Mexican President Felipe Calderón has harshly criticized US gun control policy, saying it’s worsened the death toll in Mexico’s drug war. Calderón made the comments Thursday at a conference in Mexico City.

Mexican President Felipe Calderón: “The Americans began to sell arms as a voracious, ambitious industry, like the American arms industry. This often provokes conflicts in countries that are poor and less developed. Africa, due to the sale of arms, is in a very similar situation to that which is being lived by the Mexican people. For the arms traffickers, it’s a business to sell arms to criminals, and we need to mobilize not just public opinion against this, but unite with international public opinion to show the irresponsibility of the Americans, as much as it bothers them or hinders their political campaigns.”