Mexico complains about remarks attributed to pope over drug image

Pope Francis waves before boarding a bus heading to the village of Ariccia at the Vatican February 22, 2015. Pope Francis is leading members of the Roman Curia on a five-day Lenten spiritual retreat in Ariccia, near Rome. REUTERS/Max Rossi

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico said on Monday it would send a letter to the Vatican to complain about remarks attributed to Pope Francis about the risk of Argentina suffering a criminal "Mexicanisation" due to the spread of drug gangs there.

Mexico's Foreign Minister Jose Antonio Meade said his government had expressed concern that the country was being "stigmatized" as a land of drug traffickers in an email attributed to Francis published in Argentina over the weekend.