An old-fashioned sheriff

By Guillermo Alvarado

With a cowboy hat and the air of a thug, U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Kennet Lee Salazar once again demonstrated that diplomacy is not his strength, nor is education and respect for the sovereignty of other peoples.

Better known as "Ken" Salazar, the official lashed out at the security strategy of former President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, particularly in the fight against organized crime behind drug, arms and human trafficking.

He also said that the Mexican government has closed the doors to bilateral cooperation with the United States on this issue and has suspended Washington's operational efforts.

This is an open act of interference in the country where he works, but it is also an unprecedented rudeness and, finally, a boundless falsehood.

All the statistics show that during López Obrador's administration, crime and drug trafficking have decreased and that 89 people linked to these crimes have been extradited at the request of the United States.

Salazar did not mention that drugs cross Mexican territory because the northern power has the largest consumer market in the world, something that no government has managed to solve because they can't or don't want to.

This gentleman is a lawyer, so he must know very well one of the principles of commerce, legal or illegal, which is that once the demand is cut off, the supply disappears, a simple equation that the United States is ignoring.

Drug trafficking mafias exist in Mexico because on the other side of the border there are at least 15 million consumers and a financial system eager to launder the profits.

 He also failed to mention that the firearms used by criminals in Mexico are trafficked by criminal organizations based in U.S. territory, nor did he say a word about Mexico's lawsuit against the industry and trade of these devices in the neighboring country.

There are many reasons why Lopez Obrador has suspended "Washington's operations". The most violent period suffered by Mexican society occurred when former President Felipe Calderón agreed to use his country as a scenario for the alleged war against drug trafficking.

I invite you to read an editorial on the subject published in the newspaper La Jornada, where there are many more elements of judgment in this regard.