03/26/12- In an interview with CNN México, former president of Mexico Vicente Fox explained that in order to end the violence, organized crime, and drug trafficking in Mexico, something more needs to be done than capture high-profile criminals. Last year, President Calderón expressed a desire to capture drug lords, in particular Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán Loera–the head of the Sinaloa Cartel–who escaped from a maximum security prison in 2001. Former President Fox mentioned, however, that “the violence goes far beyond El Chapo. Hopefully they find him, hopefully they apprehend him and they bring him to justice, not just eliminate him with bullets, but to really bring him to justice,” said Fox, continuing with, “hopefully this happens, but there are a lot of people working on this, and broader solutions need to be applied in this sense.”
One of the solutions proposed by Mr. Fox during the interview was that a date be set for the withdrawal of the military from the streets. He mentioned, as well, that while the U.S. government supports the capture of high-profile criminals, nothing is being done to contribute to the fight. He argued that the United States sits in a comfortable position asking the Mexican government to apprehend criminals so that they do not end up in U.S. territory. In a previous interview with Milenio, Fox demonstrated similar thoughts when he stated, “I still have not heard Obama say ‘Enough already.’” He later explained that the goal of the government should be to achieve peace. Fox is also critical of the U.S. and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) for, according to what Fox believes, negotiating with traffickers and king pins like “El Chapo,” giving them money and reduced sentences in exchange for information.
Fox recognized the importance of these issues in relation to the upcoming presidential elections in July, and monitors the promises that candidates are making on a daily basis. His interview with CNN México took place at Centro Fox, an organization founded and directed by the former president in order to assess the politics of the three largest parties in Mexico–the National Action Party (Partido de Acción Nacional, PAN), Institutional Revolutionary Party (Partido Revolucionario Institucional, PRI), and the Democratic Revolutionary Party (Partido de la Revolución Democrática, PRD). He points out, however, that, “it is Centro Fox, not Vicente Fox,” doing the monitoring.
When asked who he would be voting for in the upcoming presidential elections in July, Fox explained that he wants to listen to each candidate. If he did not hear a candidate with a real solution to the drug violence in Mexico, Fox continued, his vote would not count.
Sources:
“Negocia EU con narcotraficantes mexicanos como “El Chapo” Guzmán: Fox”. Milenio. March 20, 2012
