The Merida Initiative: a drug trafficking initiative.. or dangerous liaison between U.S. and Mexico’s ruling class ..?

The Merida Initiative: United States – Mexico
Joint Statement on the Merida Initiative: A New Paradigm for Security Cooperation
Today President Bush announced his request to fund a new security cooperation initiative with Mexico and the countries of Central America in order to combat the threats of drug trafficking, transnational crime, and terrorism in the Western Hemisphere. President Calderσn of Mexico has taken decisive action to fight drug trafficking and criminal organizations operating on both sides of the border. The Presidents of Central America have clearly expressed the political resolve to join forces to strengthen regional security and seek additional tools and capacity to execute such will.
This partnership would support coordinated strategies to:
Produce a safer and more secure hemisphere where criminal organizations no longer threaten governments and regional security; and Prevent the entry and spread of illicit drugs and transnational threats throughout the region and to the United States.
To achieve these goals, President Bush has requested $550 million as part of a multi-year program to provide: Non-intrusive inspection equipment, ion scanners, canine units for Mexican customs, for the new federal police and for the military to interdict trafficked drugs, arms, cash and persons. Technologies to improve and secure communications systems to support collecting information as well as ensuring that vital information is accessible for criminal law enforcement.
Technical advice and training to strengthen the institutions of justice – vetting for the new police force, case management software to track investigations through the system to trial, new offices of citizen complaints and professional responsibility, and establishing witness protection programs. Helicopters and surveillance aircraft to support interdiction activities and rapid operational response of law enforcement agencies in Mexico.
Initial funding for security cooperation with Central America that responds directly to Central American leaders’ concerns over gangs, drugs, and arms articulated during ....>>
The President’s Commitment to Regional Security Strategy
“The United States is committed to this joint strategy to deal with a joint problem. I would not be committed to dealing with this if I wasn’t convinced that President Calderσn had the will and the desire to protect his people from narco-traffickers. He has shown great leadership and great strength of character, which gives me good confidence that the plan we’ll develop will be effective.” President George W. Bush, August 21, 2007 Montebello ..>> http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2007/oct/93800.htm
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Violence Escalates In Mexico's Drug War
http://www.forbes.com/2008/05/23/xico-drugs-violence-cx_0527oxford.html
Recent killings of senior police and army officials in Mexico suggest that the government of President Felipe Calderón has managed to significantly hurt drug cartels and that corruption is common among police and other government bodies.
These deaths also point to an escalation in the drug cartels' violent responses...>>>
..For the 2008 fiscal year, costs already have been trimmed, with the U.S. House of Representatives set to discuss funding worth $400 million, and the Senate $350 million. If approved, even $350 million would represent a welcome respite for the Mexican government.
While the situation in Mexico resembles Colombia's drug war in the 1980s, unlike in Colombia, drug cartels have yet to adopt urban guerrilla-style tactics, such as indiscriminate bombing:
--A failed attempt in February to detonate a bomb outside police headquarters in Mexico City could be a sign that the cartels may begin employing guerrilla tactics.
--Such bombings could cause significant casualties among the general public. ..>>
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U.S. ‘aid’ to Mexico accompanies training in torture
http://www.workers.org/2008/world/mexico_0814/
By Teresa Gutierrez
Almost the same day that the Bush administration was passing an aid package for Mexico, a Mexican newspaper leaked a sickening video about torture methods used in that country.
The aid package, commonly known as the Merida Initiative, was signed into law on June 30. It was attached to the reactionary Iraq war-spending bill and includes $400 million in aid for Mexico as well as $60 million aimed at Central America and $2.5 million each for the Dominican Republic and Haiti. According to the Washington Post: “President Bush signed [the initiative] to help Mexico fight cartels. ... The Merida Initiative was pushed through in large part by lawmakers who said they were impressed by Mexican President Felipe Calderón’s commitment to working more closely with U.S. law enforcement. (July 11) Indeed, the law is intended to support President Felipe Calderon’s “war on drugs and organized crime.”

A dangerous liaison with the oppressor
The video revealed the dangerous liaison that exists between U.S. imperialism and Mexico’s ruling class. This unholy alliance has resulted in the Mexican regime—with Mexico an oppressed nation dominated by its powerful neighbor to the north—becoming one of Washington’s most violent and corrupt junior partners. U.S. imperialism is, of course, “the greatest purveyor of violence” of all, as Martin Luther King Jr. said in 1967. But it has demanded of its clients the defense of imperialist and capitalist interests by any means necessary. The video in question showed two torture-training sessions conducted by the police department in León, Guanajuato. It was leaked by El Heraldo, a local León paper, and led to a national outcry in Mexico and around the world. The video is not for the faint of heart as what you see is shocking and inhumane.
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«ΣΧΕΔΙΟ MERIDA - ΜΕΞΙΚΟ»
http://www2.rizospastis.gr/story.do?id=4785069&publDate=26/10/2008
Επέμβαση με το πρόσχημα του «αντιναρκωτικού πολέμου»
Σε κόκκινο συναγερμό» έχει τεθεί το Στέιτ Ντιπάρτμεντ εδώ και μέρες «εξαιτίας του πολέμου των καρτέλ των ναρκωτικών και των μεξικανικών αρχών ασφαλείας που μαίνεται στα βόρεια της χώρας» και πολύ κοντά στα σύνορα των δύο χωρών.
Στοιχείο πρώτο: Ο πόλεμος ξέσπασε από τη στιγμή που ο Πρόεδρος του Μεξικού Φελίπε Καλδερόν τον κήρυξε. Από την αρχή του χρόνου μέχρι σήμερα έχει κοστίσει τη ζωή σε σχεδόν 4.000 ανθρώπους. Κανονικός πόλεμος. Στοιχείο δεύτερο: Ο πόλεμος γίνεται αφορμή και πρόσχημα για την επιβολή ενός «Σχεδίου Κολομβία» για την ευρύτερη περιοχή της Κεντρικής Αμερικής και βαφτίζεται «Πρωτοβουλία Μέριδα». Πρόκειται για μια νέα στρατιωτική επιχείρηση, το «Σχέδιο Μεξικό», με προϋπολογισμό 1,4 δισ. δολαρίων. ...
.... Το σχέδιο θα εφαρμοστεί πέρα από τις επαρχίες στο βορρά και σε αυτές των Τσιάπας και Οαχάκα που τα τελευταία χρόνια οι λαϊκές εξεγέρσεις είναι συνεχείς. Επίσης, στο Μεξικό πραγματοποιούνται μεγάλες κινητοποιήσεις ενάντια στην προωθούμενη ιδιωτικοποίηση της πετρελαιοβιομηχανίας PEMEX, ενώ βρίσκονται σε εξέλιξη κινητοποιήσεις στην εκπαίδευση που γνωρίζουν τη βάρβαρη καταστολή από τις δυνάμεις της αστυνομίας και του στρατού. Αυτήν την κινητικότητα του λαού είναι που θέλουν να προλάβουν και με το «Σχέδιο Μεξικό», γι' αυτό η άρχουσα τάξη του Μεξικού εκλιπαρεί για βοήθεια τον αμερικανικό ιμπεριαλισμό.