President Calderon's meeting with President-elect Barack Obama this past Monday comes at a crucial time for both countries. While it is customary for the American President to visit Mexico early in his administration, it is unusual that Calderon and Obama met before the Obama inauguration on Tuesday the 20th.
Clearly the global economy is of dominant concern to both world leaders. In contrast to past financial crises that originated in Latin America, such as the 1994 Tequila Crisis, the current crisis originated in the US and has spilled over to the rest of the world, including Mexico. The two leaders meeting is important because it signals the importance of Mexico to the incoming administration. While President Bush first met with then-President Vicente Fox at the beginning of his term, bilateral issues were largely sidelined until several years after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Now many issues are coming back to the forefront.
In addition to the global credit crisis, many American officials worry that the wave of drug-related violence in Mexico may spill over into the US. The earlier Merida Initiative, a billion-plus dollar anti-drug program with the US and Mexico, was a big step in the right direction. The next administration recognizes the urgency of the issue.
