Mexico ex-president warns of threat from crime groups

Asuncion (AFP) - Mexico's former president warned countries considering legalization of marijuana that the real threat comes from criminal groups taking over national institutions, in an interview published Monday.

Felipe Calderon, whose 2006-2012 presidency saw an explosion of drug-related murders, said he was not opposed to legalization of drugs but cautioned that the problems will not go away if criminal groups are involved with the police, as happened in Mexico.

"For me, the issue isn't whether or not you legalize drugs. Sooner or later that will have to be reviewed," he said.

"But the problem in Mexico is not just one of drugs. The criminal organizations have acquired such a degree of sophistication that they are taking over the institutions," he said.

Calderon met with Paraguay's newly elected president Horacio Cartes.

His visit comes as Latin American countries are seriously debating whether to legalize marijuana in a bid to undercut the violent criminals that now control the industry.

Neighboring Uruguay is planning to start selling marijuana legally next year, with the government assuming control of all aspects of the new industry.

More than 70,000 people were killed in Mexico's drug wars during Calderon's six years in office.

But the former president defended his use of the military to go after the country's powerful drug cartels, a strategy some believe may have exacerbated the violence.

"More than a fight against drug trafficking per se, it was a battle for public security which was compromised and threatened," he said.

Mexican crime groups began by trafficking in drugs, he said, but then moved into kidnapping and extortion.

"We couldn't ignore it any more. They were becoming the bosses of Mexico," he said.

Police forces of entire towns and cities were hollowed out by corruption, Calderon said. He said he had to make police chiefs submit to lie detector and drug tests as he rebuilt the security forces.