I keep harping on this, but the U.S. better step it up when it comes to assisting Mexico in the war against the drug cartels. This problem has the potential get more out of control, and it’s pretty bad right now. The following is an example of the lax approach to this problem.
By William Booth and Steve Fainaru
Washington Post Foreign Service
MEXICO CITY — After promising $1.4 billion last year under a landmark initiative to help fight drug trafficking in Mexico, the U.S. government has spent almost none of the money, fanning criticism on both sides of the border that the United States is failing to respond quickly to the deepening crisis.
In June, Congress appropriated $400 million to assist Mexico under the first installment of the Merida Initiative, which was signed into law by President George W. Bush. The three-year aid package was passed as an emergency measure because of deteriorating security in Mexico. In December, the State Department announced that $197 million had been “released.”
