May 22, 2008, 10:49PM
Human rights conditions placed on aid anger Mexicans
Scaled-back drug laws also fueling accusations against U.S. lawmakers


New York Times


MEXICO CITY — The U.S. Congress has scaled back on President Bush's anti-drug plans for Mexico and put human rights conditions on some of the aid, drawing fire from some Mexicans who accuse American lawmakers of meddling in their country's internal affairs.



As part of a broader emergency appropriations bill that remains under discussion and could face a presidential veto, the Senate on Thursday approved $350 million to aid Mexico in what has become a pitched battle against drug trafficking. The Senate would also give $100 million to countries in Central America that are in drug wars of their own, as well as to the Dominican Republic and Haiti.

Besides reducing the Bush administration's request, which would have sent $500 million to Mexico and $50 million to Central America, the Senate adopted language similar to that in a recently passed House bill that would hold up a quarter of the money until the State Department ruled that Mexico was meeting certain human rights markers. The House approved $400 million for Mexico, one of several differences that will be worked out in a House-Senate conference in the coming weeks.

The Senate measure still represents a major increase in aid to Mexico in a single year, legislative aides said, reflecting bipartisan concern over the fact that an estimated 90 percent of the cocaine entering the United States comes through Mexican territory.

But at issue is the performance of Mexico's army and the police, which have been accused by human rights organizations of engaging in abuses as they chase down the country's drug cartels.

To address that, the congressional plans ask the secretary of state to report on whether Mexico was prohibiting testimony obtained through torture and trying soldiers accused of abuses in civilian courts, among other conditions.

Since President Felipe Calderon of Mexico launched his drug war in 2007, more than 200 law enforcement officers have been killed, among them at least two dozen top commanders.

The overall body count is estimated to be 1,300 people this year.

The Bush administration has pointed to a recent surge of violence as evidence of the need for the so-called Merida Initiative, which is the name given to the spending deal struck last year by Bush and Calderon. But Congress was left out of the initial dealmaking, resulting in hard feelings when Bush submitted the plan.

The trims to the president's plan, and the strings attached by lawmakers in Washington, clearly irked some Mexicans.

Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., dismissed such criticism in a speech on Wednesday introducing the spending plan.

"Since when is it bad policy, or an infringement of anything, to insist that American taxpayer dollars not be given to corrupt, abusive police or military forces in a country whose justice system has serious flaws and rarely punishes official misconduct?" he said. "This is a partnership, not a giveaway."

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