John D. Negroponte, jefe de las 15 agencias de inteligencia de Estados Unidos, externó ayer su preocupación de que el narcotráfico socave la autoridad del Estado mexicano y reconoció que las elecciones del 2 de julio son importantes para los intereses de su país.
En audiencia en el Senado de ese país y acompañado de: Mr. Porter J. Goss, Director of the Central Intelligence Agency; Lieutenant General Michael D. Maples, Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency; Mr. Robert Mueller, Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Ms. Carol Rodley, Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Intelligence and Research; Mr. Charles E. Allen, Chief Intelligence Officer, Department of Homeland Security; and General Michael Hayden, Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence, advirtió que en México y otros países el poder del narcotráfico puede crear un clima peligroso contra la autoridad y los negocios.
"Puede desarrollarse un círculo vicioso en el cual un Gobierno débil le permite a criminales socavar peligrosamente la credibilidad y autoridad del Estado", aseguró el también ex Embajador en México y ante las Naciones Unidas.
"(Esto) trae como consecuencia que se afecte el clima de inversiones, que el crecimiento disminuya, que la actividad de los mercados negros florezca y que menos recursos estén disponibles para infraestructura.
"Estamos particularmente preocupados por este ciclo en países al otro lado del mundo y en aquellos cercanos a casa como Haití, Jamaica y México", dijo Negroponte en su primera audiencia pública como Director Nacional de Inteligencia.
Negroponte recordó que México es el principal abastecedor de marihuana y metanfetaminas a EE UU "Típicamente, los traficantes de drogas -y otros criminales organizados- no buscan derrocar a los Gobiernos, pero sí crecer bajo Gobiernos débiles, vulnerables o susceptibles a la corrupción", enfatizó.
Hemos hecho mucho ruido en México sobre el tema.
Cabe señalar que la principal preocupación de los legisladores del Comité de Inteligencia del Senado fue el programa de espionaje o intercepción de inteligencia interna que ha enfrentado a los demócratas con la administración republicana del Presidente George W. Bush.
Comparto una parte del texto en ingles de Negroponte sobre México:
LATIN AMERICA
A gradual consolidation and improvement of democratic institutions is the dominant trend in much of Latin America. By the year’s end, ten countries will have held presidential elections and none is more important to US interests than the contest in Mexico in July...,
THE SECURITY THREAT FROM NARCOTICS TRAFFICKING
In addition to the central US national security interest in stemming the flow of drugs to this country, there are two international threats related to narcotics: first, the potential threat from an intersection of narcotics and extremism; and second, the threat from the impact of drugs on those ineffective and unreliable nation states about which we are so concerned.
Although the worldwide trafficking-terrorist relationship is limited, the scope of these ties has grown modestly in recent years. A small number of terrorist groups engage the services of or accept donations from criminals, including narcotics traffickers, to help raise operational funds. While the revenue realized by extremists appears small when compared to that of the dedicated trafficking organizations, even small amounts of income can finance destructive acts of terror.
The tie between drug trafficking and extremism is strongest in Colombia and Afghanistan. Both of Colombia’s insurgencies and most of its paramilitary groups reap substantial benefits from cocaine transactions. In Afghanistan, the Taliban and Hizb-i Islami Gulbudin gain at least some of their financial support from their ties to local opiates traffickers. Ties between trafficking and extremists elsewhere are less robust and profitable. North African extremists involved in the 2004 Madrid train bombings reportedly used drug income to buy their explosives. Most major international organized crime groups have kept terrorists at arm’s length, although some regional criminal gangs have supplied fraudulent or altered travel documents, moved illicit earnings, or provided other criminal services to members of insurgent or terrorist groups for a fee. Narcotics traffickers—and other organized criminals—typically do not want to see governments toppled but thrive in states where governments are weak, vulnerable to or seeking out corruption, and unable—or unwilling—to consistently enforce the rule of law. Nonetheless, a vicious cycle can develop in which a weakened government enables criminals to dangerously undercut the state’s credibility and authority with the consequence that the investment climate suffers, economic growth withers, black market activity rises, and fewer resources are available for civil infrastructure and governance.
We are particularly concerned about this cycle in countries on the other side of the world, such as Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Burma, and those close to home, such as in Haiti, Jamaica, and Mexico. About 90 percent of detected cocaine destined for the US was smuggled through the Mexico– Central America corridor; nearly all Mexican heroin is for the US market; and Mexico is the primary foreign supplier of marijuana and methamphetamine to the US.
Las reacciones no se han hecho esperar:
A gradual consolidation and improvement of democratic institutions is the dominant trend in much of Latin America. By the year’s end, ten countries will have held presidential elections and none is more important to US interests than the contest in Mexico in July...,
THE SECURITY THREAT FROM NARCOTICS TRAFFICKING
In addition to the central US national security interest in stemming the flow of drugs to this country, there are two international threats related to narcotics: first, the potential threat from an intersection of narcotics and extremism; and second, the threat from the impact of drugs on those ineffective and unreliable nation states about which we are so concerned.
Although the worldwide trafficking-terrorist relationship is limited, the scope of these ties has grown modestly in recent years. A small number of terrorist groups engage the services of or accept donations from criminals, including narcotics traffickers, to help raise operational funds. While the revenue realized by extremists appears small when compared to that of the dedicated trafficking organizations, even small amounts of income can finance destructive acts of terror.
The tie between drug trafficking and extremism is strongest in Colombia and Afghanistan. Both of Colombia’s insurgencies and most of its paramilitary groups reap substantial benefits from cocaine transactions. In Afghanistan, the Taliban and Hizb-i Islami Gulbudin gain at least some of their financial support from their ties to local opiates traffickers. Ties between trafficking and extremists elsewhere are less robust and profitable. North African extremists involved in the 2004 Madrid train bombings reportedly used drug income to buy their explosives. Most major international organized crime groups have kept terrorists at arm’s length, although some regional criminal gangs have supplied fraudulent or altered travel documents, moved illicit earnings, or provided other criminal services to members of insurgent or terrorist groups for a fee. Narcotics traffickers—and other organized criminals—typically do not want to see governments toppled but thrive in states where governments are weak, vulnerable to or seeking out corruption, and unable—or unwilling—to consistently enforce the rule of law. Nonetheless, a vicious cycle can develop in which a weakened government enables criminals to dangerously undercut the state’s credibility and authority with the consequence that the investment climate suffers, economic growth withers, black market activity rises, and fewer resources are available for civil infrastructure and governance.
We are particularly concerned about this cycle in countries on the other side of the world, such as Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Burma, and those close to home, such as in Haiti, Jamaica, and Mexico. About 90 percent of detected cocaine destined for the US was smuggled through the Mexico– Central America corridor; nearly all Mexican heroin is for the US market; and Mexico is the primary foreign supplier of marijuana and methamphetamine to the US.
Las reacciones no se han hecho esperar:
Dedes París, el canciller Luis Ernesto Derbez afirmó que en el combate el narcotráfico México- EE UU tienen "una responsabilidad compartida" y que México "ha cumplido con su parte".
"Es un tema de responsabilidad compartida y que tendremos que seguir trabajando en ello"; Averiguaremos cuales son las inquietudes del señor Negroponte y con todo gusto daremos respuesta a esas inquietudes", subrayó el secretario Derbez.
Rubén Aguilar, Vocero de Los Pinos antes preguntas expresa señaló:
"Mira, el día de ayer en la noche y el día de ayer la Cancillería mexicana fijó la posición, mandó un comunicado a los diversos medios y esa es la posición del Gobierno de México."
Christian Daza, de Grupo ACIR, insitsió: Creen ustedes, entonces, en que el Gobierno ha sido débil, vulnerable ante lo que es el narcotráfico, todo esto por las declaraciones hechas por el director de Inteligencia Nacional de los Estados Unidos.
"Es un tema de responsabilidad compartida y que tendremos que seguir trabajando en ello"; Averiguaremos cuales son las inquietudes del señor Negroponte y con todo gusto daremos respuesta a esas inquietudes", subrayó el secretario Derbez.
Rubén Aguilar, Vocero de Los Pinos antes preguntas expresa señaló:
"Mira, el día de ayer en la noche y el día de ayer la Cancillería mexicana fijó la posición, mandó un comunicado a los diversos medios y esa es la posición del Gobierno de México."
Christian Daza, de Grupo ACIR, insitsió: Creen ustedes, entonces, en que el Gobierno ha sido débil, vulnerable ante lo que es el narcotráfico, todo esto por las declaraciones hechas por el director de Inteligencia Nacional de los Estados Unidos.
-Vocero: Desde luego que no, pero me remito al boletín de la Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores, que fijó la posición a nombre del Gobierno de México el día de ayer.
Perfil
Negroponte fue designado el 17 de febrero de 2005, por el presidente George W. Bush.
Negroponte fue designado el 17 de febrero de 2005, por el presidente George W. Bush.
Tiene 65 años, y pertenece al servicio exterior; ingresó al servicio exterior estadounidense en 1960, y entre 1971 y 1973 era el funcionario a cargo de Vietnam en el Consejo Nacional de Seguridad, cuando lo presidía Henry Kissinger.
En 1987 regresó a colaborar con Colin Powell, y de julio de 1989 a septiembre de 1993 fue embajador en México.
