Bush to Visit Mexico on March 12

U.S. President George W. Bush will visit Mérida, the capital of the state of Yucatán, on March 12 to meet with Mexico's President Felipe Calderon. This will be the first meeting between Bush and the recently inaugurated Calderón, and hopes are not exactly high that the visit will produce any kind of breakthrough in Mexico-U.S. relations.

One of the key agenda topics at the summit will be commercial trade between the two countries. The United States accounts for about 85% of foreign investment in Mexico. About $100 billion flowed south into Mexico from the U.S. during the administration of former President Vicente Fox, and annual direct investment stayed fairly steady at around $18 billion for most of that period.

Competitiveness is a key issue for both the U.S. and Mexico, says Larry Rubin, head of the American Chamber of Commerce in Mexico. He told reporters: "What we´re looking for is for the relationship between Mexico and the Untied States to continue to strengthen, and for both countries to look for ways to enjoy more mutual trade and investment."

Rubin stressed that real, productive investment that creates jobs has been constant, adding that "we´re going to emphasize to both presidents that much more can be achieved if there´s a joint effort."

Migration will also be on the agenda. Calderón, along with most Mexican leaders across the political spectrum, opposes U.S. plans to build high-tech walls along much of the common border. Without much success, Mexico has appealed for a bi-national approach to migration reform.

Still, both presidents would benefit politically from at least the perception of progress on the issue, and analysts say some kind of forward-looking joint statement from the two presidents is a possibility.

Rubin pointed out Tuesday that border issues are not limited to illegal migration. Commerce is suffering, he said, from the sheer difficulty of crossing the border, either because of slow customs procedures or stalled traffic. "There aren´t enough lanes at the border," he said.

Latin America has been a low priority during Bush´s six years in office, but now it seems he is trying to make amends. Before arriving in Mexico, Bush plans to visit Brazil, Uruguay, Colombia, and Guatemala. The White House has issued a statement that Bush's visit to Latin America aims to "underscore Washington's commitment to democratic governments in the region."

Why will they meet in Mérida? Scheduling the meeting in a sparsely populated state instead of Mexico City may be significant. Bush´s popularity abroad is even lower than at home, and major demonstrations are less likely in remote Yucatán, governed by Calderón´s National Action Party, than in the huge, opposition-controlled capital.

Best Regards,

Suzan Haskins
Editor, Mexico Insider
International Living

P.S. Mérida is one of my personal favorite cities in Mexico. Find out why here.