Thread: Experts say border not on Calderón's agenda for now

Recall reading Calderon has been working on protecting his own southern border though.

http://www.elpasotimes.com/news/ci_4854718

Experts say border not on Calderón's agenda for now
By Louie Gilot / El Paso Times
El Paso Times
Article Launched:12/17/2006 12:00:00 AM MST

Newly elected Mexican President Felipe Calderón has a lot to deal with at the start of his presidency, including a divided country and a war on drugs.
But observers in El Paso and Juárez don't expect the new Mexican leader to focus on the border soon.

The north carried Calderón during the presidential elections this year. The candidate won about 40 percent of the vote in Juárez. But in the south, Mexicans voted for Calderón's leftist rival, Andrés Manuel López Obrador.

After months of protests by López Obra dor's supporters culminating in a chaotic inauguration this month, it was clear that the new president would have to deal with his rival's constituency before anything else, observers said.

"There was a solid voting block here for Calderón, so he has some breathing room. He could say, 'I'll take care of you, but sit tight for now. I have pressing business somewhere else,' " said Ruben Garcia, the director of Annunciation House, a shelter for migrants in Downtown El Paso.

Calderón has sent thousands of soldiers to the state of Michoacan to battle violent drug traffickers and said he would expand the fight to several more states. He did not say whether the soldiers would go north.

Tony Payan, a political science professor at UTEP, said that in any case, the drug fight might disrupt the border cartels and lead to more violence.

"I'm not sure he can expand the fight to the entire country. It would be very expensive," he said. "I think the U.S. must step in in terms of intelligence and materials."

Calderón also vowed to follow up on the promise of his predecessor, Vicente Fox, to pursue a guest-worker accord with the United States.

In September 2001, Fox and President Bush met to discuss the subject, but it was put on the back burner after the Sept. 11 attacks.

The election of Democrats to the U.S. Congress bodes well for immigration reform next year, but it is not known what role if any Mexico could play.

Jon Amastae, director of UTEP's Center for Inter-American Border Studies, said Mexico's involvement could be seen as meddling and be counterproductive.

"Calderón may not push (for the agreement) so overtly as Fox did," he said.

Calderón has also pledged to work toward strengthening the economy so that Mexico "is not the origin of migration, but soon the destination for investment."

In Juárez, the mere election of Calderón, of the pro-business National Action Party, was a stabilizing development for the maquila industry. But insiders said that's not enough.

"The border on both sides has severe need in infrastructure investment. There simply are few resources available," said Donald Michie, president of NAFTA Ventures Inc.

For instance, Michie said, the export lots on the Mexican side of the international bridges need to be reconfigured so a lane can be freed for the express traffic program called FAST.

Sandra Montijo-Dubrule, the president-elect of the Juárez maquiladora association AMAC, said she would reach out to the new federal administration for help attracting suppliers and creating social programs for maquiladora employees.

"We have to help our employees. It is in our interest. The federal government has a lot of power when it comes to social services," she said.

Calderón this month also reiterated a promise to work toward strengthening the economy so that Mexico "is not the origin of migration, but soon the destination for investment."

Louie Gilot may be reached at lgilot@elpasotimes.com; 546-6131.

Fox - Calderon; Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum. Nothing changes except that their major export is illegals and we pay the bill.

Build the wall, you spineless Democrats and you passive Republicans. Just build the thing.

As church lady would say "well now isn't that SPECIAL"

Why should he be concerned, aren't they and even some in Washington looking forward to making us all one big happy group? It's bad enough when we have foreigners seeking to make us part of the third world but even worse when some of our own are in on the plot!

Why should he be concerned, aren't they and even some in Washington looking forward to making us all one big happy group? It's bad enough when we have foreigners seeking to make us part of the third world but even worse when some of our own are in on the plot!

Well said Crusader...well said!