Mexican president says US ‘complicit’ in drug trade

In an exclusive interview with the BBC’s John Simpson, Mexican President Felipe Calderon has warned that corruption among American officials may be making it harder to deal with drug-trafficking between Mexico and the US.

Speaking in Mexico City before leaving for his state visit to London immediately ahead of next week’s G20 summit, Mr Calderon said violence in the border city of Juarez had fallen by 73% in the month since he sent 7,000 extra troops there.

There has been open warfare in Juarez for more than a year; last year, 5,600 people were killed in drug-related attacks in Mexico, many in Juarez.

The drop in murders there has been a big success for him, especially coming as it does immediately before he meets other world leaders in London.

But analysts in Mexico City point out that there was also a fall in the violence in Juarez last year when he sent a first detachment of troops in. It quickly rose again.

US ‘complicity’