Anexos and Mexico’s controversial answer to drug addiction

*This interview was recorded on Monday, April 29, 2024.

In Mexico there is a growing addiction to drugs, not only to trafficked drugs, but also to substances used closer to home.

As the country grapples with its role as a supplier, studies show a worrying increase in local drug use. Fentanyl, methamphetamine and heroin plague communities. Rampant violence resulting in PTSD, grinding poverty, lack of opportunity and rampant corruption have created a breeding ground for addiction. Mexico’s underdeveloped treatment infrastructure can’t keep up, leaving many struggling with addiction without support. But some are now turning to anexos.

Mexico’s private rehabilitation centers, anexos, are a double-edged sword in the fight against drug addiction. On the positive side, they offer a vital lifeline for families struggling with addiction. Anexos often provide a low-cost option, especially in areas where government resources are lacking. These centers remove users from their environment and drug supply, and provide a much-needed structure.

The dark side of anexos is significant, however. Many operate outside the rules, using brute force, confinement, and isolation to keep people there. Their methods are often far from therapeutic, relying heavily on religious indoctrination, shaming tactics, and even physical punishment. This harsh approach can be emotionally and even physically damaging. Furthermore, anexos often lack trained medical professionals and evidence-based treatment programs, which hinders long-term recovery.

There is also evidence to suggest that the drug cartels themselves are somehow connected to some anexos. There are reports of cartels targeting anexos and killing everyone on site. There was a high-profile attack on a drug rehabilitation center in Ciudad Juarez in 2009, which left 26 dead. In 2020, at least four anexos were attacked by a drug cartel in the state of Guanajuato.

There is some evidence that Anexos are now emerging in parts of the United States. This may be because in many underserved areas of the US, access to quality addiction treatment is nearly impossible. This could lead to an increase in unregulated or faith-based rehab centers that have some similarities to Anexos. Also, as Hispanic communities grow in the US, there may be a demand for treatment methods that are familiar to their cultural background. This could lead to the emergence of centers that are inspired by the Anexo model, but hopefully operate within legal and ethical boundaries.

Guest:

Angela Garcia is an anthropologist and writer. She is the author of The Way That Leads Among the Lost: Life, Death, and Hope in Mexico City’s Anexos.

Her first book The Pastoral Clinic: Addiction and Dispossession Along the Rio Grande received the Victor Turner Prize for Ethnographic Writing and the Pen Center USA Award for Exceptional First Book.

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