MEXICAN PRESIDENT BACKS OFF DRUG DECRIMINALIZATION BILL

Fox's Move Comes After Unusual U.S. Pressure

MEXICO CITY - Mexican President Vicente Fox refused to sign a drug
decriminalization bill Wednesday, hours after U.S. officials warned
the plan could encourage "drug tourism."

Fox sent the measure back to Mexico's Congress for changes, but his
office did not mention the U.S. criticism.

"Without underestimating the progress made on the issue, and with
sensitivity toward the opinions expressed by various sectors of
society, the administration has decided to suggest changes," a
statement from his office said.

Fox said he will ask "Congress to make the needed corrections to make
it absolutely clear in our country, the possession of drugs and their
consumption are, and will continue to be, a criminal offense."

On Tuesday, Fox's spokesman had called the bill "an advance" and
pledged the president would sign it. But the measure, passed Friday
by Congress, drew a storm of criticism because it eliminates criminal
penalties possession of small amounts of heroin, methamphetamines and
PCP, as well as marijuana and cocaine.

Weighing in, the U.S. government Wednesday expressed a rare public
objection to an internal Mexican political development, saying anyone
caught with illegal drugs in Mexico should be prosecuted or given
mandatory drug treatment.

"U.S. officials ... urged Mexican representatives to review the
legislation urgently, to avoid the perception that drug use would be
tolerated in Mexico, and to prevent drug tourism," U.S. Embassy
spokeswoman Judith Bryan said.

There are concerns the measure could increase drug use by border
visitors and U.S. students who flock to Mexico on vacation.

Bryan said the U.S. government wants Mexico "to ensure that all
persons found in possession of any quantity of illegal drugs be
prosecuted or be sent into mandatory drug treatment programs."

The legislature has adjourned for the summer, and when it comes back,
it will have an entirely new lower house and one-third new Senate
members following the July 2 elections, which will also make the
outgoing Fox a lame duck.

However, Sen. Jorge Zermeno, of Fox's conservative National Action
Party -- a supporter of the bill -- said he thought Congress would be
open to changing the legislation to delete a clause that extends to
all "consumers" the exemption from prosecution that was originally
meant to cover only recognized drug addicts.

"The word 'consumer' can be eliminated so that the only exemption
clause would be for drug addicts," Zermeno told The Associated Press.
"There's still time to get this through."

The bill contained many points that experts said were positive: It
empowered state and local police -- not just federal officers -- to
go after drug dealers, stiffened some penalties and closed loopholes
that dealers had long used to escape prosecution.

But the broad decriminalization clause was what soured many, both in
Mexico and abroad, to the proposal.