Davos, Switzerland  - Pushing for active countercyclical economic policies to work the world economy out of the current downturn, Mexican President Felipe Calderon also said he would continue his tough stance on organized crime.

He said Mexico was, for the first time in the country's volatile history of financial crisis, in good shape to engage in public spending, as it had a sound banking system and was well capitalized.

"We need to play defensive, in the sense of responsibility. But also play offensive, in sense of (being) very active," Calderon said at the World Economic Forum.

"The countries in developing situations need to raise their hand and say this region is an opportunity to build our way out of crisis," he said about Latin America.

Jose Miguel Insulza, of the Organization of American States, noted that smaller Latin American nations will not have the ability to spend their way out of the crisis.

"They don't have the money, they don't have the credit," he warned, saying they might have "big trouble."

Insulza, the Mexican leader and Colombian President Alvero Uribe pushed for recapitalizing international financial institutions, including the International Monetary Fund, with Calderon saying they need to be redesigned as well.

Calderon, said he would go in April to the next meeting of the Group of 20 major economies (G20) pushing these policies and speaking in the name of the "common concerns" of Latin America.

"We need atmosphere of investment. If we want to grow in the future, to overcome crisis, we need effective framework to promote investment" said Uribe.

Both the Mexican and Colombian leaders promised to act tough on organized crime in their countries, particularly those involved in the drug trade.

"We will win this battle. I did not hesitate to use plenty of force, including the army," said Calderon. "We are kicking them and kicking them really hard."

He called for the United States, the largest narcotics consumer, to take action.

"The problem is consumption, not only in industrialized countries, but also our countries. We can no longer say we have no problem of consumption," Uribe said.

Uribe, who said he has cracked down on drug growers, has been accused by Human Rights Watch of allowing paramilitary groups to continue to run the illicit goods and commit abuses against the local population. dpa