Cartoonist Reflects on a Mexican Tragedy as Country Battles Decades of Corruption Michael Vincent - ABC News
go to original November 16, 2014

The cartoon that has appeared in Mexico's media showing the country's attorney-general with a shovel, digging up skulls from a shallow grave. (click to enlarge)

Almost two months ago - on the orders of a city's mayor - 43 student teachers were attacked by local police, and handed over to a local drug gang to be tortured and "disappeared".

The nexus between local politicians and narco-criminals was laid bare.

The case provoked daily mass protests and even attacks on the presidential palace.

It has also provoked some very, very black humor.

Newspapers around the world and social media shared one particular cartoon that shone a light on Mexico's dark soul.

It showed the attorney-general with a shovel, digging up the skulls of the missing students from a shallow grave and saying: "Look, look, we found them all. Let's go back to being a country of peace and justice."

Underneath that grave was a small hole that opened to reveal a sea of skulls below Mexico's surface.

El Fer was the cartoonist who for 20 years tried to capture with dark humor, the barbarity which afflicted his country.

"Especially since 2006, this tremendous failing war against the drug gangs began," he said.

"It's a constant theme for myself and my colleagues. It just becomes more grave each time."

Fer said this sort of news happened all over the country.

"What I wanted to show in this cartoon is that in the national discussion, the government wants to resolve this case and in say 'that's it, let's all move on'," he said.

Read the rest at ABC News

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