Mexico's Drug War Fallout http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-rodriguez6-2009apr06,0,3344884.column

This column addresses the the impact of the Mexican drug war on Mexican immigrants in the U.S. Media coverage about the violence in Mexico has become more common and according to the columnist this can lead to a rise in anti-immigrant sentiments within the U.S. while also making immigrants' stay in the U.S. a more permanent option. 

ANALYSIS-Mexico drug war, economy hobble Calderon's ambitions

MEXICO CITY, April 6 (Reuters) - Wrestling murderous drug gangs with one hand and fending off a recession with the other, Mexico's Felipe Calderon faces a defeat in mid-term elections that could hobble the rest of his presidency.Since he took power in late 2006 and launched a war on drug cartels, drug killings have rocketed -- sparking alarm in the United States that they could spill over the border -- and the global financial crisis is now whipping the Mexican economy.Although Calderon is admired for having the courage to take on the cartels, he doesn't yet have much to show for it and his approval ratings, which for long held above 60 percent, dipped to the mid-50s in a recent poll.His conservative National Action Party, or PAN, is ranked in second place for the July legislative elections behind the Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI, which ruled Mexico with a firm hand for 71 years until 2000.If the PAN loses many seats in Congress, where it is the biggest party but lacks a majority, Calderon will have much less chance of pushing through more of the deft economic reforms that pleased investors early on in his six-year term."The combination of the drug war and the economic crisis have battered Calderon. People are very dispirited," said Dan Lund, head of research firm MUND Americas.About 6,300 people were murdered in the drugs war last year and the economy will likely shrink by at least 3 percent this year. The peso currency has slumped and Mexico was forced to sign up for a $47 billion IMF credit line last week.The drugs war and economic crisis are also starting to feed off each other. By rattling investors and tourists, the drug violence shaves about 1 percent annual growth off the already sputtering economy, and rising unemployment could nudge more youths to join the drug cartels, government officials say.Lower growth could leave Mexico with less cash to spend on the drug war, which cost $6.4 billion over 2007 and 2008."Frankly, I never imagined we could reach this level of disintegration, that the breakdown would be so fast," said Alejandro Gutierrez, author of a 2007 book called "Drug Trafficking: Calderon's Big Challenge"."Year three tends to be the one you are judged by. We are nearly there and Calderon has a lot of fronts open in the drug war. I don't think he can do much in a year or two."Calderon, an adroit former lawyer, ran an unexciting election campaign but then pleased investors by steering tax, pension and oil reforms through a divided Congress in under two years. He has also impressed security analysts with moves to clean up Mexico's rabidly corrupt police and justice systems.His drug war offensive has put thousands of smugglers behind bars and exposed brazen corruption running to the top of federal security forces.But the top traffickers have not been caught and even the deployment of tens of thousands of army troops has failed to stop the flow of cocaine, marijuana, methamphetamine and heroin north across the border into the United States."ORANGE ALERT"The U.S. military recently riled Mexico by including it in a report on "weak and failing states"."Calderon didn't have a lot of choice, he had to confront this phenomenon, but the drug war is damaging for him and for the country," said private security consultant Alberto Islas."Last year saw bombs, grenades, an attack on a TV station, more than 6,000 dead people. Mexico is not a failed state but we're on 'orange alert'. People want more stability and they're going to vote for other parties."Despite international concern over the drug war, most Mexicans cite the economy as more of a concern than security.Mexico has bounced back from its mid-1990s "Tequila Crisis" with steady growth, low inflation, and a restructuring of its debt but the global downturn has slashed U.S. demand for Mexican-built cars and factory goods, kept oil prices low and hit migrant remittances.While the central bank has burned through chunks of dollar reserves to shore up the peso, Calderon has been busy coordinating a ground war between 45,000 troops and ruthless cartel hitmen armed with smuggled American guns.Images of bloodied corpses, severed heads and bodies strung from bridges or dissolved in acid baths have shocked the world. U.S. President Barack Obama will meet Calderon in Mexico this month after visits by a string of concerned U.S. officials.Mexico insists it has the situation under control. Attorney General Eduardo Medina Mora says the pace of killings is slowing and there is no need for the United States to send troops to protect its southern border.But a likely loss of seats in Congress and bickering between the PAN and the centrist PRI, whose backing it needs to pass laws, means Calderon may struggle to pursue his reforms."Following mid-terms he could conceivably become a lame duck president," said Armand Peschard-Sverdrup of the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington."The drug wars don't really have an end-date," he said. "Mexico is at a critical juncture in consolidating itself as a democracy. The transformation could take three or four presidencies, it's not something a president can undertake and complete in one term." (Editing by Kieran Murray)

Mexicans praise U.S. border security measures

http://www.idahopress.com/news/?id=21610




MEXICO CITY (AP) — U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano's announcement Tuesday that nearly 500 agents and support personnel will be sent to the U.S.-Mexico border would once have drawn criticism in Mexico.
But on the eve of Wednesday's visit by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Mexico's top diplomat was full of praise for the measures.
Mexican Foreign Relations Secretary Patricia Espinosa described what she called "a new era of cooperation" between the two countries.
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"These are really important actions to support the frontal battle that this administration is carrying out," Espinosa said, noting the U.S. government has said it is open to discussing the measures with Mexican officials.
Mexico has been publicly pressing the United States to do more to stop the flow of U.S. weapons south. The State Department says weapons originating in the U.S. were used in 95 percent of all drug-related killings, and the Mexican government says more than 9,000 people have died since President Felipe Calderon took office on Dec. 1 and launched a national crackdown on cartels.
Mexico's former top anti-drug prosecutor, Samuel Gonzalez, said "the signal here from what Secretary Napolitano said is that this is no longer simply a diplomatic or foreign relations issue for them. It is a matter of U.S. national security."
Mexico once would have bristled at the prospect of the U.S. government sending more agents to the border, especially National Guard units, a possibility that Napolitano said is under discussion.
Mexico opposed the deployment of National Guard units to border states in 2006, mostly because the measure was viewed as a crackdown on undocumented migrants.
This time, border security measures include 100 more agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and increasing the inspection of rail cargo heading from the U.S. into Mexico to detect weapons being smuggled into Mexico.
Mexico has been lobbying for such action for years.
"It's perfect. It's good that there is an attack on all fronts" against the cartels, Gonzalez said.
In part, the change is because cartel violence has increased on both sides of the border while immigration has declined amid extra border security and the faltering U.S. economy. President Barack Obama has also shown a willingness to push for immigration reform.
"On the immigration issue, we have seen in recent weeks under the new U.S. administration a constructive attitude and a clear willingness to seek a long-term solution," Espinosa said.
While immigration will clearly be brought up during Clinton's visit, Espinosa said "the issue of security is naturally one of the most relevant on the bilateral agenda."
The praise for the U.S. efforts is not unanimous. Carlos Montemayor, an author who writes about national security issues, said that "from a Mexican perspective, the U.S. participation isn't consistent, and has some contradictions."
He said the United States appears to focus more on stopping drugs from getting across the border into the United States, and not enough on catching the money launderers or American traffickers who operate north of the border.
Gonzalez said that, more than just agents or police, the most valuable U.S. contribution was the decision to increase the FBI's intelligence and analysis work on Mexican drug cartel crime.
"It is like the measures that were needed to break up the mafia in the United States, intelligence work," Gonzalez noted. "It is not just a military approach, which is not going to get you anywhere."
He noted that Mexico's cartels have morphed into such diversified criminal syndicates — with sidelines in extortion, kidnapping, pirated goods and human trafficking — that what is needed is true cross-border intelligence to stop that trend.

Drug Cartel Violence Spills Into U.S. From Mexico

yet another article about drug violence spilling into US.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/23/us/23border.html?th&emc=th

bz

Let Me Chew My Coca Leaves

Bolivian president Evo Morales Ayma defends traditional use of the coca plant -- a custom present "since at least 3000 B.C." He notes that the UN simply ignores biochemistry, reminding us of what alkaloids are, such as caffeine and nicotine. The UN Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs has labeled the coca leaf as a narcotic, not just the cocaine extract. Coca leaves are a strong part of indigenous culture in South America and Morales see the UN's actions as an attack on indigenous culture. He also notes that Quinine, another alkaloid, was discovered by the Quechua Indians of Peru -- the first know treatment for malaria.

GOPers Threaten Salvadorans over Election Outcome

Back in the United States, two Republican lawmakers have issued threats over the outcome of Sunday’s national elections in El Salvador. On Thursday, Republican Congress members Trent Franks of Arizona and Dan Burton of Indiana said Salvadorans living in the US could lose their immigration status and the right to send remittances home if the leftist FMLN party wins the vote. Polls indicate the FMLN will beat the right-wing ARENA party, which has long had close ties to Washington. Five years ago, the Bush administration was accused of threatening to cut off aid to El Salvador if voters supported the FMLN.


http://www.democracynow.org/2009/3/13/headlines#13

BZ

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090303/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/lt_venezuela_oil;_ylt=An8tKluW6YOToHq99eNRg2W3IxIF

Venezuelan's oil companies who are state ran are trying to cut 40% costs because of low prices of oil in the rest of world. -Lizette Avila