November 15, 1995
Web posted at: 4:30 p.m. EST (2130 GMT)
From Mexico City Bureau Chief Lucia Newman
MEXICO CITY, Mexico (CNN) -- The Mexican army has been given increasing responsibility to carry out the government's anti-drug efforts -- finding and destroying illegal crops and catching drug traffickers. (573K QuickTime movie) It's a sure sign, said Col. Alejandro Daniels, that Mexico's federal police are considered too incompetent to do the job effectively. (140K AIFF sound or 140K WAV sound)
But even the army can not do it all. A recent mission in
Guerrero state in southern Mexico is typical of what's become
an almost daily sight. Soldiers could only chop down poppy
and marijuana plants. (690K QuickTime movie) The growers, local peasants, were long
gone and no one will be surprised when another illegal crop
appears at another location. The battle is being lost.
"It's a very complex problem. Cultivation in Guerrero is
widespread," said Gen. Enrique Salgado.
Using police to fight drug trafficking "won't work because of corruption"
-- Jorge Chabat
To fight back, President Ernesto Zedillo has proposed a law
calling for all branches of Mexico's armed forces to take
part in a national security council. Already this year the
army, rather than federal police, was used to nab a top drug
trafficker, a raid in which several high ranking police
officers also were arrested. "The idea of using the army
clearly reflects that the police forces don't work because of
corruption," said drug trafficking expert Jorge Chabat.
More than 60 percent of the cocaine consumed in the United
States passes through Mexico, and Washington has indicated it
would like to see the armies of the entire region play a
bigger role in the drug war. But another Mexican drug
authority, Marcos Kapla, believes police are better suited to
deal with civilians. (140K AIFF sound or 140K WAV sound)
One area of agreement is that drug traffickers have less influence on the army than on police, but drug experts warn that authorities must be careful how the military is used and for how long. The experience of other Latin American countries shows that armies are not immune to corruption and may be tempted to overstep their power.
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