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LatinNews Daily Report - 14 August 2012
In Brief – Mexico
Foreign Relations | Holder faces civil suit. On 13 August the Republican-led congressional House Oversight and Government Reform Committee filed a civil action to compel US Attorney General Eric Holder to produce documents related to the ‘Fast & Furious’ sting operation run by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), which allowed over 2,000 marked firearms to be smuggled into Mexico in 2009, but then lost track of them. The action follows the unprecedented 28 June vote by the US House of Representatives to find Holder in criminal and civil contempt of Congress, by 255-67 votes and 258-95 votes respectively, for failing to hand over requested files. The US Justice Department declined to prosecute Holder for his refusal, after President Barack Obama said the materials were protected under "executive privilege”. The case has attracted considerable attention in Mexico. The White House and Holder maintain that the investigation itself is politically motivated this election year and calculated to make headlines in a tough presidential campaign ahead of the 6 November vote.
