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 News Around the Republic of Mexico | June 2008 
Mexico Warns It May Reject US Drug Aid
 Associated Press
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 |  | The initiatives approved by both chambers of the U.S. Congress incorporate some aspects that, in their current versions, are unacceptable for our country.
- Juan Camilo Mourino |  | | | |
Mexico City - The Mexican government warned Monday it would not accept conditions the U.S. Congress has imposed on an aid package to combat drug trafficking.
The Merida Initiative would provide US$1.4 billion over several years to help Mexico, Central America, the Dominican Republic and Haiti combat drug trafficking. But the U.S. House and Senate have imposed several conditions on the aid, including guarantees of civilian investigations into human rights abuses by the Mexican military.
Interior Secretary Juan Camilo Mourino said the conditions were "counterproductive and profoundly contrary to the object and spirit" of the initiative announced by U.S. and Mexican officials last year.
"The initiatives approved by both chambers of the U.S. Congress incorporate some aspects that, in their current versions, are unacceptable for our country," Mourino said.
He said Mexico would wait for a final version of the bill before deciding whether to accept the aid.
The House and Senate approved different amounts for the first installment of the aid, and the two versions must be reconciled. Both bills fell well short of the US$500 million sought by the Bush Administration.
Mexican President Felipe Calderon has earned strong support from Washington for his crackdown against drug cartels, carried out by more than 25,000 troops nationwide.
But violence has surged as cartels fight back with increasingly brazen attacks against security forces. Last week, a senior police officer appealed for more powerful weapons after seven federal officers were killed in a shootout with members of the Sinaloa cartel |
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