Anyone who thinks the US should ignore human rights concerns when supplying weapons to the Mexican government has got another think coming. The Mexican government has a long history of brutally suppressing political dissent - particularly by indigenous people in the southern part of the country. Congress is right to insist on requirements that the aid they give won't be used that way.
At a time when law enforcement cooperation between the United States and Mexico is more important than ever, the two countries are threatening to turn their backs on each other. The U.S. Congress wants to cut President Bush's Merida Initiative, which proposes $500 million to finance Mexico's anti-drug efforts. More annoying to Mexico, Congress wants to attach human rights conditions to the aid, causing some Mexican officials to threaten to turn it down. That would benefit neither country, but would boost Calderon's standing at home.
Because of the corrupting influence of billions of narco-dollars, the battle against traffickers will always be imperfect. But the United States cannot stand by while drug cartels turn much of Mexico into a lawless, bloody empire.
Regular readers know that I'm as concerned as anybody about the increasing levels of lawlessness in Mexico and bloody wars between the government and the drug cartels. But from the beginning I've questioned the package the President put together and think it places the cart before the horse. Buying expensive military hardware for use by corrupt police won't solve anything by itself. The US would be better served by funding anti-corruption initiatives on both sides of the Rio Grande and spending more to stop the flow of guns south into Mexico.
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