Home > Uncovering Mexico > Archives > 2008 > June > 05
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Merida Initiative doomed?
But then both the U.S. Senate and the House trimmed the original aid amount and placed several conditions regarding human rights on the money (Mexico’s military, which would get a good chunk of the aid, has been accused of several atrocities during its time fighting the cartels). The aid package also calls for Mexico to implement civilian investigations of military abuses.
Mexico, always touchy when it comes to perceived meddling from its powerful neighbor to the north, has flatly rejected the conditions. Interior Secretary Juan Camilo Mourino has called the conditions “unacceptable” and “counterproductive.” And Mexican officials aren’t holding out hope that U.S. lawmakers, in an election year, will change their minds and remove the conditions.
Of course, Mexico doesn’t need the money as much now as it did a year ago, as it is swimming in a bonanza of oil money thanks to skyrocketing oil prices.
