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Mexican President Felipe Calderon said Saturday that his controversial war on drugs had cost criminal gangs $14.5 billion as he submitted his administration's last report to congress. Calderon leaves office on December 1 after a six-year term that has been overshadowed by his government's struggle to tame drug-related violence that has left more than 50,000 people dead since 2006.
But in his final report to the new congress, the conservative leader, who is limited to one term by law, focused on the capture of gang leaders and the massive seizures of cash and drugs.
"During this administration, the federal government was committed to returning peace and calm to Mexicans, as well as preventing violence and building the foundations of an authentic and lasting peace," Calderon's report said.
"Crime has been confronted decisively because it is the main threat to the pace and freedom of Mexicans, as well as the democratic institutions," it said.
In the past six years, authorities have seized 114 tonnes of cocaine, nearly 11,000 tonnes of marijuana and more than 75 tonnes of methamphetamines.
More than 100,000 vehicles, 515 boats and 578 aircraft have been confiscated along with more than $1 billion in cash.
All these actions represented a loss of $14.5 billion for the cartels, Calderon said. According to the public security ministry, the criminal organisations control a $64 billion market.
The Mexican leader added that 22 of the 37 most wanted criminal were either captured or died.
Outside the congress, which opened its first session since July 1 elections, some 5,000 protesters demonstrated against Calderon's security strategy.
The student movement Yosoy132 submitted its own "counter-report" which read: "We have seen a cowardly presidenty speak about courage while society contributed the dead, the displaced, the kidnapped, and the ill-treated by the authorities."
Calderon will hand off the presidency to Enrique Pena Nieto of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), who has vowed to continue the cartel crackdown but pledged to focus on reducing the everyday violence plaguing Mexicans.

Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2012

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