered one of the most dangerous cities in the world. For years, rival gangs and drug cartels have battled for control of the city. To combat the violence, Mexican authorities have engaged in an ongoing fight against criminal groups in the area using surveillance technology.
This command center is key to Chihuahua’s growing surveillance network, Gilberto Loya Chávez, the state’s square-jawed and charismatic secretary of public security, said during a tour of the facility last October. Behind him, large screens blasted live camera feeds from throughout the state, as more than a dozen analysts typed away on computers.
. . .
Civil liberties groups have raised concerns that the scale of the surveillance operation will create privacy issues: Everyday citizens will be tracked, without necessarily reducing gang-related violence. Some have warned that the data-sharing agreement between Chihuahua and Texas could be used to detain and deport migrants, as well as combat drug smugglers and human traffickers. The site has drawn protests from local human rights activists, as reported by the Texas Observer.
A hyper-vigilant surveillance society is looming right over the border, and maybe peering into El Paso.
Remember, Mexico is the most dangerous country in the Americas for journalists, and many of those journalists are murdered because they are exploring the links between organized crime and local governments.
Can we trust the surveillance state?
Read about the Torre Centinela at RestOfWorld.org.
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