{"id":38682,"date":"2012-04-05T07:10:05","date_gmt":"2012-04-05T13:10:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nmpolitics.net\/index\/?p=38682"},"modified":"2012-04-06T07:50:19","modified_gmt":"2012-04-06T13:50:19","slug":"dem-senate-candidates-talk-about-mexicos-drug-war","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/2012\/04\/dem-senate-candidates-talk-about-mexicos-drug-war\/","title":{"rendered":"Dem Senate candidates talk about Mexico\u2019s drug war"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"The<\/a>

The Ju\u00e1rez Cartel detonated this car bomb in Cuid\u00e1d Ju\u00e1rez, Mexico in 2010. (Department of Homeland Security photo)<\/p><\/div>\n

\u2018I will give my every effort to make sure the violence and illegal activity are stemmed,\u2019 Hector Balderas pledges; Martin Heinrich says the United States must rethink its drug war and focus on \u2018policies of rehabilitation\u2019 to reduce illegal drug use here.<\/h4>\n

This post continues a series on the\u00a0U.S. Senate<\/a>\u00a0and 1st Congressional District<\/a>\u00a0candidates\u2019 stances on various policy issues.<\/em><\/p>\n

Hector Balderas<\/a> pledges to \u201cstand up for the rule of law\u201d in combating Mexico\u2019s drug war and illegal drug use in the United States; Martin Heinrich<\/a> says the conventional drug war \u201cis simply not working\u201d and supports a comprehensive approach to solving the problem.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Balderas, a Democratic candidate for New Mexico\u2019s open U.S. Senate seat, said the United States must reduce the number of firearms trafficked into Mexico. He said he will work to increase accountability for U.S. dollars spent in Mexico and to ensure the United States\u2019 partners there are \u201creliable, trustworthy and transparent.\u201d<\/p>\n

Balderas said he supports initiatives that increase international cooperation in addressing the violence in Mexico and will \u201cwork to make sure this country remains a leader in standing up for the world\u2019s needy,\u201d including Mexican families that have been \u201cdisplaced by the horrific violence.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI will always stand up for the rule of law,\u201d he said. \u201cThe drug wars have to end, as does the United States\u2019 consumption of illegal drugs. The strength of our economy, the safety of our communities and the stability on our border depend on it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Heinrich, Balderas\u2019 opponent in the Democratic primary, said Mexican drug cartels and transnational criminal organizations \u201cpose a serious threat to the security of the United States and must be addressed in a comprehensive way.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s clear that the drug war as envisioned and executed in the 1980s is simply not working,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Heinrich said in addition to supporting Mexico\u2019s efforts to combat cartel operations and imprison cartel members and freeze their assets, the United States must \u201crecognize and deal with the fact that ending the violence will be difficult so long as there is an appetite for cocaine and heroin.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFocusing on policies of rehabilitation will help quell the appetite for these illicit drugs,\u201d he said. \u201cWhen the demand goes down, so too will the violence.\u201d<\/p>\n

The question<\/h3>\n

The Democratic U.S. Senate candidates made their comments in response to a question from NMPolitics.net about Mexico\u2019s drug war. NMPolitics.net gave them no word minimum or limit, telling them to say what they had to say. The only criterion was that they not engage in personal attacks.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s the question NMPolitics.net asked:<\/p>\n