U.S. President Obama meets with Mexico's President-elect Nieto in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington (Kevin Lamarque/Courtesy Reuters).

Share

--

--

As new administrations in Mexico and the United States start working together next year, I wrote a Policy Innovation Memorandum for CFR on how best to refocus the security relationship. In short:

U.S.-Mexico security cooperation, led by the Merida Initiative, is vital and must continue. But with Enrique Peña Nieto’s inauguration, Mexico’s political landscape is now changing, and the United States must adjust its strategy and support accordingly. Building on the lessons of the past five years, the United States should work with Mexico to implement the nonmilitary programs envisioned in the current Merida framework, in particular supporting and prioritizing Mexico’s ongoing judicial reform, training police officers at the state and local levels, modernizing the U.S.-Mexico border, and investing in local community and youth-oriented programs.

To read the full policy innovation memorandum, click here.