Mexico’s drug war
Felipe Calderon is engaged in a high stakes battle for control of his country's security. Official figures claim 3,000 people have been killed in drug related crimes alone, a huge spike from last year. To separate casual drug users from the cartels, Calderon has proposed to scrap penalties for small amounts of drug possession on condition that anyone caught would be forced to go through rehab. His proposal would also stiffen penalties on drug dealers. But this congressman, a Calderon loyalist, says the plan will never fly. However this anti-narcotics expert for the White House says this is the right plan at the right time. This analyst says Calderon small time drug use has gone up a bit, and the govermemnt is recognizing they need to focus on the big cartels. U.S. aid to help fight the cartels is set to arrive within weeks and the analyst echoes Calderon who says the hardware won't immediately end the drug war, but the war will eventually be won. Many Mexicans are extremely skeptical of the government's efforts.
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