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US Military Aid to Mexico

US military aid to Mexico is directly linked to US economic interests, with disastrous consequences for Indigenous and peasant communities. In 1994, some of the loudest calls to crush the Zapatista rebellion came from US corporations like Chase Manhattan Bank, which had invested billions in Mexico under NAFTA. In response, the US stepped up training and funding for Mexico's army, which fueled massacres and the forced displacement of peasant farmers. After September 11, 2001, the Bush Administration turned to oil-rich countries like Mexico in an attempt to become less dependant on oil from the Middle East. The US doubled military aid to Mexico, in large part to protect the designs of US oil companies in Chiapas, where some of Latin America's largest oil reserves are thought to lie. As military aid increased, Indigenous Peoples in Chiapas witnessed a sharp rise in the number of soldiers in their communities and in human rights violations committed by Mexican troops. An increased military presence in Chiapas sees no signs of abating; free trade agreements will accelerate militarization of the region as the Mexican government moves to protect its investment in hydro-electric dams and other industrialization projects at the expense of Indigenous Peoples' rights.