VZCZCXYZ0001
RR RUEHWEB
DE RUEHME #3121/01 3031732
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 301732Z OCT 09
FM AMEMBASSY MEXICO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8837
INFO RUEHXC/ALL US CONSULATES IN MEXICO COLLECTIVE
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC
RUETKEN/USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL
RUEAHLA/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHINGTON DC
UNCLAS MEXICO 003121
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
NSC TO SENIOR DIRECTOR FOR WHA RESTREPO, WHA FOR DAS
ROBERTA JACOBSON, WHA FOR MEX DIRECTOR LEE AND STAFF
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: MX PGOV PINR PREL
SUBJECT: MEXICO: DF MAYOR'S GREEN TIPS AND CRIME BLUES
1. (SBU) Summary: Marcelo Ebrard, Mayor of Mexico City,
underscored for the Ambassador on October 23 his top
priorities for the city: security, public transportation,
waste-control, climate change, solar energy and other
renewables, and health care. Ebrard highlighted the city's
efforts to increase the use of solar and other renewables and
the extraction of methane gas from landfills, as well as its
installation of a public bicycle transportation system.
Ebrard suggested enhancing current Merida-related cooperation
by stepping-up joint efforts to investigate and prosecute
criminals for money laundering. Ebrard also told the
Ambassador about the efforts of Mexico City's Citizen
Security Councils, which receive crime tips by phone texts
and circulate questionnaires regarding the police. Ebrard is
a dynamic politician, who is likely to appear on the PRD
presidential ballot in 2012. End Summary.
Cleaning Up Energy
------------------
2. (SBU) Ebrard's government seeks to broaden its management
over energy resources, particularly renewables. The city is
piloting solar energy in a number of homes. It is also
testing natural gas on buses. The Ambassador told Ebrard
about his plans to make the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City
carbon-neutral. Ebrard's staff explained that they are
endeavoring to do the same in Mexico City government
buildings and the Mexico City Assembly, and Ebrard offered
the assistance of his Environmental office in the Embassy's
efforts. The Embassy Management section will follow-up as
appropriate.
3. (U) Ebrard noted that Mexico City installed a public
bicycle system, in December 2008, based on a design from
Barcelona. The city government designed the bicycles to
provide individuals free transportation between metro
stations or other common locations in the city. Ebrard also
described to the Ambassador how the city plans to extract gas
from landfills in the capital for use in private homes.
According to experts, methane gas can be extracted from
landfills within six months and reaches its maximum
production within four to eight years. This project could
provide Mexico City a low-cost, rapid source of energy.
Partnering with Mexico City on Financial Laundering(
--------------------------------------------- -------
4. (SBU) The Ambassador told the Mayor that the USG seeks to
improve cooperation with Mexico on security issues by helping
strengthen its law enforcement institutions. Ebrard told the
Ambassador that he believes that the current efforts of the
USG and Mexico are not sufficiently addressing the growth of
organized crime. He noted that the city's work with
Hacienda's Financial Intelligence Unit (UIF) in tackling
money laundering by organized crime represents one of the
city's top priorities. Ebrard and the Ambassador agreed that
it would be useful for the Embassy's Office of Financial
Assets (OFAC) to collaborate with Mexico City's UIF.
According to OFAC, Mexico City created and applied civil
asset forfeiture law before the equivalent federal law, and
Ebrard's efforts have brought about changes in local seizures
and asset forfeitures. OFAC Mexico will follow-up on an
earlier meeting with UIF to discuss mutual interests and
prospects of collaboration.
Similar Efforts on Texting Crime Tips
-------------------------------------
5. (U) The Ambassador shared with Ebrard the Public Affairs
Section's efforts to use popular technology, such as Twitter,
Facebook, and texting, as a tool to combat crime in Mexico.
Ebrard observed that Mexico City had already begun to use
texting for this purpose. Through partnership with Telmex,
private citizens can text a tip on crime to Citizen Security
Councils (Consejos de Seguridad - CSC), which will then
process the tips. The CSC then makes efforts to verify
whether the crime is taking place and contacts the police.
CSC youth also go house to house with surveys about security
forces, gauging the public's views on police performance and
corruption. Mexico City is a pilot city for the Councils,
but a national meeting was recently held to create a federal
law instituting CSCs throughout the country.
6. (SBU) Comment: Ebrard is a dynamic, forward-thinking
politician, popular with the public. He likes to meet with
and compare himself to U.S. politicians like Bill Clinton and
Rudolph Giuliani; leaders focused on tackling poverty, crime,
and illiteracy on a large-scale. He is practical and
flexible enough to make alliances within and outside his
party. Ebrard is one of the most influential PRD
politicians, but as mayor of Mexico City, is somewhat removed
from the daily legislative dramas within the party itself.
Most PRD politicians focus in great part on in-fighting.
Often, their internal debates make it difficult for party
politicians to see space for negotiation outside the
organization. Ebrard is already a likely presidential
candidate for 2012. Ex-presidential candidate Andres Lopez
Obrardor (AMLO) could still make a reappearance on the PRD
ballot or press the buttons for Ebrard behind the scenes
(Ebrard used to work for AMLO when he served as Mexico City's
mayor). Otherwise, Ebrard is the PRD candidate to watch.
End comment.
Visit Mexico City's Classified Web Site at
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/mexicocity and the North American
Partnership Blog at http://www.intelink.gov/communities/state/nap /
FEELEY