Mexico's insecurity in North America

Instituto Tecnologico de MonterreyOctober 18, 2007INTRODUCTIONThis paper will argue first that Mexico's incapacity to develop a coherent national and regional security framework has paralleled Mexico's inability to undergo a reformation of Mexican State, and with it, of national security reform. Second, rather than true change, authoritarian legacies have been more robust and abundant in Mexico since arrival of right wing, National Action Party (PAN), in year 2000. Third, controversial result of 2006 presidential election in Mexico has exacerbated polarization between right and left to construct consensus and platforms for local and national security regarding terrorism, natural disasters, and drug trafficking due to lack of legitimacy in government. 1 These circumstances encapsulate current Mexican framework and highlight exacerbation of threats and vulnerabilities Mexico faces in order to address changing regional and international security environment and prospect of creating a new security perimeter in North America.BEYOND A DEMOCRATIC TRANSITIONIn 1990s several academics argued that a Mexican transition to democracy was only way to develop a coherent national security doctrine for country because corrupt nature of Mexican political system created sources of instability and distrust in Mexico and abroad after decades of a single party in For example, in 1996 Guadalupe Gonzalez stated that democracy could give country enduring stability and internal peace. Genuine democratization requires not just clean and fair elections but also effective administration of justice and decentralization of power. 2 Today, Mexico's transition to democracy is in question after 2006 presidential election. Despite political opening in 2000, Fox administration did not manage to develop a coherent national security doctrine, structure, organization. or a solid legal framework. Unfortunately, government of Felipe Calderon has not delineated bases of a global and integral plan of state reform on national security especially in terms of Mexico's deepening integration with its North American neighbors of Canada and United States. Within its current political, institutional, and conceptual vacuum, Mexico is much more vulnerable and unsafe than a decade ago and unable to effectively defend its national interests. Were assumptions of 1990s wrong? Or is lack of a national security doctrine in Mexico today outcome of intense and deep divisions among political elites? What are consequences for North American regional security initiatives?EXPLORING SOME EXPLANATIONSIn 2000, Mexican transition to democracy equipped Vicente Fox with unprecedented legitimacy, not only for government, but for viability of Mexican State. The democratic bond given to government through ballot boxes was a historical opportunity to (1) redirect relationship with United States and (2) carry out reform of state and national security apparatus.Some of first successes of Mexican foreign policy were suspension of decertification policy by U.S. Congress, recognition of a North American Community, initial negotiations of migratory reform, and public acceptance by Bush administration that Mexico was the most important nation for U.S. foreign policy. 3 For President Fox and his then minister of foreign relations, Jorge G. Castaneda, their proactive initiatives represented an important departure from defensive nature of Mexican foreign policy in their first months of Within government ? Commission of Order and Respect led by Adolfo Aguilar Zinser ? national security advisor had responsibility to coordinate a long-term perspective on national security, national sovereignty, preservation of rule of law, governability, public security, administration of justice, and honest government in coordination with cabinet members including: 4[Figure omitted. …

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