Calderon gives state of the union address
On Wednesday, Mexican President Felipe Calderón gave his third state of the union address to the National Congress. One of the major topics he touched on was security and the fight against drug cartels. President Calderón pledged to continue his "full frontal attack ... in the fight against the powerful drug cartels that threaten the national security of Mexico." In his address, Calderón recited the following statistics on successes against the drug cartels:
We have seized nearly 50,000 weapons and nearly 22,000 vehicles while the amount of drugs we have confiscated would suffice to provide all Mexicans between the ages of 15 and 30 with over 80 doses. In the past 12 months alone, 1,400 kidnappers have been arrested, over 200 gangs have been dismantled and over a thousand kidnap victims have been released.
Yet, President Calderón also old demagogy" and "recycled campaign promises." The news coverage of the speech is accompanied by coverage of more violence throughout Mexico. Yesterday, 17 patients at a Mexican clinic in Ciudad Juarez were killed by hooded gunmen and the No. 2 security official and three others were shot dead in Mexico's Michoacan state. The United States recently released $214 million to aid Mexico in its fight against drug trafficking, which includes funds for five helicopters for the military. In mid-August, the State Department also released a favorable report on human rights in Mexico, allowing for the release of an additional $100 million in aid - an act that human rights organizations in Mexico and the United States have condemned.