U.S. Trims Anti-Drug Funds for Mexico

The State Department has scaled back a U.S. program established to support Mexico’s battle against its drug cartels over the nation’s failure to show progress in human rights, The Washington Post reported Sunday. Congress has appropriated $2.3 billion for Mexico’s drug war as a part of the Merida Initiative since 2008, but this year the State Department decided to instead divert 15 percent of those funds —$5 million—to coca eradication in Peru. The 2014 State Department annual report on human rights concluded there were numerous allegations that Mexican authorities “committed arbitrary or unlawful killings, often with impunity.” The decision to scale back funds underscores U.S. frustration with Mexico’s leadership in the wake of last year’s disappearance of 43 students from a teachers college.