The impact of President Bush's Mexico visit remains to be seen, but while some are hopeful for immigration reform and increased emphasis on the region during the remainder of his presidency, expectations are not very high. Though some see Mexican President Calderon as a potential counter to leftist Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez, it is not clear that Bush and Calderon came away from their summit with any tangible result. Further, with Bush's lack of popularity in the region due both to the Iraq war and migration policies, it seems unlikely that Calderon would seek to align too closely.
At one point during the Latin America tour, perhaps sounding more like Chavez or Calderon's narrowly-defeated 2006 opponent, Manuel Lopez Obrador, Bush promised to deliver “social justice” to the poor of the region. New economic aid had already been announced, although Chavez made a point of contending that Venezuela actually has provided more aid to Latin America than has the U.S.
Of course, the Bush trip was about more than just politics and protests. The President and his wife, First Lady Laura Bush, made time for sightseeing and cultural exploration, including some traditional cuisine. With President Calderon, they toured the Mayan Ruins of Uxmal, which, if nothing else, provided a nice photo-op as Bush seeks to win over critics on both sides of the border.
Photo: Calderon and Bush in Uxmal
Video Analysis: U.S. and Mexico (Reuters video)
A few months ago, I wrote about the early stages of the conflict in Ukraine through the lens of Sun Tzu’s The Art of War. While it appears likely that the war will carry on into the foreseeable future, enough time has passed for us to make an honest assessment of each side’s relative […]
The Ukrainian Army has made dramatic strides in the last few weeks. Ukraine’s tactical commanders have outfoxed their Russian counterparts, and by issuing a feint towards the south the UA has been able to earn substantial gains in the north of their country. The impact of these efforts have been compounded by the steady stream […]
In mid-May the Irish political party, Sinn Féin, won the plurality of seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly. Many American readers might not fully understand the significance of Sinn Féin’s political victory- but rest assured that subjects of the United Kingdom and a wide range of political movements the world over have heard the message […]
The first wave of the Russian offensive in Ukraine has fallen short of Russian autocrat Vladmir Putin’s ambitions. Most analysts deduced that Putin had hoped to achieve a decapitation strike of the Ukrainian government- taking Kiev and replacing Ukrainian President Vladimir Zolinski with a pro-Kremlin voice. Kiev has been threatened repeatedly through the course of […]
On the weekend of March 26th, the notorious MS-13 gang went on a massive killing spree in El Salvador which left more than 70 people dead by Sunday. Even for a country where powerful gangs hold massive sway, this recent tragedy stands out considering that it was the bloodiest day on record since the civil […]
