Another email bulletin from Aztlan

The Future U.S. Invasion of Mexico

by
Professor Lorenzo Cano
University of Houston

When many democratically elected governments have pursued policies
contrary to the interests of the wealthy elite in the United States, the
leaders of those countries have experienced the wrath of United States
intervention in its many forms, including an invasion and occupation by
American troops. During the early threats leading up to theU.S.
pre-emptive invasion of Iraq, a growing number of Mexicans from all levels of
society began discussing the possibility of a future invasion of their
own country by the United States. Was this an overreaction by a paranoid
sector of Mexico's population? Is a future invasion and occupation of
México by the United States a likely scenario in the foreseeable future?
Could events in México crystallize into an illegal invasion of our
southern neighbor? This may not be such a far-fetched possibility in light
of current U.S. foreign policy and the thrust towards a new world order
by certain U.S. economic and political elites and other fanatics such
as Dick Cheney.

Like George W. Bush, many presidents before him have also
overwhelmingly supported governments that were anti-democratic and in many cases
brutal dictators as long as they had generally appeased the policies of
the rich and powerful in the United States. Through a variety of means
the United States has intervened in many countries to the disadvantage of
democratic forces in power or seeking power at this time. Among some of
the countries that either of these two scenarios have occurred are:
Guatemala, Chile, Columbia, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Cuba, Panama, Granada,
Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and others including
Mexico. (see http://www.venezuelafoia.info)

Historical Patterns of Intervention
-----------------------------------------------

Abraham Lincoln spoke passionately as a United States congressman in
1846 accusing the newly elected President, James K. Polk, of pursuing a
policy of military aggression against the Republic of Mexico. Mexico's
refusal to sell some of its land in northwestern Mexico (now seen as
part of the U. S. Southwest) incensed Polk and his followers of Manifest
destiny. Manifest destiny was a growing racist ideology. It was a belief
in the inevitable territorial expansion of the United States,
especially as advocated by southern slaveholders who wished to extend slavery
into new te rritories. Unfortunately for Mexico, as protested by Lincoln,
United States troops entered, at best, disputed territory between the
Nueces River (current day Corpus Christi) and Brownsville, Texas, and
then proceeded to establish a naval blockade of the Rio Bravo (Rio
Grande), an act of war under international law. Mexico subsequently lost half
its territory which played up to the interests of southern slave
owners. After the war economic elites in the United States saw the land as an
opportunity for commerce and new wealth.

Landscape
--------------

Today Mexico is going through a new political era. The election of
Vicente Fox as the current President of Mexico, and the shakeup of the PRI
(Partido Revolucionario Institucional) has been part of this new
political metamorphosis. With Mexico's Presidential elections to be held in
2006 it is possible that someone from the PRD (Partido Revolucionario
Democratico) could be elected. A supporter of Mexico's popular sectors
(urban working class, rural poor, indigenous, students, consumers, etc.)
the PRD currently expects to run Andres Manuel Lopez-Obrador for
President. A Lopez-Obrador victory or some other populist individual could
very likely upset the supporters of the new world order as envisioned and
carried out by a minority of U.S. policymakers, such as Cheney and
Bush. Issues such as the rescinding of the NAFTA treaty by Mexico, and an
assertive stance against the Free Trade Agreement of the Americas, are
all potential events that could crystallize into some type of U.S.
intervention in Mexico. Think this is impossible or not very likely?

In 1914 U.S. troops invaded Mexico, again occupying Veracruz for over
six months using several minor incidents as a rationale for this
intervention, including the detention of a mail courier, the delay of an
official Department of State dispatch, and the arrest of some American
sailors. The real reason was U.S President Woodrow Wilson's disdain for
Mexican President Victoriano Huerta whom he felt did not fit the model of a
democratic leader. Although Huerta had taken power by force during the
Mexican Revolution (1910-1917) Wilson's action of sending an
occupational military force was an over-reaction. It aroused a deep hatred and
resentment against the U.S.government by Mexicans at all levels of
society, including many opponents of Huerta.


In 1932 the people of El Salvador rose up against the dictatorship in
that country and challenged the small wealthy elite that owned sixty
percent of all the land, yet this wealthy elite only made up two percent
of the population. Through United States intervention over 30,000
Salvadorans were massacred in that tiny Central American country. A U.S.
cruiser and two navy destroyers were present off the coast of El Salvador
while the killings were being committed by Salvadoran military forces.
The main concern of the U.S. government was that business opportunities
not be compromised by the democratic forces in rebellion. As a result
of U.S. intervention, El Salvador continued with authoritative
governments until the 1980's after another popular uprising.

Depletion of World Oil and Gas Reserves
------------------------------------------------------------

According to the American Petroleum Institute the current reserves of
oil and natural gas throughout the world are expected to become depleted
by around the year 2040. And if and when Mexico decides to cut back its
oil exports and save its reserves for its own use or charge higher
prices, it is very likely that the powers at be in the United States will
find ways of intervening in Mexico. This could come in the form of
assasinations of altruistic, populist political leaders in Mexico, the
funding of conservative, right-wing opposition leaders, or through other
means including an invasion and occupying force.

Think that this could never happen? History has shown us that such a
scenario is not out of the ordinary. It occurred in 1846, 1914 and on
numerous other occasions against Mexico. Haití is the latest Carribean
country, an island nation, to see its democratic system crumble with U.S.
assistance. Its president was taken out of office with force by
antidemocratic groups with the support of George W. Bush and U.S. soldiers
just last February while everyone's attention has been focused on the war
in Iraq.

The National Endowment for Democracy: Working
Against Democracy
------------------------------------------------------------

The National Endowment for Democracy (NED) is a U.S. government
sponsored organization that does the opposite of what its name implies. Funded
by U.S. taxpayer's money, the NED primarily channels money to
organizations and individuals in foreign countries that are trying to dispose of
democratically elected officials. This has been the case since its
establishment during the Presidency of Ronald Reagan after the CIA was
discovered to have been involved in undermining democracy throughout the
world by causing the destabilization of democratic governments. In fact,
the NED has interfered in the domestic affairs of other countries by
funding selected groups in those societies that object to the policies of
their government, especially when those governments have passed or
supported reforms to empower workers and the poor at the expense of large
and wealthy corporations.

Critics of NED object to the U.S. intervening in the elections of other
countries. Most Americans would be opposed to other governments
intervening in U.S. Presidential and Congressional elections by sending money
to opposition groups; money that could be used for campaigns and all
the activities associated with this. As one writer put it, ...NED
uccessfully manipulated elections in Nicaragua in 1990, and was busy working
in Haiti in the late 1990's on behalf of right wing groups who were
united in their opposition to former president Jean-Bertrand Aristide and
his progressive ideologia (see:
http://members.aol.com/superogue/ned.htm).

Mexico Could be Future Target
--------------------------------------------

Past illegal and historical patterns of intervention in México and
Latin America, along with Bush and Cheney's (and others like them) move
towards a new world order for the wealthy, has set the stage for a
possible future invasion of Mexico and other Latin American countries.
Mexico's changing political landscape towards a more democratic and
independent society and the likely trend towards the depletion of gas and oil
reserves throughout the world lends credence to this very possibility.
Regardless of which party controls the White House the potential threat of
a U.S. military invasion is still a likely scenario in that both
democratic and republican parties have historically shared similar views in
the area of foreign policy. Even Jimmy Carter, while he was President,
supported world regimes that engaged in arresting dissenters and that
used torture and murder such as the governments in the Philippines,
Nicaragua, Indonesia, Israel, and Iran.

The American people that believe in democracy must challenge the
current reckless foreign policy of modern-day manifest destiny and develop a
new one based on the sovereignty of nations, dialogue, and mutual
respect. Chicano and other Latino leaders at all levels of society (writers
journalists, actors, union members, college students) must play a
courageous role in this area and challenge the bellicose, inhumane, and
fundamentally racist foreign policy that has been part of the American
agenda for far too long.

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Lorenzo Cano is a long-time political activist and a veteran of the
Chicano Movement. He has lectured extensively on issues pertinent to the
Chicano and Chicana community in the United States and is one of the
founders and a contributing writer to La Nueva Raza. He currently teaches
at the University of Houston.

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