MEXICANS RIP U.S. ENVOY FOR DRUG REMARKS

MEXICO CITY - Mexicans vented their anger at the U.S. ambassador Friday
after he called Mexico "the world headquarters of drug trafficking." His
comment came as Mexican cooperation with U.S. anti-drug forces reached an
unprecedented level.

Ambassador Jeffrey Davidow's language was startling, given the warm praise
used by U.S. officials for Mexico's latest efforts to fight drugs and
considering Davidow's normally deferential style.

"These statements are totally offensive to the dignity of Mexico," leftist
Sen. Jorge Calderon said. "The State Department should admonish him,
because this gravely affects bilateral relations."

Davidow's remarks left the Mexican government "surprised," the Foreign
Relations Secretariat said in a statement on Friday. "These statements do
not contribute to, nor reflect, the efforts at cooperation between Mexico
and the United States against drugs."

The comments, which Davidow made Thursday during a question- and-answer
session with Mexico City alumni of the University of Southern California,
came at a strange time. Over the next week, Mexico is all but assured of
having its status as a cooperative partner in the fight against drugs
renewed. Loss of the U.S. certification would deny Mexico trade benefits
and possible access to international loans.

"The fact is that the world headquarters of drug trafficking is in Mexico.
And that's the truth. Just like the headquarters, the control center, of
the Mafia is in Sicily," Davidow said in Spanish.

On Friday, officials at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City stressed that
Davidow couched his remarks by adding: "The headquarters of the drug trade
are in many countries, and Mexico is one of them," and went on to say that
the biggest drug traffickers are "Mexicans, Colombians, Dominicans and
Russians."

But Mexicans had already taken offense.

"This shows his contempt for Mexico," the newspaper Cronica said of Davidow
in its top editorial.

In part, Mexicans' anger is understandable. Mexico has been making
apparently earnest efforts of late -- and taking domestic heat -- for its
cooperation with U.S. law enforcement.

Just a month ago, Mexico officials said they would spend $492 million in
scarce federal funds on anti-drug efforts in 2000, almost double the 1999
budget.

In December, Attorney General Jorge Madrazo was criticized by Mexicans
angered at what they saw as a violation of their sovereignty for inviting
FBI agents to northern Mexico to help dig up mass graves linked to the drug
trade.

Speaking at a conference in Houston on Friday, Davidow stressed those
developments as he tried to extricate himself from the furor.

"I want to clarify what I said yesterday: Obviously, Mexico is not the
headquarters of all the world's drug trade," he said in comments quoted by
the Mexican government news agency Notimex.

"It's true that one of the most important groups in the world has its
headquarters in Mexico, but Mexico is just one of the countries."