Thread: Anti-US sentiment in Mexico

This is old so I didn't put it under News Stories.


Anti-U.S. sentiment rises
Wire services
El Universal
Lunes 05 de abril de 2004
Nuestro mundo, página 1

T-shirts calling Osama bin Laden a hero are hot sellers in Mexico City, a sign of a growing resentment of the U.S.

As Ricardo Ruiz did a heavy business Saturday morning from his kiosk stand selling support materials for the Zapatista cause, he chatted about all the recent anti-American activity that has been circulating here in Mexico City.

In a nearby park, Ruiz said one of the biggest sellers has been a T-shirt calling Osama bin Laden a hero. The number of protests and number of people at those protests also have increased dramatically during the past, Ruiz said.

Many in the crowd of a recent Olympic-qualifying game between the United States and Mexico in Guadalajara began chanting, "Osama, Osama." Particularly harsh words emanated from the Mexican diplomatic corps last week as to the lengths it would go to try to stop the execution of Mexican nationals on U.S. death rows in the aftermath of the International Court of Justice ruling against the United States.

And those are only the anecdotal examples of the current problems of the United States in Latin America caused by free market economic and trade policies, the war in Iraq and a general feeling that the region has been ignored since the New York City terrorist attacks.

A poll in 17 Latin American countries last December by one of the region's most respected polling organizations, Latinobarometro of Chile, determined that anti-American sentiment among middle-class and poor people had more than doubled to 31 percent from 14 percent in three years.

A separate poll by the U.S.based Zogby International also found late last year that only 18 percent of Latin American leaders in government and business believe that closer economic ties with the United States would benefit the region. Also, 87percent of the leaders surveyed had a negative opinion of President Bush.

All of this comes on the heels of what had been a steady rise in popularity of the United States, particularly in Mexico, during the past two decades.

That has occurred despite a harsh history between the two countries, including the Texas secession from Mexico, the War of 1848 and the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.

But Edgar Rodriguez, a barber in southern Mexico City, said a lot of what is measured as "anti-Americanism" is nothing more than nativist tweaking of a powerful neighbor.

"I used to live and work in the apple fields of Washington, and I was able to buy what I have here because of that," Rodriguez said.

"I think most people who live here are like me. I am very respectful of the United States."

Leo Ramirez, a retired bus driver after 40 years driving the route from Mexico City to Tijuana and owner of an eastern Mexico City paper products store, also said that he doesn't feel there has been any major change in relations between Mexico and the United States.

"That's just the troublemakers talking, and there are plenty of them in the leftist movement here," Ramirez said.

"I think almost everyone understands that everything got thrown off track because of the twin towers, but that relations will eventually get back to normal between the two countries."

Not a chance, says Ruiz, the supporter of the rebel Zapatista movement, which spurred a massive insurrection against government troops in the state of Chiapas 10 years ago.

"The corporate interests of the United States are always going to be in conflict with the national interests of Mexico," Ruiz said.

"The corporate interests of the United States are always going to be in conflict with the national interests of Mexico," Ruiz said.

The corporate interests of the United States are also in conflict with the national interests of the United States.

Very good Judy