Enrique Peña Nieto, Mexico’s president-elect, has written an op-ed in The New York Times calling for the United States to “do more to curtail demand for drugs.” The request is part of Peña Nieto’s platform for combating Mexico’s drug and gang related violence, which has led to 60,000 deaths in the past six years, and should also be “married with strong economic and social reforms.”
Peña Nieto has promised to improve the policies of outgoing president Felipe Calderón, including the creation of a 40,000-strong National Gendarmie to focus on rural areas. He has also said he will expand the federal police by 35,000 officers and strengthen intelligence-gathering capabilities in addition to consolidating state and municipal police forces.
