Representative Henry Cuellar

In support of Mexican president Felipe Calderón's own initiatives to ramp up anti-drug efforts, U.S. and Mexican officials have proposed an ambitious aid program, called the Mérida Initiative, to deepen bilateral security cooperation and combat transnational organized crime. An effort of such magnitude will require substantial collaboration, but Congress and the American people must first embrace the plan. On November 8, AEI's Roger F. Noriega moderated a conference to discuss the initiative's future.

Keynote speaker Representative Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) described how this debate is unfolding in Washington. Hailing from the border town of Laredo, he possesses unique insight into a problem that is literally in his backyard. Representative Cuellar explained that members of Congress must first be educated on the urgency of the aid package for both countries. Many are not aware, for example, that Mexico is the second most dangerous country for reporters (after Iraq). Representative Cuellar explained that the package is important because it is in our own interest to reduce narcotrafficking. "If we help the Mexicans," he said, "this will help Americans." The challenges and opportunities in Congress are real, "but at the end of the day [the Mérida Initiative] will be supported," he said.

Robert "Bobby" Charles of the Charles Group explained why both Mexico and the United States need this package. For one, 35 million Americans are addicted to illegal narcotics. Drugs inflict serious harm in both countries, not only on the addicts but also on many other people. Furthermore, he said, Mexico and the United States share many family, religious, and ethical values. Charles concluded that for many reasons, the fight against narcotics is a shared battle.

During the panel discussion, Roberta Jacobson of the State Department explained that the Mérida Initiative is the result of an almost year-long dialogue between Presidents Bush and Calderón, and, thanks to a concerted effort in Mexico to crack down on drug trafficking, this plan comes at an opportune moment. The proposed multi-year, $1.4 billion package to provide equipment for security forces, improve information sharing, expand technical expertise, and provide training in rule of law and institution building is intended to "strengthen the ability of the [Mexican-American] partnership to fight" narcotics traffickers and other criminal organizations while respecting the sovereignty of each nation.

Armand Peschard-Sverdrup of Peschard-Sverdrup and Associates and the Center for Strategic and International Studies focused on the realities of the initiative. "It is really about strengthening Mexican institutions to deal with transnational crimes," not just about aiding counternarcotics efforts, he said. But "this initiative is not a silver bullet"; rather, he said, it is an initial investment in bringing more security to Mexico.

Ted Brennan of Tew Cardenas, LLP, addressed the congressional perspective, explaining that it is difficult to know right now how Congress will receive the proposal, given that it was largely excluded from the negotiation process. Further complicating this guessing game is the reality that "constituent concerns are a driving force" and that members use different lenses--human rights, accountability, or spending, for example--to examine the proposal. "Looking at Congress as a whole, we really do not have . . . a comprehensive understanding of what it will do," he said, but he added that many members appear supportive.

As the Mérida Initiative heads to Congress, Noriega described the presentations as "constructive in recognizing that we are not just talking about a support package and money, but we are talking about political will on both sides of the border to do something about a shared problem." Noriega previously addressed these issues in an August Latin American Outlook. The willingness of both sides to confront the drug cartels, he said, makes it an opportune time to pursue the aid package aggressively.

For a video and summary of this event, visit www.aei.org/event1584/. For Noriega's Latin American Outlook on the subject, visit www.aei.org/publication26601/.