NarcoGuerra Times–Obama Drug War Update
by julydogs
Secretary of Defense Robert Gates in Chapultepec Park,
Mexico City April 2008
“The U.S. Mexico relationship is increasingly being designed as a security issue. The bilateral relationship is becoming militarized. The people who define this crucial relationship to both countries are increasingly in the Pentagon and the military.” -Laura Carlsen, Centre for International Policy
President-elect Obama made the happy noise that there would be a “change” in US drug policy, that the emphasis would be on prevention and rehab–”demand reduction”–over enforcement and incarceration-”supply reduction.” Now that he’s occupying the White House, it appears that those were just words.
Money speaks louder and with more authority. See my June 11 post ”Obama’s Rebranded War.”
Buried in the 2009 Supplemental Appropriations for Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Pandemic Flu is “$470 million to address growing violence along the United States-Mexico border by supporting the Government of Mexico’s war against organized crime and drug-trafficking.”
Counting all our counternarcotics programs, US funding and support of Calderon’s narcoguerra–a bloody all-out militarized machine that has FAIL painted across it–will far exceed a billion dollars next year. The Obama administration is poised to put Bush’s efforts in the shade when it comes to the Drug War.
Yesterday, June 17, Abigail Poe at Just the Facts, a joint project of the Center for International Policy, Latin America Working Group Education Fund and the Washington Office on Latin America, filed this:
Mexico to surpass Colombia as the #1 recipient of U.S. aid in Latin America
If Mexico receives the $481 million requested in the FY2010 Congressional Budget Justification, total aid to Mexico in the 2008-2010 period would surpass, by over $200 million, the $1.4 billion requested by the Bush Administration in the original Mérida Initiative package.
… As military and police aid to Colombia continues to follow a downward trend, and assistance to Mexico continues to rise, it will be increasingly important that the way in which it is allocated is closely monitored to make sure it is not being given to police or military units accused of corruption or human rights violations, or spent on a model that gives the armed forces inappropriate new roles while having little impact on narcotrafficking and related violence.
Yes, well, that horse bolted out the barn some time ago.
On May 6, more than 100 human rights groups and other NGOs in Mexico sent a letter to the US Senate and House regards the upsurge in abuse of civiliasn by the Mexican army since Calderon unleashed them.
We make specific mention of the current context in which President Felipe Calderón recently sent to the Mexican Congress a package of legislative reforms that provide a state of emergency that would justify the Mexican Army’s control over civilian authority when they are insufficient or ineffective, or when considered strategic for national security. That context is a concern over possible abuses generated by such the militarization of public safety.
Mexico’s National Human Rights Commission reported that they received 1,230 abuse complaints against the military in 2008 — seven times the number for 2006, the year Calderon took office and sent the Mexican army into the zocalos. But not much has been done about these complaints, according to Human Rights Watch. In February the New York-based HRW released a 128-report charging the Mexican commission with “failing to live up to its promise” and “tolerating abusive practices.”
These “abusive practices” include murder, kindapping, rape and torture.
After obtaining written testimony from 25 victims of Mexican army abuse, Mexican newsweekly Proceso reporter Gloria Leticia Diaz filed a story on June 6 charging members of the 28th Infantry Battalion based in Baja California with the systematic beating and torturing of Tijuana police officers.The local cops were strung up and beaten for six hours at a time, had electrical shocks applied to their genitals and feet and were suffocated with plastic bags wrapped over their heads.
The day after this report appeared, soldiers in Ciudad Juarez went after two journalists covering a traffic accident involving a Mexican army vehicle. Local televion coverage showed the photographer from Juarez’ El Diario being knocked to the ground and clubbed with rifles by the Mexican army troops. Another photographer from PM daily was also roughed up and had his camera snatched by the soldiers. More on this from Reporters san Frontieres.
Calderon and his supporters in Washington call the military occupation of Juarez a “success.”
By what standard?
Since the Army rumbled into the streets of Ciudad Juarez six months ago the murder rate has soared 67% with 671 homicides. Ninety-one cops have been murdered during the same period, averaging about 15 per month.
While Calderon’s army was busy rounding up mayors and local law enforcment and charging them with corruption, a dozen Mexican soldiers were arrested and charged with working for Los Zetas, another ten soldiers were later hauled in for being on Chapo Guzman’s Sinaloa payroll.
Putting aside such worrisome developments in the narcoguerra, Air Force Gen. Victor E. Renuart Jr, commander of the US Northern Command told US Senators in March that Calderon’s aggressive militarization was just the ticket for victory. Or something.
“The challenge for the Mexican government is … sustainment of that effort, because their military is not that large. So we’re working with them in a direct relationship to build more of the capability to allow them to sustain that effort in some of these cities.”
Senor, senor, do you know where we’re headin’?
Lincoln County Road or Armageddon?
Seems like I been down this way before.
Is there any truth in that, senor?
“Senor (Tales of Yankee Power)”–Bob Dylan
