Anti-Corruption Measures in Mérida

The US earlier this week announced the release of $214 million of the Mérida Initiative, tabbed for helicopters, training of Mexican services, X-ray machines for use at the border, and other goodies. In the Mexican and (to a lesser extent) the American media, the release was spun as having an anti-corruption concentration, but it doesn't sound like funds already earmarked for hardware have been diverted into training or monitoring purposes. And, as Shannon O'Neil wrote last year, only about 20 percent of the Mérida money (read: not nearly enough) went toward institution-building in fiscal year 2008. So unless there's been cuts in helicopters and airplanes in favor of increases elsewhere, all that fluff is pretty meaningless.

Nor does this interview with border czar Alan Bersin give much confidence in that regard. I'll probably write more on this later, but if you check his answer to the question coming at about 1:30, he's basically defending the fact that anti-corruption is low on the list of Mérida priorities. Incidentally, I thought the questions were pretty good, but I'd like to see drug warriors politely asked about the viability of the legalized marijuana every time they grant an interview.