# Fuel to the Fire: Diego Luna and Ernesto López Portillo on the Rise of Militarism in Mexico

- Link: https://instituteforglobalaffairs.org/2022/04/fuel-to-the-fire-diego-luna-and-ernesto-lopez-portillo-on-the-rise-of-militarism-in-mexico/
- Published: 2022-04-05T17:37:23-04:00

---

In October 2021, the United States and Mexico put an end to the Mérida Initiative—
a thirteen-year, $3 billion security assistance package central to a new “war on
drugs.” Despite years of weapons sales, military training, and intelligence sharing,
the initiative failed to reduce crime and drug trafficking. Instead, violence and
homicides increased throughout Mexico. Why? Our guests this week, Mexican movie 
star [Diego Luna](https://twitter.com/diegoluna_) and scholar [Ernesto López Portillo](https://twitter.com/ErnestoLPV),
argue America’s and Mexico’s militarized approach to security is to blame.  

Recently back from Mexico where she explores the consequences of the Mérida Initiative,
Institute for Global Affairs senior researcher and producer [Caroline Gray](https://twitter.com/gray2_gray)
speaks with Diego and Ernesto about the US-Mexico drug war, the accountability problems
that plague both countries, and what non-military solutions to insecurity in Mexico
might look [like](https://www.noneoftheabovepodcast.org/episodes/s3e26).

**Listen Here:** [Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fuel-to-the-fire-diego-luna-and-ernesto-l%C3%B3pez-portillo/id1460825733?i=1000556292045)
| [Libsyn](https://noneoftheaboveegfpodcast.libsyn.com/fuel-to-the-fire-diego-luna-and-ernesto-lpez-portillo-on-the-rise-of-militarism-in-mexico)
| [Radio Public](https://radiopublic.com/none-of-the-above-60QLD7/s1!348a0) | [Soundcloud](https://soundcloud.com/noneoftheaboveegfpodcast/fuel-to-the-fire-diego-luna)
| [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/episode/1hdxsoA6LiCfau11TGRI4Z?si=ytWMlnvsRu-wWg0Uj_a8LQ)
| [TuneIn](https://tunein.com/podcasts/News--Politics-Podcasts/None-of-the-Above-p1219963/)
| [RSS](http://noneoftheaboveegfpodcast.libsyn.com/libsyn)

**This podcast episode includes references to the Eurasia Group Foundation, now 
known as the Institute for Global Affairs.**