Foreign Policy Blogs

On the Ground in Washington & Implications for Mexico

Today I had the chance to watch history unfold in Washington, DC as Barack Hussein Obama was sworn in as the 44th President of the United States.  Washington was jam-packed with people from all over.  President Obama's speech inspired the crowd in Washington and will lead to a worldwide outpouring of support.  For foreign policy, this will lead to a new era of responsibility based on multilateralism and a global, rather than unilateral, approach to problems.

El Universal Mexico reports that 74% of Mexicans are in favor of Barack Obama.  In the US, 83% of Mexican-Americans voted for Obama.  Significantly, this reveals hopes of a regenerated bilateral relationship between the two countries.  When polled, the Mexican public prioritized the following issues to work together with the United States:

  • 76% – Global Financial Crisis
  • 61% – Bettering relations between Mexico and the US
  • 51% – Mediation in the Arab-Israeli conflict
  • 44% – Climate change
  • 36% – Supporting the Afghan government against the Taliban.

Washington Monument

(my view on the ground!)

 

Author

Michael Coe

Mike is pursuing his MA in Latin American Studies at Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service in Washington, DC. Prior to his graduate studies, Mike completed his BA in International Affairs from the University of Colorado at Boulder. He has traveled throughout Latin America, and researched NAFTA's effects on Mexican agriculture and migration. When not reading the news Mike enjoys travelling, skiing, mountain biking, and drinking yerba maté.