REPORT: DELAY MERIDA INITIATIVE AID FOR MEXICO

Although Mexico has improved in addressing human rights complaints,
the U.S. Department of State is recommending that a portion of the
Merida Initiative money set aside to help Mexico in its war against
the drug cartels be withheld until the country does more.

The State Department in a report to Congress two weeks ago
recommended that 15 percent of the money scheduled to be released to
help Mexico in the coming months be withheld. The amount to be
withheld totals $26 million.

The same report also recommended that Congress release $36 million in
Merida funds that were previously withheld because of human rights concerns.

Overall, the report says Mexico's security forces are more cognizant
of their human rights obligations.

"The Government of Mexico needs to do more, however, to address
concerns when it comes to transparency and impunity, especially with
respect to the investigation and prosecution of human rights crimes
alleged to have been committed by its security forces," the report states.

The 36-page report was given to Hawaii Sen. Daniel Inouye, chairman
of the Appropriations Committee. Certification reports such as this
one are done before any Merida money can be released by Congress.

The overall Merida Initiative agreement between the U.S. and Mexico
states that up to 15 percent of the money scheduled to be given to
Mexico to help it fight the drug cartels can be withheld if human
rights complaints in Mexico are not being addressed.

Merida is a three-year program approved by the Bush administration
that designates $1.6 billion to Mexico, Central America and the
Caribbean. The majority of the money, $1.4 billion, is earmarked for
Mexico and is doled out in phases. All of the money from 2009 was released.

Through Merida, the U.S. helps Mexico train, select and evaluates its
law enforcement, while also helping Mexico reform its judicial and
prison systems and improve technology, infrastructure development and
border security.

Under the agreement, the U.S. was scheduled to release $175 million
in September to help Mexico. Only $149 million were released.

The remaining 15 percent was withheld until the State Department
drafts another report on human rights issues in Mexico.

The Sept. 2 report states that Mexico must continue to improve its
transparency and accountability of the police forces. For example,
the report states that 16 soldiers and three officers stationed in
Sinaloa were reportedly drunk and using drugs when they opened fire
on a vehicle carrying children.

The soldiers reportedly killed a woman and a 3-year-old girl. The
U.S. report states they will be tried in military court, not a civilian court.

The report cites other cases in which soldiers used excessive force,
including firing at unarmed civilians and beating a suspect to death.

University of Texas at El Paso political science professor Howard
Campbell said Mexico continues to do a terrible job of protecting its
citizens' human rights, and those of immigrants in the country.

Campbell is an expert on Mexican drug cartels and Mexico's efforts to
fight them.

"Nothing has really changed," he said. "Including caveats to the
Merida plan is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it is yet another
example of American heavy-handedness vis-a-vis Mexico. On the other,
if it results in improvements in the human rights situation that
would be a good thing."

Last week, the Washington Office of Latin America and several Mexican
human rights organizations sent a memo to Congress asking that Merida
money be withheld because Mexico is not meeting its human rights requirements.

The human rights organizations said Mexico is lax in prosecuting
military abuses and torture.

"While the State Department's report lists several actions that the
Mexican government has undertaken to address torture, these measures
have failed to curb its systematic use to obtain confessions," the
memo from the Washington Office of Latin America to Congress states.

The Washington Office of Latin America promotes human rights,
democracy and social and economic justice in Latin America.

The U.S. report also provides an update of how Mexico is doing in its
fight against the cartels.

It states that approximately 28,000 individuals have died since
Mexican President Felipe Calderon launched a war against the cartels.
As of mid-August in this year, 7,500 have been killed throughout
Mexico in the ongoing cartel war. Of those, 475 were police officers
and 39 were military troops.

"The number of narco-related homicides is outpacing all previous
years, reflecting intensified competition among drug trafficking
organizations for control of border crossings and internal markets,"
the report states.

[sidebar]

Merida Initiative numbers in 2008, Congress approved the Merida
Initiative, which allocates $1.4 billion to help Mexico in its fight
against the cartels. So far, the money has helped Mexico:

- - Assign 40,000 to 45,000 military troops dedicated to counter-drug
activities. - Train 8,968 Mexican officials. - Acquire 318 polygraph
units worth 2.4 million. - Seize more than 90 tons of cocaine, as
well as 6,500 tons of marijuana, more than 2 tons of
methamphetamines, and more than 83,000 weapons.

Source: U.S. Department of State report.