The Merida Initiative : U.S. counterdrug and anticrime assistance for Mexico / Isabella A. Vaughne, editor.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Vaughne, Isabella A.

Series:

Latin American political, economic, and security issues.

Latin American political, economic, and security issues

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Drug control--United States--Finance.

Drug control.

Drug control--Mexico--Finance.

Drug traffic--United States--Prevention--Finance.

Drug traffic.

Drug traffic--Mexico--Prevention--Finance.

Crime prevention--United States--Finance.

Crime prevention.

Crime prevention--Mexico--Finance.

United States--Foreign relations--Mexico.

United States.

Mexico--Foreign relations--United States.

Mexico.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (182 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

New York : Nova Science Publishers, c2010.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

On October 22, 2007, the U.S. and Mexico announced the Merida Initiative, a proposed package of U.S. counter-drug and anticrime assistance for Mexico and Central America that would begin in 2008 and last through 2010. This book provides an overview of the funding provided for the Merida Initiative and the status of Merida implementation.

Contents:

Intro

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Contents

Preface

Mérida Initiative for Mexico and Central America: Funding and Policy Issues

Summary

Introduction

Background

The Development of the Mérida Initiative

Funding the MÉrida Initiative

Mexico

FY2008 Supplemental Appropriations

FY2009 Omnibus and Supplemental Appropriations

FY2010 Appropriations

Non-Mérida Assistance for Mexico

Central America

FY2009 Appropriations

The Caribbean

Other MÉrida Legislation in the 111th Congress

Status of Implementation

Policy Issues

Is Mérida the Right Drug Control Approach?39

Balancing "Hard-side" and "Soft-side" Assistance

Monitoring Progress

Interagency Coordination

Role of the Department of Defense

U.S. Pledges under the Mérida Initiative

Weapons Trafficking58

Drug Demand

Bulk Cash Smuggling

Mexico Policy Issues

Domestic Counterdrug Efforts and Strategy

Police Reform and Anti-Corruption Efforts

Implementation of Judicial Reforms

Protection of Human Rights

Beyond the MÉrida Initiative

U.S.-Mexican Security Cooperation

Cooperation with Central America and the Central American Regional Security Initiative (CARSI)

The Caribbean Basin Security Initiative103

Appendix A. Conditions on FY2008 Supplemental Assistance for MÉrida

Central America, Haiti and the Dominican Republic

End Notes

Mexico's Narco-Insurgency and U.S. Counterdrug Policy

Foreword

About the Author

Mexico's Narco-Insurgency

Paramilitary Organizations

Third-Generation Gangs and the Extent of the Threat

The Government Response: Why So Ineffective?

The Merida Initiative: Characteristics, Aims, and Prospects

Evaluating the Supply-Side Paradigm.

Case Study: Plan Colombia

The Merida Initiative: Prospects for Success

The Way Forward

Security and Interdiction

Anti-Corruption and Human Rights

Institutional Development

Economic and Social Development

Guns and Users: U.S. Domestic Contributions

Conclusion

Mexico's Drug-Related Violence

Drug Trafficking in Mexico

Background on Mexico's Anti-Drug Efforts

Major DTOs in Mexico15

Other Groups and Emergent Cartels

The Mexican State v. The DTOs

Pervasive Corruption and the Drug Trade

Escalation of Violence in 2008 and 2009

Causes for the Spiraling Violence

Location of the Violence and Mexico's Drug War Strategies

The U.S. Policy Response

The Mérida Initiative79

Implementation of Mérida

Appendix. Hearings on increased Drug Violence in the 111th Congress

House

Senate

Opening Statement of Eliot L. Engel, House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, Hearing on "Guns, Drugs and Violence: The Merida Initiative and the Challenge in Mexico"

Opening Statement of Ranking Member Connie Mack, Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, Committee on Foreign Affairs, Hearing on "Guns, Drugs and Violence: The Merida Initiative and the Challenge in Mexico"

Testimony of David T. Johnson, Assistant Secretary of State, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), before the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, Hearing on "Guns, Drugs and Violence: The Merida Initiative and the Ch...

The Challenge in Mexico

The Response: The MÉrida Initiative

Interdiction and Border Security

Corruption

Judicial Reform

Prisons

Anti-money Laundering

Demand Reduction

MÉrida Initiative Implementation

Arms and Cash Trafficking

Conclusion.

Testimony of Roberta S. Jacobson, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, before the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, Hearing on "Guns, Drugs and Violence: The Merida Initiative and the Challenge in Mexico"

Testimony of Thomas A. Shannon, Assistant Secretary of State, Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, before the Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs, Committee on Appropriations

Statement of Rodger D. Garner, U.S. Agency for International Development, USAID Mission Director to Mexico, before the Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs

The Merida Initiatve, U.S. Responsibilities &amp

Human Rights, Testimony Presented by Lisa Haugaard, Latin America Working Group to the House Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs

I. The United States Must Address Its Own Contribution to the Violence

II. The United States Should not Encourage and Support an Open-Ended Role for the Mexican Military in Domestic Law Enforcement

III. Solutions to the Spillover of Violence across the Border Must Incorporate the Concerns of Border State Communities

IV. Human Rights Must be Central to U.S. Policy

Lesson 1. Human Rights Training can be Helpful, but is by no Means Sufficient

Lesson 2. Judicial Assistance is Positive, but not Sufficient

Lesson 3. For Human Rights Improvement, Diplomacy and Dialogue, Not Just Aid and Training, is the Answer

Testimony of Joy Olson, Executive Director of the Washington Office on Latin America on the Merida Initiative, before the House Appropriations Committee, Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs

Where We Are

How We Got Here.

US-Mexico Security Cooperation and the Merida Initiative

Police Reform

Judicial Reforms

Support for Human Rights is Important

Testimony of Ana Paula Hernandez, Consultant in Mexico on Human Rights and Drug Policy on the Merida Initiative, before the House Appropriations Committee, Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs

Militarization in Mexico: The Norm, Not The Exception

Democratic Police Reform: An Urgent Need

Military Jurisdiction: A Guarantee for Impunity

The Importance of Support for Justice Reform

Status of Funds for the Merida Initiative

Characteristics of the Mérida Initiative

Approximately Two-Thirds of Appropriated Funds Have Been Obligated, but Little Has Been Delivered

Funding Process

Tracking Mérida Funds Is Difficult

Factors Affecting the Timing of the Funding Process

Statutory Conditions

Administrative Procedures

Institutional Capacity

Deliverables Have Been Affected by the Time Frames of the Funding Process

Agency Comments

Enclosure I. Scope and Methodology

Enclosure II. Funding Tables by Country and Account

Enclosure III. Summary of Planned Procurement by Account

Enclosure IV. Status of Selected MÉrida Initiative Deliverables, by Strategic Objective, as of September 2009

Enclosure V. Comments from the Department of State

GAO Response to Agency Comments

Chapter Sources

Index

Blank Page.

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

1-61728-718-0

OCLC:

722305483