What Prompted Chill in US-Mexican Ties? Vladimir Gladkov - Voice of Russia
go to original July 10, 2012

Relations between Washington and Mexico sharply deteriorated after the Mexican authorities accused US Border Patrol agents of fatally shooting a Mexican citizen late last week.

It is worth noting, however, that the US itself created a whole array of preconditions for such a scenario. It seems that experts’ forecasts on the possible deterioration in ties between the two immediate neighbors start to come true.

On July 8, the Mexican government officially announced that a Mexican teenager died after being shot and killed by US Border Patrol agents. The Mexican Foreign Ministry, in turn, described the incident as a ‘disproportionate use of lethal force.’

The Border Patrol, on their part, said that the agents opened fire twice after being pelted by rocks and having a gunman, not a teenager, point a weapon in their direction from the Mexican side of the river. The agency added that they notified the Mexican government of both incidents.

8 people have been killed by the Border Patrol agents near US-Mexican border over the past couple of years, something that has provoked a wide public outcry both in the US and Mexico. The 8.000-strong Border Patrol has been involved in many scandals, including the killing of a Mexican boy in 2010. At the time, a Border Patrol officer received widespread condemnation from critics who questioned his use of deadly force against 15-year-old Sergio Adrian Hernandez Guereca who the Border Patrol said was allegedly throwing rocks at the agent when he was shot and killed.

Adding fuel to the fire were attempts by the authorities of Arizona and those of some other US states to adopt tough anti-immigration laws. The Mexican government has repeatedly voiced protests against actions of US border guards and lawmakers. Former Mexican President Luis Calderon went so far as to openly accuse US authorities of racism.

It appears that last week’s tragedy may prod Mexico to change its approach to interacting with its immediate and extremely aggressive neighbor, our political commentator says, citing a recent victory by Enrique Peña Nieto, representative of the opposition Institutional Revolutionary Party, during the presidential elections in Mexico.

American politicians know perfectly well that Nieto’s coming to power is fraught with serious implications for the US. Ordinary Mexicans reacted angrily to Luis Calderon’s incessant efforts to help the US contain drug trafficking and support Washington’s push for cracking down on illegal immigrants. In contrast, Nieto said in a statement earlier this week that he will focus on combating crime inside Mexico rather than supporting the FBI’s drive to fight narcotics trafficking in the US.

In light of this, the US authorities should certainly tread carefully on the latest border killing incident because without Mexican special services’ support the FBI is very unlikely to contain a huge drug cartel network, our political commentator says. In this respect, he concludes, the Border Patrol’s defiant position may well spoil Washington’s plans pertaining to interaction with Mexico.

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