Tres Amigos or Three Enemigos?

By: Pamela Falk
Topics: World Watch

(AP Photo/Dario Lopez-Mills)

President Obama's trip to Guadalajara will focus on trade and drugs at a difficult time for the U.S. - Mexican relationship, in part because the administration has postponed its comprehensive immigration reform program until 2010.

The Mexico "three amigos" trip will focus on issues important to the U.S. domestic agenda even more than foreign policy – because Mexico remains the main transit point for drugs entering the U.S. and because Mexican drug gangs' principal source of guns is from the U.S.

For the Obama administration, visiting Mexico is high on the President's agenda particularly since the U.S. Census bureau reported a few months ago that 14 percent of the U.S. population is Hispanic and Hispanics are the fastest-growing segment, with 25 percent of live births nationwide.

On the U.S. – Mexico – Canada agenda are other issues related to the proximity of the three neighbors and their North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) ties, including climate change and the spread of the H1N1 swine flu virus.

This isn't the president's first trip to Mexico; he was in Mexico City this past April to support the Mexican President's drug war and now returns to focus on the contentious issue of trade and the "Buy America" program.

President Barack Obama's trip to Guadalajara – called the "three amigos" Summit - focuses on increasingly souring trade relations with the U.S.' top trading partner, that is Canada, and the third largest, Mexico – at a time when the Administration has included what some consider protectionist provisions in the economic stimulus program.

There will be some pleasant dinners and handshakes in Guadalajara but Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper has a major gripe with the U.S. "Buy America" provision and Mexico's President Felipe Calderon has been playing hardball on the dispute regarding Mexican trucks crossing the U.S. border. A few tequilas may help the handshakes, but the recession has cast a shadow over the Western Hemisphere alliance.

Pamela Falk
Pamela Falk is CBS News Foreign Affairs Analyst and an international lawyer, based at the United Nations.

13 Comments +

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by jd2408 August 10, 2009 12:55 AM EDT

Can you imagine any leader of a country being upset because another country does not make their people citizens ? I just can't understand that. What could be the reason ?

Mexican trucks, even if they are safe, could bring in illegals, terrorists, or drugs. They also could take back guns to Mexico which they have complained about. There is no way every truck could be inspected coming across the border. I would much rather rely on our on people and we don't need to outsource their jobs.

I sure hope President Obama gets tough and stands up for us. We need him on our side.

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by animaltoo August 10, 2009 11:08 AM EDT: Obama is very beholding to the Hispanic vote in swing states. The Mexican national budget (at least at one time) had $3 million in border crossing kits including maps. Obama and the Mexican President are probably simpatico, while the Canadian priminister probably feels relief over his country's unabailability to the Latinos and his country's higher immigration standards. In other words, the Canadian Prime Minister is somewhat slumming.


by BlandNancy August 11, 2009 11:46 AM EDT: I can see President Calderon being upset-Why should his government take care of it's citizens? Because it costs money to provide healthcare, education, and many other services to the people of Mexico-Money that he and his corrupt government members want to pocket! The U. S. has become Mexico's education, healthcare, jail and prison system. Why should President Calderon want the present rip-off of the U. S. taxpayers to end?
As for President Obama (and Congress) getting tough with President Calderon...don't hold your breath on that ever happening.


by anticristvs August 9, 2009 9:29 PM EDT: LOL an Economic Terrorist.
the Trucks in question are already inspected on both sides of the border.; Reply to this comment

by jetranger7 August 9, 2009 9:10 PM EDT

As for that MEXICAN Truck Program, thats a Serious Concern that everybody should be very, very Concerened about ! For more information on this please go to - " WWW.OOIDA.COM" and "WWW.LANDLINEMAGAZINE.COM" Wanna see even more Americans lose their decent paying Jobs - just start letting Mexican Trucking Companies come over here,, and then theres the Saftey Concern as well,, since MEXICO doesn't have hardly any Enforcement on their drivers as far as hours they can drive, equipment violations, Equipment Saftey checks, etc. Also Remember this - WE AMERICANS have paid Taxes for our roads in 1 form or another, what have the Mexican Trucking Companies paid for,, to be able to use our Interstates and Hi-Ways ????? With their heavy overloaded trucks that are in poor shape with lousy brakes and bald tires and cracked frames !!!! If they're allowed over here to operate in the US - I Guarantee you, the Trucker Shut Downs of the 1970's will look like childs play compared to whats gonna happen,,, simply put - were NOT messing around here - !!!! WE can see to it that Interstate Commerce comes to an abrupt Halt real Quick and nothing moves !! that means, your stores shelves go empty, products will NOT reach their intended destination, rather it be lumber - screen doors, car tires, auto-parts, chemicals, whatever - appliances, cars trucks, computers, you name it,, Truckers are NOT going to be put out of a job without a fight, because of some MEXICANS from south of the border cutting freight rates and hauling for damn near nothing, and they can buy their fuel in MEXICO a lot cheaper than we can here in the US,, and they won't even be properly certified to run legally according to the US Dept. of Transportations rules and regulations anyway,,, think things are badd now,,, just wait till they start messing with the TRUCKERS, then you will have major Big Time problems, like this country has never seen !!!!

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by truth-b-toll August 9, 2009 11:24 PM EDT: Truckers are SCUM! Who cares?


by BlandNancy August 10, 2009 9:59 AM EDT: "Trucks are hard working people?"

by anticristvs August 9, 2009 8:40 PM EDT

and the first post is the same ...negative.....

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by BlandNancy August 10, 2009 10:02 AM EDT: Negative, maybe...but at least it's true.


by animaltoo August 10, 2009 11:22 AM EDT: Let me guess, ah, Latino right?

by johnbrown8888 August 9, 2009 8:34 PM EDT

Americans may complain about the corruption and incompetence of the US government, but compared to the government of Mexico, the US is paradise.

Mexico is a basically feudal society with a very wealthy upper class that does not believe in even providing basic social services for its hard-working citizens. From thoroughly corrupt police and courts to a political system that rewards hacks and sycophants, Mexican citizens deserve better.

Maybe Obama can send a rocket up someone's rear there to that effect.

However, considering how Obama seems to be mostly pandering to the same elements in the US, I'm not holding my breath.

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by animaltoo August 10, 2009 11:13 AM EDT: Couldn't agree more! The Mexican government actively supports illegal border crossings. They send money back to the Mexican economy and it gets rid of people they don't want anyway. They send them up here for us to go all warm-fuzzy-liberal about poor Latino visitors. They are a determined invasion and Obama intends to give citizenship to millions before the first of the year. Talk about a swelling Democrat party! I'm a Democrat, but less left then Obama and his Latino contingent.