Gangs ‘hide who they are in bid to stir more fear’
Gangs fighting in Mexico's drug wars are using anonymity as their only defence to increasingly high levels of violent conflict between the government, media and public.
According to the Guardian, hiding one's identity gives a defence mechanism against reprisals and creates an element of fear amongst the communities where violence is at large.
It makes a vicious cycle of ambiguous and unreliable information which is making targeting the perpetrators even more difficult for the police.
Furthermore, anonymous actions are being encouraged by social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter where people can post without referring to their real name or their location.
A YouTube video threat this week from members of the international hacker movement Anonymous against the notoriously violent Mexican drug gang Los Zetas showed that masked individuals making the accusations can get away with their games by remaining unknown.
The Los Zetas cartel is considered one of the most powerful gangs in Mexico, with the US Drug Enforcement Administration also naming them the most violent.
