March 31, 2009 [LINK / comment]

Calderon cites U.S. corruption

In a television interview with BBC, the president of Mexico acknowledged that there is corruption in his government, but he said that the problem exists on both sides of the border:

It is impossible to pass tonnes of cocaine to the United States without the complicity of some American authorities.

Well, he's probably right, though it's hard to imagine that U.S. officials are as corrupt as those in Mexico -- except in Chicago, perhaps. smile For purposes of securing bilateral cooperation in tackling the narco-traffic problem, nevertheless, it's better not to worry too much about which side is more corrupt, or less corrupt.

President Calderon also claimed success in reducing the level of violence in Ciudad Juarez (across the river from El Paso, Texas), since 7,000 additional Mexican soldiers were sent there over the past month. Diplomatic relations with Mexico are said to have improved since Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visited Mexico City last week, admitting that U.S. drug abuse is a fundamental part of the problem.