Costa Rica disappointed by U.S. anti-drug aid package

SAN JOSE, July 16 (Xinhua) -- The Costa Rican government on Wednesday voiced discontent with a recent U.S. anti-drug aid package, saying the money is far less than what the country needs to combat drug trafficking. The 4.2-million-U.S. dollar-aid, provided by the United States under the anti-drug initiative called "Merida," is not even enough to buy an anti-drug vessel, said Public Security Minister Janina del Vecchio. "I don't understand why the United States gave us so less money to fight drug traffickers," she said. The Costa Rican government needs help from its allies, especially Spain, to carry on its anti-drug campaign, said the minister. In June, the U.S. Senate approved a 1.6-billion-dollar, three-year package of anti-drug assistance to Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, known as the Merida Initiative. The... [read full story]