Obama Fights the Mexican Cartels

Elliot Ness greeted John Kennedy in a Mexico City that was deserted by motorists and under the control of 6,000 security service agents . . .

That’s the image that will be remembered of the first visit of the United States President Barack Obama to Mexico, on Thursday, April 16th, when he arrived with a plan to help his counterpart, Felipe Calderon, in the war against drug cartels.

Before this symbolic trip (lasting less than 24 hours, on his way to the Summit of the Americas in Trinidad-and-Tobago), Mr. Obama did not hesitate in comparing his host with the hero of the U.S. television series, “The Untouchables”, in his struggle against Al Capone. Mr. Calderon, more traditional, recalled the historical visit of John Fitzgerald Kennedy to Mexico City, nearly half a century ago, and of his definition of bilateral relations: “Geography made us neighbors, economy converted us into partners, and necessity transformed us into allies.”

Today, there is more that brings the countries together than the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), in place since 1994, that accounts for 12 million Mexicans in the U.S., whose votes weighed in favor of Mr. Obama; it is the issue of security. Stating that the U.S. cannot fight drug cartels alone, he asked the U.S. Congress for additional help, which will cost 350 million dollars, in order “to confront the threat of Mexican cartels.”

According to the weekly magazine, Proceso, Mr. Obama suggests that an organization be established in Mexico City – by July, at the latest – a “bilateral center” that will allow a dozen teams from both countries to coordinate their efforts. The U.S. plans to involve the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), or even the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). On April 15th, the Mexican press gave extensive coverage to the discovery of a new, drug-traffic arsenal, which positioned an anti-aircraft gun on the roof of a cross-country vehicle in the State of Sonora (northern Mexico). That same day, Mr. Obama added three Mexican criminal organizations to the black list: the Sinaloa Cartel, the Zetas (linked to the Gulf Cartel), and The Family of Michoacan. Properties or bank accounts of these cartels can be frozen in the U.S. Mr. Obama acknowledged difficulty in responding to Mexico’s demand for the U.S. to restore bans on the sales of certain weapons, lifted in 2004, during the presidency of George Bush.

About 90 percent of the 16,000 attack weapons seized in Mexico since 2007, were bought in the U.S., Mr. Calderon recalled, during a joint press conference. “It is necessary to find a solution that will respect the Second Amendment of the Constitution (the right of every U.S. citizen to keep and bear arms), but to avoid abuse of this right,” said Mr. Obama. For lack of anything better, Mr. Obama, will ask the U.S. Senate to ratify the Inter-American Convention against the manufacture and illicit trafficking of guns, munitions, and explosives.

The issue of crime relates to a second plan: regulation of illegal immigrants or perhaps a partial review of NAFTA, supported by American labor unions and Mexican opinion. Seventy-three percent of Mexicans would favor this, according to a study financed by the Konrad Adenaur Foundation.

Children of migrants, separated from their parents, as well as activists of the movement, “Without Corn, No Country”, demonstrated in front of the U.S. embassy on Thursday, because of the firm U.S. regulation of everything. They are anxious about the fate of Mexican agriculture, shaken by its rival to the north, and for which a World Bank report predicts an uncertain future because of climate change.

The concern of the U.S. for its southern border provokes mixed feelings in Mexico: contentment in seeing that its neighbor accepts “shared responsibility” for the waves of violence, and an atavistic fear of interference by the strongest world power. Washington offers reassurance by naming as “special representative for the border”, Judge Alan Bersin, who opposed militarization of the border zone. There is also a feeling of irritation, on the other hand, because of the selection for the position of ambassador to Mexico City, of Cuban-born diplomat, Carlos Pascual, known for his work with “fragile states.” “We need to hope that the messenger is not the message,” commented Senator Rosario Green, former Minister of Foreign Affairs.