Leading off a round-up of stories on the drug war this morning, the New York Times writes that Amnesty International will release today new findings detailing rights abuses committed by the Mexican army. The Times’ Marc Lacey writes that AI raises “allegations of extrajudicial killings, torture and arbitrary detentions against soldiers engaged in the nation’s drug war.” The report follows earlier ones by Human Rights Watch and other Mexican human rights group which arrived at similar conclusions. “Amnesty International recognizes the serious challenge to public security facing the Mexican government and its responsibility to protect the population and integrity of state institutions,” AI writes. “The organization understands that law enforcement duties in such situations are difficult and dangerous for those charged with improving public security conditions. Nevertheless, crime cannot be fought with crime.” The U.S. State Dept. issued a report in August which also noted that accusations of abuse in the army were up six fold in the last two years but concluded the Mexican government was taking proper measures to address the problem. In a recent interview, newly appointed U.S. ambassador to Mexico, Carlos Pascual, commented that “all in all, what we’ve been trying to do is approach this in a constructive way, not get into a judgmental and finger-pointing mode.” But, he added, “It’s been extremely difficult to get a consistent and transparent response from the military.”
Also today, there’s news that the U.S. will expand the use of unmanned drone aircrafts beyond the Mexican and Canadian borders and into the Caribbean and “possibly other seas” in an attempt to track smugglers. The New York Times says that Customs and Border Protection already operate at least five unarmed drones from a base in Arizona, patrolling and monitoring both the United States northern and southern borders. But on Monday, the Department of Homeland Security announced the unveiling of a new $13.5 million drone whose specific purpose is maritime surveillance. According to the Times report, “Homeland Security officials praised the aircraft as a safe and important tool that over land has contributed to the seizing of more than 22,000 pounds of marijuana and the apprehension of 5,000 illegal immigrants.” Critics, including the union representing border patrol agents, have suggested the drones are both costly and inefficient.
In the Washington Post an analysis of how the drug war in Mexico has pitted the government of Felipe Calderon against some very entrenched political forces that continue to give life to drug traffickers. The paper writes: “According to U.S. and Mexican officials, the cartels operated for years under a tacit agreement with the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), which dominated Mexico for seven decades. That accord permitted illegal activity as long as the violence was contained. Corrupt local officials and police often looked the other way or actively assisted the traffickers.” The focus of the piece is former governor, Rogaciano Alva, who, in addition to being one of the PRI’s most prominent members, was also working for the Sinaloa Cartel in the Sierra Madre.
And in Time, Tim Padgett and Dolly Mascarenas look at Mexico’s witness protection program, or lack thereof. The program “might as well be called witness detection,” the magazine argues, “since it seems the country's violent drug traffickers are having little problem locating, and assassinating, informants the government is supposed to be shielding.” While new Attorney General Arturo Chavez has said he has plans to restructure the program, Time says the task will be a difficult one when “the Mexican cops assigned to do the protecting can so rarely be trusted themselves.”
In other news this morning:
· One day after Bolivian President Evo Morales won a landslide re-election, Reuters reports that he has pledged to increase the role of the state in the economy and continue to strengthen the power of indigenous groups. “Bolivians have given us an enormous responsibility to deepen this transformation,” Morales said Monday. “Bolivians have punished the people who are traitors of this process.” Jim Schulz of the Democracy Center in Cochabamba tells the Financial Times that “effectively there is no national opposition. There’s no leader who can challenge Evo, there’s no political party that can challenge Evo and there’s no base in Congress that can touch him.” He goes on: “All we really know is that Evo has a huge mandate, that he intends to use it, and that the opposition is absolutely flat on its back.” DOS, for its part, congratulated Morales for his win Sunday, saying in a short, official statement:
“We congratulate President Evo Morales on his re-election and commend the Bolivian people and their electoral institutions for a peaceful and orderly voting process yesterday. We look forward to working with President Morales and his administration to continue advancing the bilateral dialogue started by our governments earlier this year. The United States is committed to working with Bolivia to promote a more just, democratic and prosperous future.”
· In Chile, news that a Santiago judge ruled that former President Eduardo Frei Montalva was poisoned with mustard gas and thallium by Pinochet agents nearly three decades ago. Frei died in January 1982 of what was once believed to be a stomach ailment. However, yesterday’s ruling says poison had compromised Frei’s immune system and caused his eventual death. According to the Times report “a former intelligence agent under the general and Mr. Frei’s driver were charged with murder. Two doctors who were alleged to have falsified the autopsy report were charged with covering up the killing, and a third was charged as an accomplice.” The news comes out less than one week before Frei’s son, Sen. Eduardo Frei, competes in Chilean presidential elections. Frei’s opponent, Sebastian Pinera has already questioned the timing of the court’s indictments. Currently Pinera still leads Frei by about 10 percentage points, although it is expected that a second round of voting will be needed in January to determine a final winner. The Wall Street Journal writes today that Pinera—despite questions about some of his business dealings—has benefited from the problems of the ruling Concertacion coalition, which is “enduring voter fatigue and internal divisions despite the 77% approval rating of [President Michelle] Bachelet.”
· With an update on Honduras, AFP reports this morning that the formation of a unity and reconciliation government is shaping up to be more difficult than reported yesterday. The news service says such a government may not even be formed before Pepe Lobo assumes office in late January, as Mel Zelaya has not responded to requests about adding his supporters to such a government. There are also contradicting reports about Zelaya’s own future, with some saying Brazil could offer the ousted leader asylum. Zelaya himself said he will continue in the Brazilian embassy, however, “counting on the support of Brazil.”
· And finally, more on the banking crisis/scandal in Venezuela which, writes the AP, has now led to orders that 27 top banking executives in that country be arrested. Prosecutors have asked Interpol for help in arresting at least 9 of those individual who are said to have fled the country.
No comments:
Post a Comment