Mexico's War on Civil Rights
Felipe Calderon
When President Barack Obama goes to Guadalajara  Mexico  this weekend  for the North American Leaders Summit  he will surely praise Mexican President Felipe Calderon  for the courage he has displayed fighting the war on drugs. The applause is well deserved. Calderon has turned the crackdown on drug traffickers into the centerpiece of his administration and has pursued organized crime with undeniable zeal. But before Obama becomes too effusive and pats CalderonCalderon  on the back for a job well done  it's important that the U.S. president remember the cost and the consequences of his counterpart's crusade.
In light of this  U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy  D-Vt.  was right this week  to call "premature"  the U.S. State Department's draft report claiming that Mexico has fulfilled its human rights obligations under the so-called Merida Initiative. He is right to remind officials on both sides of the border that in return for Merida's   $1.4 billion in counter-narcotics aid from the United States  the Calderon government made promises it has not kept. Key among these are greater transparency and accountability  and the imperative that military officers be tried by civilian courts.
Time and again  Calderon has resisted these demands  adopting an increasingly contradictory stance. Calderon stands with his hand outstretched  asking the U.S. for more support and involvement in the war on drugs. But he also obstinately defends military exceptionalism regarding the justice system  decries U.S. intervention in Mexico's internal affairs and rallies Mexico's political class under the banner of a politically expedient anti-Americanism.
So unless the Obama administration insists that those requirements be met  the Merida Initiative will simply be financing impunity. It will heighten the climate of fear that deeper binational collaboration sought to eradicate. It will allow the Mexican military and police forces to do what they do now: arbitrarily detain people  kill innocent bystanders at army checkpoints  threaten and abuse alleged suspects  ignore due process while carrying out arrests and get away with it because Calderon believes they can and should. In his view  the ends justify the means. As he defiantly stated in a recent interview: "The worst human rights abuses are those committed by the drug traffickers."
Unfortunately  Calderon's stance will undermine the cause he so valiantly espouses. Military abuses that go unsanctioned are weakening public support for the war on drugs and making it difficult to construct the rule of law in a country where it functions intermittently.
Until Mexico makes real progress where human rights are concerned  the U.S. Congress should withhold future funding for the Merida Initiative. Unless Calderon agrees to place military officials who violate human rights under the jurisdiction of civilian courts  U.S. support will perpetuate the status quo.
When President Barack Obama goes to Guadalajara  Mexico  this weekend  for the North American Leaders Summit  he will surely praise [TGT]for the courage he has displayed fighting the war on drugs. The applause is well deserved. [TGT] has turned the crackdown on drug traffickers into the centerpiece of [TGT] administration and has pursued organized crime with undeniable zeal. But before Obama becomes too effusive and pats CalderonCalderon  on the back for a job well done  it's important that the U.S. president remember the cost and the consequences of his counterpart's crusade.
In light of this  U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy  D-Vt.  was right this week  to call "premature"  the U.S. State Department's draft report claiming that Mexico has fulfilled its human rights obligations under the so-called Merida Initiative. He is right to remind officials on both sides of the border that in return for Merida's   $1.4 billion in counter-narcotics aid from the United States  the [TGT] government made promises it has not kept. Key among these are greater transparency and accountability  and the imperative that military officers be tried by civilian courts.
Time and again  [TGT] has resisted these demands  adopting an increasingly contradictory stance. [TGT] stands with [TGT] hand outstretched  asking the U.S. for more support and involvement in the war on drugs. But [TGT] also obstinately defends military exceptionalism regarding the justice system  decries U.S. intervention in Mexico's internal affairs and rallies Mexico's political class under the banner of a politically expedient anti-Americanism.
So unless the Obama administration insists that those requirements be met  the Merida Initiative will simply be financing impunity. It will heighten the climate of fear that deeper binational collaboration sought to eradicate. It will allow the Mexican military and police forces to do what they do now: arbitrarily detain people  kill innocent bystanders at army checkpoints  threaten and abuse alleged suspects  ignore due process while carrying out arrests and get away with it because [TGT] believes they can and should. In [TGT] view  the ends justify the means. As [TGT] defiantly stated in a recent interview: "The worst human rights abuses are those committed by the drug traffickers."
Unfortunately  [TGT]'s stance will undermine the cause [TGT] so valiantly espouses. Military abuses that go unsanctioned are weakening public support for the war on drugs and making it difficult to construct the rule of law in a country where it functions intermittently.
Until Mexico makes real progress where human rights are concerned  the U.S. Congress should withhold future funding for the Merida Initiative. Unless [TGT] agrees to place military officials who violate human rights under the jurisdiction of civilian courts  U.S. support will perpetuate the status quo.