Mérida Initiative
The Mérida Initiative (called by critics, Plan México) is a security cooperation initiative between the United States and the government of Mexico and the countries of Central America, with the aim of combating the threats of drug trafficking and transnational crime. It was announced on 22 October 2007 in a joint statement by U.S. President Bush and Mexican President Calderón. Mexico remains a transit, and not a production country and the drug cartels enjoy no support from the public.
Funding
The Plan Merida requires the U.S. Congress to appropriate $500 million in an emergency supplemental bill for 2008 for military and law enforcement training and equipment, as well as technical advice and training to strengthen the national justice systems. Only about $204 USD million of that, however, would be earmarked for the military for the purchase of transport helicopters and surveillance aircraft.[1][2] This would be part of a $1.4 billion, tree year commitment to the Mexican government.
An additional $50 million was requested for Central American countries; this portion of the Merida Initiative is a comprehensive public security package that seeks to tackle citizen insecurity in Central America by more effectively addressing criminal gangs, improving information sharing between countries, modernizing and professionalizing the police forces, expanding maritime interdiction capabilities, and reforming the judicial sector in order to restore and strengthen citizens’ confidence in those institutions.[3]
Congress is currently debating debate the Initiative and U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates urged Congress to vote by the end of May 2008.[4]
Plan
If approved, the Merida Initiative will provide funding for:[5]
- Non-intrusive inspection equipment such as ion scanners and canine units for Mexico and Central America.
- Technologies to improve and secure communications systems that collect criminal information in Mexico.
- Technical advice and training to strengthen the institutions of justice, case management software to track investigations through the system, new offices of citizen complaints and professional responsibility, and witness protection programs to Mexico.
- Helicopters and surveillance aircraft for rapid response of law enforcement agencies to Mexico.
- Equipment, training and community action programs in Central American countries to implement anti-gang measures and expand the reach of these measures.
Critics
There are many criticisms of the proposed plan. Human rights activists and other policy groups criticize the Initiative's lack of a robust framework for institution building. Others are upset at the continued support of combating the supply of drugs rather than focusing on prevention, treatment and education programs to curb demand.
Studies show that military interdiction efforts fail because they ignore a root cause of the problem: U.S. demand. During the early to mid-1990s, the Clinton administration ordered and funded a major cocaine policy study by RAND. The Rand Drug Policy Research Center study concluded that $3 billion should be switched from federal and local law enforcement to treatment. The report said that treatment is the cheapest way to cut drug use. President Clinton's drug czar's office rejected slashing law enforcement spending.[6]
See also
External links
- The Merida Initiative: United States – Mexico – Central America Security Cooperation
- Woodrow Wilson Center's Mérida Initiative Portal Comprehensive site that features several resources
- Plan Mexico Foreign Policy In Focus, 30 October 2007
- Just don't call it Plan Mexico The Economist, 25 October 2007
- La Jornada article on proposal (Spanish)
- The Merida Initiative and Citizen Security in Mexico and Central America from WOLA
- The Merida Initiative: "Guns, Drugs and Friends" Minority Staff Report to Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, Dec 2007. (PDF) Contains useful breakdown of proposed funding
- A Primer on Plan Mexico by Laura Carlsen of the Americas Program, Center for International Policy - critique of the Merida Initiative
- Mexico and the Merida Initiative -- from Amnesty International
Notes
- ^ Mexico's 2008 defence budget goes under review
- ^ Bush pushes Mexico money in Iraq bill
- ^ Central America and the Merida Initiative
- ^ Gates urges Congress to avoid "slap" at Mexico
- ^ The Merida Initiative Fact Sheet
- ^ Rydell, C. Peter (1994). "Controlling Cocaine: Supply Versus Demand Programs" (PDF). Rand Drug Policy Research Center.
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*Cauchon, Dennis (1994). "White House balks at study urging more drug treatment". USA TODAY: 2A.{{cite journal}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help); Unknown parameter|month=ignored (help)
*Stokes, Doug. America's Other War: Terrorizing Colombia. Zed Books. ISBN 1-84277-547-2.{{cite book}}: External link in|title=|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) p. xii, 87
*Donnelly, John (2000). "Narcotics Bill Reopens Drug War Debate Colombia Measure Spurs New Look At Us Policy". The Boston Globe.{{cite journal}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help); Unknown parameter|month=ignored (help)
*Cochran, John (1999). ""A Closer Look"". ABC News.{{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help); Unknown parameter|month=ignored (help)
*Douglas, William (1994). "Best Weapon In Drug War Is Treatment". Newsday: A15.{{cite journal}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help); Unknown parameter|month=ignored (help)
*Douglas, William (1994). "U.S. Should Boost Therapy Of Coke Addicts, Study Urges". The Times Union.{{cite journal}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help); Unknown parameter|month=ignored (help)