Hillary Clinton Sees Insurgency In Mexico Drug Trade

Clinton sees insurgency in Mexico drug trade
By Daniel Dombey in Washington and Adam Thomson in Mexico
Published: September 8 2010 18:57 | Last updated: September 8 2010 18:57
Hillary Clinton, US secretary of state, has said drug-related violence in Mexico and Central America is turning into an insurgency, underlining Washington’s concern at the bloodshed beyond its southern border.

Mrs Clinton also said it was inevitable southern Sudan would vote for independence in a forthcoming referendum – which she described as “a ticking timebomb of enormous consequence” that could lead to conflict over oil revenues.

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She added that the US’s mounting national debt sent a “message of weakness internationally”.

Mrs Clinton’s comments on Wednesday came after a speech in which she hailed “a new American moment”, in which US leadership was essential to deal with global problems, whether in partnership with established allies, developing nations or emerging actors such as China, Russia, Turkey and Brazil.

She spoke bluntly when answering questions at the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington: “We face an increasing threat from a well-organised drug trafficking threat that is, in some cases, morphing into or making common cause with what we would consider an insurgency in Mexico and in Central America.”

She said Mexico was now “looking more and more like Colombia looked 20 years ago, where the narcotraffickers control certain parts of the country,” adding, however, “not significant parts”.

Drug-related violence in Mexico has reached an all-time high this year, with more than 8,000 murders since January and more than 250 decapitations.

But in contrast to Colombia’s drug-trading leftwing insurgents, Mexico’s cartels lack a political ideology. Frequent attacks on the police are often because officers are involved in the illicit trade themselves or are intended as intimidation or reprisals.

“Secretary Clinton has played a critical role in fostering effective and mutually responsible policies with Mexico across the board,” Arturo Sarukhan, Mexico’s ambassador to the US, told the FT.

“The Mexican government disagrees, however, with the portrayal of organised crime in Mexico as an ‘insurgency’”.

Mrs Clinton said preventing the violence from spreading required improved institutional capacity, particularly law enforcement, together with military support.

She added: “Mexico has capacity, and they’re using that capacity, and they’ve been very willing to take advice ... But the small countries in Central America do not have that capacity.”

In another answer, Mrs Clinton highlighted the high stakes in the referendum on southern Sudanese independence scheduled for January. “The real problem is what happens when the inevitable happens and the referendum is passed and the south declares independence?” she said.

“If you’re in the north, and all of a sudden you think a line’s going to be drawn and you’re going to lose 80 per cent of the oil revenues, you’re not a very enthusiastic participant ... What are the deals that can possibly be made that will limit the potential of violence?”