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Mexico Slams U.S. Drug
Debate

By BILL CORMIER
Associated Press Writer
Saturday, March 8, 1997 1:41 am EST

MEXICO CITY (AP) Wait, was that a Bill Clinton lookalike
pretending to puff on a marijuana cigarette as Mexican protesters
``certified'' the United States as the world's biggest drug abuser?

A crowd gaped at the man in a rubber mask holding a tiny
American flag as dozens of riot police soberly guarded the U.S.
Embassy. But it was one of the lighter moments in an outpouring
of Mexican outrage Friday over the U.S. policy of certifying allies
in the drug war.

Many Mexicans, mindful of a long history of intervention by their
superpower neighbor, are offended by the drubbing their
scandalridden drug war is getting on Capitol Hill.

``Certification! It's a hallucination!'' several demonstrators chanted
as the man in the Clinton mask mugged for the cameras.

A masked rendering of Secretary of State Madeleine Albright
stood under a sign hung on the embassy gates ``certifying'' the
United States as ``principal promoter of the consumption of drugs
in the world.''
Last week, Clinton certified Mexico as fully cooperating in the
drug war, even though a week earlier Mexico arrested its drug
czar, Gen. Jesus Gutierrez Rebollo, on charges he took bribes
from a cocaine trafficker.

On Thursday, the House International Relations Committee
rebuked both Clinton and Mexico by backing a measure to
overturn Clinton's decision. The largely symbolic resolution is
scheduled for a full House vote next week. It requires both House
and Senate approval to pass.

That move may play well back home. But most Mexicans seemed
outraged by what they saw as U.S. meddling in Mexican affairs.

Even President Ernesto Zedillo was irked.

While stressing that Mexico intends to continue cooperating with
the United States in the drug war, Zedillo warned he would act
forcefully ``to defend the dignity and
sovereignty'' of the country.

``Mexico has acted without hesitation to take up the war on
drugs, as with other important problems,'' he said.

Witness an army raid, though fruitless, on a Guadalajara luxury
hotel in search of drug traffickers Thursday, a day the reputed
Gulf cartel leader, Oscar Malherbe, was arraigned on drug
charges. He pleaded innocent.

There was related outrage over Albright's comments Wednesday
that recertification of Mexico was a ``very difficult decision'' and
its drug program would now be put ``under the microscope.''

Jesus Ortega, a Mexican opposition leader, said his government
``should not permit that we Mexicans be treated like microbes.''

Victor Flores, president of a ruling party labor confederation,
suggested that Albright ``should put her own country under the
microscope.''

``It is useless for our country to put millions and millions of dollars
into finishing off narcotics trafficking if the United States does not
take profound measures to finish off vice and addiction among its
own,'' he said.

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