U.S. and Mexico Water Dispute Settled, Rice Says

Amid recent strains in U.S.-Mexican relations, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice announced Thursday that the two nations had settled an acrimonious water dispute and took pains to emphasize Mexico’s help in the fight against terrorism and drug trafficking.

Mexican President Vicente Fox and members of his Cabinet have expressed dissatisfaction with recent U.S. statements about alleged human rights abuses, border insecurity and even the possibility that next year’s Mexican presidential election might increase instability along the border.

Rice was in Mexico City to lay the groundwork for a March 23 summit between Fox, President Bush and Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin. The leaders are expected to tackle issues such as immigration, border security and possible changes to the North American Free Trade Agreement when they meet in Texas.

The water accord could end several years of cross-border sniping, especially from Texas farmers who accused Mexicans of hogging water in violation of terms of a 1944 treaty governing distribution from the Rio Grande, its tributaries and other rivers.

Under provisions of that treaty, in which the two nations share water from their rivers, Mexico owes the United States 716,000 acre-feet of water, down from 1.3 million acre-feet in late 2002. (The measurement refers to the amount of water needed to cover an acre to a depth of 1 foot.)

According to the U.S. State Department, Mexico has agreed to send enough water to the U.S. to clear up the deficit by September.

Drought on both sides of the border had intensified the dispute. However, heavy rainfall over the last two years has improved water supplies.

“This ensures continued cooperation in the management of this precious natural resource to the benefit of both economies,” Rice said of Thursday’s agreement.

Relations between the two nations have been strained since the release in January of a letter from U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Tony Garza that said Fox’s government was unable to keep law and order along the border.

The letter cited increases in violence among competing drug cartels and the kidnappings and disappearances of Americans. The State Department then issued a travel advisory warning U.S. citizens that crossing the border was risky.

Given the Mexican government’s view that it has carried out an aggressive and high-cost offensive on narcotics traffickers since Fox entered office in 2000, the criticisms were seen here as at least insensitive and ungenerous.

Rice sought to smooth those ruffled feathers Thursday.

“We understand and appreciate within the context of Mexican laws Mexico has been a very good partner in matters concerning counter-narcotics,” Rice said. As for the two countries forming a common front against terrorism, Rice said, “Thanks to increasing cooperation after Sept. 11, we’re making progress.”

Rice was asked about a statement last month by CIA Director Porter J. Goss that Mexico’s 2006 presidential election campaign probably would stall needed reforms in the country, bringing instability to the border region. Goss’ comments to the Senate, which warned that a series of upcoming Latin American elections could destabilize the region, raised hackles here and triggered charges of interference in Mexican politics.

“Mexico is a democracy, and it’s not the position or the right of United States to be involved in any way in Mexico’s presidential election in 2006,” Rice said. “We’ve been enormously impressed with how Mexico carries out its democratic enterprise, how Mexico’s institutions function, and how this is a country of laws and democratic institutions.”

Rice briefly visited Fox at his official Mexico City residence, Los Pinos, before holding talks with her Mexican counterpart, Foreign Minister Luis Ernesto Derbez.

The two diplomats were expected go over security issues that will top the summit agenda. The United States wants tougher measures, but Mexicans already are irritated by long delays at border crossings that they say are hurting trade and tourism.

With just a little more than one year left in his presidency, Fox has staked a considerable portion of his waning political capital on his push for a new U.S. immigration law that would legalize the status of hundreds of thousands of Mexicans working in the United States. Prospects for such a new law are uncertain because of opposition in Congress.

Rice assured Derbez that a “humane” immigration reform bill granting at least temporary legal status to hundreds of thousands Mexican workers in the U.S. is still high on the list of Bush’s legislative priorities for this year.