Recent Publications

Mexico’s Narco-Insurgency and U.S. Counterdrug Policy
May 1, 2009 — Author: Dr Hal Brands In late 2007, the U.S. and Mexican governments unveiled the Merida Initiative. A 3-year, $1.4 billion counternarcotics assistance program, the Merida Initiative is designed to combat the drug-fueled violence that has ravaged Mexico of late. The initiative aims to strengthen the Mexican police and military, permitting them to... MORE

The Search for Accountability and Transparency in PLAN COLOMBIA: Reforming Judicial Institutions–Again
May 1, 2001 — Author: Dr Luz E Nagle The author argues that confidence in an efficient, courageous and transparent judiciary goes to the very heart of the governability of Colombia, and that Plan Colombia does not address the root causes of Colombia's problems. These are weak government, inequality, absence of citizen participation, corruption and an ineffective... MORE

Between a Rock and a Hard Place: The United States, Mexico, and the Agony of National Security
June 24, 1997 — Author: Dr Donald E Schulz The North American Free Trade Association has accelerated its interdependence with the U.S. economy. At the same time, Mexico has been experiencing great political, economic, and social disruption, and has become the territory of origin or transit of most of the illegal drugs entering the United States. The growing... MORE