Mexican Government Resembling China, North Korea?

The Mexican government is starting to look as paranoid as China's and North Korea's in recent days, spending a great deal of time and effort attempting to cover up its losing battle with drug gangs and other criminals along our shared border.

They must feel they have no chance of winning the war if their focus is on pretending it isn't happening in the first place:


(Houston Chronicle Foreign Service)

MEXICO CITY - Senior Mexican officials Thursday blasted what one called an "exaggerated" State Department alert that warned U.S. citizens of increased security dangers in Mexico's border cities.

Aides to President Vicente Fox issued a statement that implied Mexico's sovereignty had been attacked by the statement, which severely criticized Mexico's police and judicial system. "The Mexican government will not accept any judgment or examination from a foreign government," it said.

Fox's Cabinet ministers went on television to criticize the alert and an accompanying letter by U.S. Ambassador Tony Garza.

Interior Minister Santiago Creel — considered the second most powerful figure in Fox's government and a potential presidential candidate in 2006 — said American officials had been undiplomatic in the manner in which they had released the statement and Garza's letter. Both were given to reporters in Mexico City and Washington about the same time on Wednesday.