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Here's a hint --- the Mexican oligarchs hold some strange kind of power over our government. Remember last week how Tony Garza attempted to stand up a little and warn Americans of the dangers of the borders? Well they have him backing down fast --- now explaining that the borders are really safe --- and not only that --- his little mistake is going to cost the American taxpayers some more millions:

$5 million to help fight Mexico crime

Victor Calzada / El Paso Times
U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Tony Garza Jr., left, Undersecretary for North America of Mexico's Foreign Ministry Geronimo Gutierrez, center, and Chihuahua Gov. Joe Reyes Baeza were among the dignitaries at the 10th Border Liaison Mechanism plenary session Thursday at the Chamizal National Memorial Theater in El Paso.

Tony Garza Jr., the U.S. ambassador to Mexico, came to the border this week bearing gifts -- $5 million for Chihuahua state to beef up its crime-fighting efforts, and $300,000 for universities in El Paso and Juárez to battle tuberculosis.

"The U.S. government is committing a total of $5 million over the next four years for a range of cooperative programs in Chihuahua to advance justice reform and victims' assistance," he said. "These initiatives will strengthen cooperation between the U.S. and Mexico and help improve capacity to investigate and prosecute these and other crimes."

Garza also touched on the homicides of hundreds of Juárez women in recent years. ....

Garza recently angered Mexican President Vicente Fox and Juárez business and political leaders after the U.S. State Department issued an announcement warning Americans about the safety risks of traveling across the border because of a rash of violence in Mexican border cities attributed to dueling drug cartels. ....

Garza also made headlines in Mexico after the U.S. confirmation that he plans to marry Mexico's richest woman, whose family is one of the owners of Grupo Modelo, a consortium worth about $1.5 billion that makes Corona and Negra Modelo beers. The news, made public a few days ago, was the talk of the border: LaPolaka.Com, a Mexican media outlet, titled its story on the new power couple "The Envy of Latin Lovers."

Garza said his engagement to María A. Aramburuzabala, whose company also holds a stake in the Televisa network, does not pose a conflict of interest for the U.S. government. "There are guidelines for these things, and for financial disclosures," he said.

http://www.borderlandnews.com/stories/borderland/20050204-19433.shtml