El Universal, Mexico
Mexico is on Obama's
Mind, But Not the Mind of the People
"Mexico must win public
approval beyond California and Texas, so that the people of the United States
come to know the devastating effects that demand for drugs in the north or the
trafficking of weapons, which strengthens the cartels, has on our nation."
By Antonio Rosas-Landa Mendez
Translated By Paula van de
Werken
January 17, 2009
Mexico - El
Universal - Original Article (Spanish)
Chicago, Illinois: President
Felipe Calderon's visit to Washington can be interpreted in many ways, but it
was undoubtedly a triumph that Barack Obama was interested enough to meet the leader
of his neighbor and commercial partner.
Mexico is on the mind of
Obama, but not the minds of the people. The press briefly covered the visit by
highlighting the violence that afflicts our nation. The Chicago
Tribune published a photo of Obama with Calderon. Ironically, the text that
accompanied the graphic wasn’t so much about the meeting, but the domestic
issues that will confront Obama when he takes the helm.
On Wednesday, two opinion
articles were published by the same newspaper [The Chicago Tribune] that
addressed the presidential meeting. Clarence Page, a member of the Tribune’s
editorial board, reported receiving a warning from friends in El Paso Texas,
“Don't even think about going into Juarez." He painted a distressing
panorama of violence in his Drug War Next Door 
.
Page describes how Mexico's
confrontation with drug-traffickers is only rarely addressed on cable
television, generally only to corroborate the fanaticism of those who
Ambassador to the United States Arturo Saukhan calls,
“The Anti-Mexican Crowd.”
Posted by WORLDMEETS.US
Mexico must win public
approval beyond California and Texas, so that the people of the United States
come to know the devastating effects that demand for drugs in the north or the
trafficking of weapons, which strengthens the cartels, has on our nation. Page
wrote: “Murders across Mexico more than doubled last year to more than 5,600.
That's more than the total number of Americans lost so far in the war in Iraq
(after almost six years).”
Illustrating with data that
helps illustrate the magnitude of the tragedy we in Mexico are experiencing is
the only way to win the political support that battling the narcotics trade and
other pending problems demand. And just obtaining Obama’s attention isn’t
enough; it is also necessary to achieve good relations with the U.S. Congress,
which approves or denies funding for measures like the Merida Initiative .
'THE CONTRABAND ANT'
ANTEATER'S SHIRT SAYS: 'ARMS TRAFFICKERS'
ANTHILL SAYS: 'MEXICAN CARTELS'
ON THE GROUND THE WORDS SAY: 'U.S.-MEXICAN BORDER'
ANT TUNNELS READ: 'ROUTE FOR CONTRABAND'
The other op-ed
that appeared in the Tribune was an ideological diatribe in a hurry to
lambaste the Calderon government. This doesn’t worry me, but adding to the
terrible stigma attached to a nation does add to the damage [ A Visit Obama
Should Have Skipped ]. John M.
Ackerman wrote that Obama was wrong to initiate a Latin American dialogue by
meeting Calderon, since he could have chosen “more creative” leaders, such as
Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner of Argentina . Perhaps
he thinks it "creative" that Fernadez de
Kirchner ascended to her post through the abuse of power and the channeling of
State money of her husband and predecessor, Nestor Kirchner. Perhaps Ackerman
thinks nationalizing pensions or leading a government in a state of
confrontation with the productive sectors of the economy is a model for the
Promised Land in which he wants to live.
Posted by WORLDMEETS.US
If Ackerman wants
to eat Calderon alive, it's no matter to me. What’s more, if he likes, I'll
pass the salt. The point is that to discredit the president as a worthy
interlocutor for Obama closes the door on the bilateral relationship - not on a
man named Felipe. It's curious: The radical Right and Left are similar. Bush
thought that sitting down to negotiate with his adversaries would legitimize
them, so he hid his head in the sand like an ostrich in order not to “see or
hear them.” Ackerman argues that because the Calderon Administration is a
disaster, Obama shouldn’t speak a word to him. This amounts to pretty much the
same thing.
Mexico needs to communicate
with the people of the United States to make them understand why we are
mutually responsible for the difficulties we share. I don't suggest sending a
hoard of egotistic front men, but rather people who understand and can explain
the challenges with a constructive vision. Bi-national protests and
shadow-boxing is useless. The fact that these two leaders have spoken doesn’t
signify much, but at least it's a foundation upon which to move forward.
CLICK HERE FOR SPANISH
VERSION
[Posted by WORLDMEETS.US
January 19, 2:45am]
