MEXICAN SENATORS PLANNING U.S. VISIT TO DISCUSS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MEXICO 005243

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/27/2027
TAGS: KCRM MX PGOV PREL SNAR
SUBJECT: MEXICAN SENATORS PLANNING U.S. VISIT TO DISCUSS
COOPERATION


1. (C) SUMMARY. Senior-level Mexican Senators are
considering traveling to Washington for the purpose of
meeting with their counterparts from the U.S. Congress. We
understand President Calderon and PAN Party stalwarts in the
Mexican Congress seek to use these trips to lay the
groundwork for an eventual package of enhanced U.S./Mexican
cooperation in the fight against organized crime. Post
expects Mexico's Embassy will be in contact with the
Department regarding the visits and relies on the
Department's judgment regarding the best time for the visits
and a good agenda of meetings. END SUMMARY.

Looking for Cooperation and More Respect


2. (C) Senator Ricardo Garcia Cervantes (PAN),President of
the Senate's Foreign Relations Commission on North America,
told visiting WHA/MEX Office Director Ian Brownlee and Acting
PolCouns September 20 that he would like to visit Washington,
preferably mid-October, primarily for the purpose of meeting
with senior U.S. Congressional leaders to discuss building a
stronger relationship between the U.S. and Mexico. Mexico
needs to promote greater prosperity to make it stronger and
achieve in twemtu years what takes most nations fifty.
Garcia remarked that Mexico was dedicating greater resources
to combating organized crime and signaled openness to greater
cooperation with the U.S. However, violence was taking its
toll on Mexico's political will. He allowed that Mexico only
had "two years" to prove that the increased funds and lives
dedicated to this fight were producing progress. Otherwise,
the funding would dry up. Mexico was not looking for the U.S.
to provide "assistance," particularly in the form of men on
the ground, but rather "cooperation" in the form of
intelligence and technology. He noted the technology the
U.S. brings to bear in inspecting goods entering the U.S. He
urged the U.S. to dedicate that same technology to inspect
goods departing the U.S. as part of an effort to curb the
flow of illegal arms into Mexico.


3. (C) Garcia invited Senators Carlos Jimenez (PRI) and
Tomas Torres (PRD) to participate in the meeting. Garcia
insisted Mexico considered its relationship with the U.S. its
most important. However, both he and Jimenez conveyed
disappointment over the lack of attention senior U.S.
Congressional representatives had afforded Mexico in the past
and stressed the need for more expansive, substance contact
with their Congressional contacts. All three Senators wanted
to see more resources dedicated to the North American
Development Bank. They thought disproportionate resources
were dedicated to security and wanted to see greater funds
dedicated to development projects.

Laying the Groundwork for Cooperation with the U.S.


4. (C) On September 25, Garcia in his capacity as President
of the Senate Foreign Relations Commission on North America
presented a resolution to the Senate seeking agreement on his
making his trip to the U.S., accompanied by other Senate
leaders, for the purpose of initiating dialogue with U.S.
Congressional counterparts about deepening cooperation with
the U.S. in the fight against drug trafficking. Garcia's
senior advisor, Karla Mendoza, who probably drafted the
resolution (sent by email 9/27 to WHA/MEX),conceded it took
some jabs at the U.S., but insisted Garcia's overarching
intent was to lay the groundwork and establish a constructive
tone for enhanced U.S./Mexican cooperation. Mendoza noted
that Garcia had been in contact with President Calderon on
this initiative but maintained the Presidency had not/not
cleared off on Garcia's Senate resolution. Some of the
resolution's more salient points include the following:

-- Drug trafficking makes no distinction when it comes to
nationalities or damage to society in general.

-- President Calderon has assumed responsibility for
recovering Mexican society with all of the State's forces.

-- On a daily basis, dozens die, including civilians, police,
and soldiers, all at the hands of the mafia.

-- Mexico has increased international cooperation with others
that share our problems and their consequences; the Senate
has ratified extradition treaties with the aim of not
allowing criminals to escape justice.

-- Mexico's money laundering legislation and Penal Code have
been brought into accord with the regional framework.

-- Drug trafficking has left its mark not only in the form of
criminal networks and corruption but also rising levels of

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drug consumption by youth.

-- Our neighbor the U.S. suffers the same problems.

-- The U.S. must recognize its co-responsibility and
obligation to do its part ) not with rhetoric ) but with
common and concrete efforts.

-- Mexico does not need men, nor talent, nor much less the
operational presence of foreigners. Rather, in this age of
advanced technology, Mexico needs the U.S. to dedicate its
own equipment and intelligence systems to the fight against
crime ) here and in the U.S.

-- The U.S. right to bear arms cannot be allowed to undermine
the shared responsibility of the U.S. and Mexico to confront
international arms trafficking.

-- The U.S. uses high technology to detect everything that
enters its country. Why can't it use that technology to
detect arms trafficked from the U.S. into Mexico?

-- Both Mexico and the U.S. should be committed to
cooperation given shared responsibility.

-- Requests authorization from the Senate to take up
pertinent discussions with U.S. Congressional counterparts to
explore broader and more efficient cooperation in the fight
against drug trafficking.

-- It is not the time to build walls but rather construct
alliances to combat the threat of drug trafficking and
organized crime in our region.

-- Cooperation is the ideal instrument to achieve this end.

... And Another Senate Visit to the U.S. in the Works


5. (C) Separately, Senator Adriana Gonzalez, Vice-President
of the Senate's Foreign Relations Commission, told WHA/MEX
deskoff Mary Stickles and Acting PolCouns September 26 that
Senator Santiago Creel (PAN),the President of the Senate's
Political Coordination Board, was looking at Garcia's trip as
an advance for a separate Mexican Senate trip to the U.S. he
would like to organize. Gonzalez signaled Creel would like
to travel to the U.S. in late October as the head of a
delegation that would include fellow Coordination Board
members and Senators Mario Fabio Beltrones (PRI) and Carlos
Navarrete (PRD) amongst others. Gonzalez remarked, only half
jokingly, that in addition to meeting with Congressional
leaders from both parties, she would welcome meetings with
Presidential hopefuls Senators Clinton and Obama. Gonzalez
said that Creel was coordinating with Garcia on his visit to
the U.S. (NOTE: The Senate's Political Coordination Board
represents the most powerful players in the Mexican Senate
working behind the scenes over recent months to move key
reform legislation ahead. END NOTE.) Gonzalez remarked that
Creel maintains close contact with President Calderon
regarding key priorities including building broader
cooperation with the U.S. in combating drug trafficking.


6. (C) COMMENT. Post regards the Mexican Senate's desire
to engage its U.S. counterparts as inevitable and probably
unavoidable. It will require care and close coordination
with the GOM to keep their role constructive and focused
mutual security issues and away from migration. Mendoza,
Senator Garcia's advisor, told Acting PolCons that Garcia's
visit was to serve as an advance for Creel's follow-on,
higher level visit. However, she also said Garcia and Creel
were looking to Washington for guidance about the best time
to come. Garcia was prepared to look at postponing his trip
if that were our recommendation. We understand these
Senators are also working through Mexico's Embassy to pursue
meetings with U.S. Congressional leaders, the State
Department, and other offices. We rely on the Department for
guidance about the best time for visits to the U.S. and
preparing a full schedule of meetings. END COMMENT.


Visit Mexico City's Classified Web Site at
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/mexicocity and the North American
Partnership Blog at http://www.intelink.gov/communities/state/nap /
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