Thread: Ex-Mexican President Vicente Fox visits Dallas

Ex-Mexican President Vicente Fox visits Dallas

09:48 AM CST on Saturday, November 15, 2008
By MARISSA ALANIS / The Dallas Morning News


Former Mexican President Vicente Fox said during a visit to Dallas on Friday that he hopes President-elect Barack Obama will tear down the fence dividing parts of Mexico from the United States.

He said the removal of the barrier designed to stem illegal entries into the U.S. should be the start of any new immigration reforms.

"I think that will be quite a sign," Mr. Fox said in an interview before his remarks Friday night at a gala presented by HELPS International. "Instead of building walls, build bridges."

Mr. Fox, who served as Mexico's president from 2000 to 2006, said he also hopes Mr. Obama's administration supports passage of immigration reforms introduced in a bill by Sens. John McCain and Edward Kennedy that included new provisions for guest workers.

"I think it's very complete," he said of the legislation, which was never voted on in the Senate. "I think it serves the purpose of reforming the immigration issue and makes it a win-win issue for the United States and Mexico."

Mr. Fox also touched on the war on drugs, which has figured into the debate over illegal border crossings.

"The U.S. is the largest consumer market in the world for drugs, so it is a joint responsibility against the fight," he said. "It's not a matter of only transferring money to Mexico to support the fight. It's a commitment the U.S. should take to reduce consumption in the U.S. and to prevent access and supply of drugs to U.S. youth."

In June, President George W. Bush signed into law a $400 million U.S. aid package known as the Merida Initiative that would increase the amount of money Mexico receives by 10 times, but the funds have not yet been released.

Mr. Fox said Mexican President Felipe Calderón has made a strong commitment to cut off the supply of drugs.

"Mexico will win the war against the cartels, I hope, with the support of the U.S. government and the new administration," he said. "But we have to do more than what we're doing."

About 200 people attended Friday's event at Bent Tree Country Club in Far North Dallas for HELPS, a nonprofit focused on alleviating poverty in Latin America.

Mr. Fox told the audience that Latin America missed opportunities for growth in the 20th century because of the lack of democracy in some nations.

"Please appreciate and never leave behind the value of the Founding Fathers, of freedom, democracy and equal opportunity to everybody," he said. "That is the dream of this nation, and that is the dream of Latin America."

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"The U.S. is the largest consumer market in the world for drugs, so it is a joint responsibility against the fight," he said. "It's not a matter of only transferring money to Mexico to support the fight. It's a commitment the U.S. should take to reduce consumption in the U.S. and to prevent access and supply of drugs to U.S. youth."

We've had the War on drugs for decades now.......tried it that way and it doesn't work. Now lets stop the flow and see how well it works for a change.

"Please appreciate and never leave behind the value of the Founding Fathers...." (Vicente Fox)

We seem to gotten the "Ending Fathers" instead.

He said the removal of the barrier designed to stem illegal entries into the U.S. should be the start of any new immigration reforms.

NOT A CHANCE!!! "We the people" want it finished and we are getting sick of not being heard....GO HOME FOX!!! and mind your own country!

"Mexico will win the war against the cartels, I hope, with the support of the U.S. government and the new administration," he said. "But we have to do more than what we're doing."

Mexico WILL NEVER WIN the war against the CARTELS. They OWN Mexico. The U.S. government has done more than its share to help that corrupt country and its government. I wish Fox would stop coming here flapping his gums about OUR policies.