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Militarization

Will U.S. Drones Join Mexico's Drug Prohibition War?

Without leaving American airspace, remotely piloted surveillance drones — outfitted with cameras that provide real-time video — fly along the Texas border searching U.S. territory for drug smugglers, illegal immigrants and potential terrorists. Does the U.S. government ever risk the international fallout of using the aircrafts' high-tech surveillance abilities to take a peek south of the border — or share what they see with Mexican counterparts fighting for their lives? The American public likely never will know.
poster of assassinated human rights advocate Ricardo Murillo
poster of assassinated human rights advocate Ricardo Murillo

US Withholds Some Mexico Drug Aid Over Human Rights Concerns

To gently chide Mexico for continuing human rights violations by its military, the US will withold $26 million that Mexico won't see until next year anyway. To make up for that, the US is releasing $36 million it withheld last year.

Latin America: Human Rights a Casualty in Chihuahua's Drug War

The Mexican army undertook Operation Join Together Chihuahua in March, as thousands of troops poured into the Mexican border state. As has been the case elsewhere in Mexico, the arrival of the troops has been followed by a growing chorus of human rights complaints.

Costa Rica Is Wary of Plans to Allow U.S. Naval Ships to Dock on Its Shores for Anti-Drug Missions

A U.S. warship capable of deploying more than 1,000 military personnel and dozens of helicopters is headed right for Costa Rica’s peaceful Caribbean coast. In July, Costa Rica's legislative assembly approved a U.S. request for permission to dock 46 warships and 7,000 military personnel, mostly for narcotics missions in Costa Rican territory, sparking outrage among skeptics of the global war on drugs, including outspoken politicians, pacifists, student groups and everyday "Ticos", who are proud of their country’s six decades without a military. In short, it’s been an outright public relations disaster.
Felipe Calderon attending security conference
Felipe Calderon attending security conference

Mexican Presidents Talk Drug Legalization

After Mexican President Calderon toyed briefly with the notion of legalization last week, his predecessor, Vicente Fox, has jumped in with a forthright call for legalization. Calderon didn't bite this week, but did show signs of recognizing he's created a disaster.