Mexican people suffered terribly at the hands of oppressors before these powerful statements were made which brought levels of more freedom for them.
Things went right to hell, however, when George W. Bush militarized the War on Drugs with Calderon for Mexico, and violence exploded almost overnight, and has never abated, not for a moment,
Here's a quick reference, not the best, by far, but helpful for anyone who could use a refresher:
A Primer on Plan Mexico
Escrito por Laura Carlsen | 5 / May / 2008
Updated July 10, 2008
On June 30, President George W. Bush signed into law the Merida Initiativebetter known as Plan Mexicojust days after it passed Congress as part of the Iraq supplemental funding bill. The measure had to go through several versions before finally being approved by both houses, as legislators went back and forth with the Bush administration and Mexico President Felipe Calderóns government over human rights conditions.
In the end, even the weak conditions that had been placed on the bill were largely removed. Both administrations proclaimed themselves satisfied with the deal, and Congress hailed a new era in binational cooperation. But with human rights relegated to the sidelines, Mexican society and U.S.-Mexico relations face a militarized future in which the unchecked power of abusive security forces adds to, rather than resolves, the alarming violence of organized crime.
The final aid package of $400 million differs little in content and conception from the original version presented by President Bush on Oct. 22 of last year. According to the Bush proposal and authorization by the House of Representatives, the entire three-year package could allocate up to $1.6 billion to Mexico, Central American, and Caribbean countries for security aid to design and carry out counter-narcotics, counter-terrorism, and border security measures.
Mexico and the United States face a joint challenge in decreasing transnational organized crime and they must cooperate to strengthen the rule of law and stop illegal drug and arms trafficking over the border. But in the rush to tag Plan Mexico on to the Iraq supplemental and demonstrate support for Mexico to Latino voters, many legislators paid little attention to the specifics of the measure. The initiative contains fatal flaws in its strategy. Its military approach to counter-narcotics work will escalate drug-related violence and human rights abuses and result in an inability to achieve its own goals.
Although presented as an unprecedented effort to fight burgeoning drug trafficking and violence related to organized crime in Mexico, the Regional Security Cooperation Initiative goes far beyond stopping the flow of illegal drugs. It fundamentally restructures the U.S.-Mexico binational relationship, recasts economic and social problems as security issues, and militarizes Mexican society.
More:
http://www.cipamericas.org/archives/1474