AZMEX POLICY2 24-5-13

AZMEX POLICY 2 24 MAY 2013

AID TO MEXICO
US Sets Merida Initiative program
Depends on the definition of anti-crime strategies from the
government of Enrique Peña Nieto
AP
24/05/2013

http://www.noroeste.com.mx/publicaciones.php?id=870303

WASHINGTON (AP). _ The State Department reported to Congress that
still works on the implementation of the new strategy of the Mexican
government to centralize U.S. counternarcotics cooperation through
the Interior Ministry.

Appearing before the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere of the
House, the Secretary of State for International Narcotics Combating
William R. Brownfield said he had no objection on the new strategy
but said that "we are now working on how to implement this in a multi
with dozens of government agencies.'re Still working on that and hope
to have a more concrete answer when he appears again" before this
committee.

Before President Barack Obama visited Mexico earlier this month,
Mexican authorities announced their cooperation centralize preference
through the Ministry of the Interior to maximize inter-ministerial
coordination.

Brownfield said the United States has given $1,200,000,000 of the
$1,900,000,000 dollars (??? ) pledged in 2008 to counternarcotics
efforts in Mexico through the Merida Initiative.

The official described as "predictable and systematic" gradual
reduction of funds in recent years to the Merida Initiative and
attributed to the achievements of the initiative.

Merida received $ 248 million in fiscal year 2012, 199 million in
2013 and 2014 were requested 148 million, said Brownfield specifying
that the funds for 2013 have not yet been disbursed.

There are other $ 95 million related to Merida retained "for issues
related to the nature of the plan and the strategy in the future"
Brownfield said he was working with Mexican authorities on "how to
respond to a request from the Senate for additional information" .

Among other changes to the security strategy proposed by the
government of Enrique Peña Nieto, in power since December, included a
Commission for the Prevention of Crime, review the practice of
prolonged pretrial detention without indictment and the creation of a
National Human Rights Program.

Brownfield said U.S. cooperation so far has allowed training 8,500
federal judiciary officials, 19,000 federal and state police, of
which 4,000 are federal investigators, strengthening in the custody
of 14 federal prisons with capacity for 20,000 inmates and seizure of
illicit goods worth almost three billion dollars.

END