September 1, 2022 - It is almost one year since the U.S. and Mexican governments agreed on the the Bicentennial Framework for Security, Public Health, and Safe Communities. On October 8, 2021 the two countries announced this new bilateral security framework which, according to the newspapers at the time, proposed to replace the Mérida Initiative with a less militarized framework for countering the narcotics trade. From 2008 through 2021, the Mérida Initiative flooded Mexico with U.S. weapons, security, and intelligence operations which were widely implicated in drug-trafficking, human rights abuses, and raising Mexico's violent crime and homicide rates to historically high proportions. 

Although U.S.-Mexico security and intelligence exchanges have not been removed from the equation, the next steps presented have brought about some changes.  Over the last year both governments have altogether ignored any question of holding Washington accountability for its past crimes. However, they have also gone further by emphasizing Washington's current role as philanthropic and as a necessary prerequisite for Mexico to reverse the damage done by the Mérida Initiative. 

The aims of the Bicentennial Framework for Security, Public Health, and Safe Communities are to achieve "security" and "stability" through "rule of law and economic reforms" designed to bring about Mexico's "integration" with markets north of the border and U.S.-led regional supranational institutions.

U.S. military strength, Foreign Military Financing and security integration with Mexico is a key link for keeping Mexico attached to the U.S. like a "protectorate" or "trusteeship." Since the signing of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) two years ago, Mexico has found itself overcome more than ever by U.S. imperialism's standard imperative that "democracy and free markets know no boundaries." 

The Biden administration is already gearing up to try to take new liberties with Mexico's nationalized oil resources. Last month Katherine Tai, the U.S. trade representative (USTR) made the following statement to explain why officials at the Office of the United States Trade Representative might impose punitive tariffs on Mexico: "We have repeatedly expressed serious concerns about a series of changes in Mexico’s energy policies and their consistency with Mexico’s commitments under the USMCA. We have tried to work constructively with the Mexican government to address these concerns, but, unfortunately, U.S. companies continue to face unfair treatment in Mexico."

According to National Association of Manufacturers Vice President of International Economic Affairs Ken Monahan, "This bold action from the Biden administration and Ambassador Katherine Tai is critical to stemming measures implemented and proposed by the government of Mexico that contradict the letter and spirit of the USMCA and undermine the rule of law in Mexico… Manufacturers welcome the news that the U.S. has requested dispute settlement consultations with Mexico under the USMCA. We stand ready to work with USTR to quickly reverse Mexico’s unfair energy policies and to address the many other industry challenges in Mexico."

The Workers Party, USA, supports the struggles of the Mexican working class and people against U.S. imperialism and in defense of their sovereignty. We oppose the demands of our own government to impose colossal advantages for the interests of U.S. big capital on Mexico. Furthermore, we emphasize that the real face of the U.S. capitalist state is fully revealed in its struggle to protect the rights of the capitalist property-owners against the working class at home and abroad. The plans of U.S. imperialism to tighten its grip on the entire economic life of Mexico can only be defeated by the struggles of the people. 

While the monopoly-owned media and two party politicians will never stop glorifying American chauvinism about the so-called "superiority" of America's economic and political system, and promoting it as an excuse to trample on the sovereignty of countries and impose U.S. imperialism's dictate, the reality is that the American people have no voice, no say so, in the policies and affairs of the government. It is only by stepping up our struggle to organize ourselves independent of and in opposition to the gigantic capitalist enterprises – to our own ruling class – that we can contribute to bringing into being the world of fundamentally changed, new social relations so much needed and wanted by the overwhelming majority of humanity. We must vigorously organize and develop the political struggle against the U.S. monopoly capitalist class, which lives by the enslavement and domination of whole nations and peoples. The lessons of history show that in the short-term, when independently oriented nations refuse to give in to the threats and blackmail, when they stand and fight, they can win. As for the capitalist-imperialist system, it will remain a system of exploitation and colonialism until it is overthrown by the peoples.