President Calderón stressed that both the US and Mexico must recognize their shared responsibility toward fighting organized crime. The president said that their work should be like a battle in which both nations fight and win as allies, each in its own territory, each in its own jurisdiction, but with extensive collaboration in terms of information, intelligence, and public policy. These comments came during the President’s visit to Ciudad Juárez on Tuesday March 16, his third visit to the border city this year. He mentioned that the organized crime problem that has been ailing Ciudad Juárez is due to factors affecting both countries, such as the consumption of drugs in the US and the illicit arms and drug trafficking across the border.
Two European Union officials agreed that organized crime is an international problem, not just one faced by Mexico, and as such it requires international efforts and coordination to combat it. The head of the European Union’s delegation in Mexico, Marie Anne Coninsx, affirmed that Mexico “does not need assistance” from other nations, rather, it needs transnational cooperation without impositions. Her comments were echoed by the European Commission’s adjunct Director General for Latin America, Stefano Sannino, who said that the European Union’s assistance to Mexico would not come with strings attached. Coninsx also added that the European Union is ready to work with Mexico and share its own experiences in combating organized crime in Europe.
Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano recently stated in an interview that the US would continue to assist Mexico in this matter. On Tuesday March 16, officials confirmed that the FBI would be involved in investigating the attacks on the three people linked to the US consulate on Saturday March 13. However, this announcement has created a stir among Mexican political circles.
The congressional delegations of three Mexican opposition parties in the Chamber of Deputies urged that any involvement by the FBI should be strictly technical. The US Ambassador to Mexico, Carlos Pascual, made clear that no US agency officials would be performing operations in Mexico and that theirs is a supporting role. The Ambassador also recognized that Mexican authorities have jurisdiction over all three crimes as they occurred on Mexican territory.
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