After nearly a year of blogging for the FPA, I’m moving on to a new opportunity with the Political Database of the Americas at Georgetown University. I’d like to thank my co-blogger, Alejandro Quiroz Flores, for a great year of writing together as we’ve documented Mexico’s rise to the top of the headlines. Thank you […]
Today the American Congress held hearings on the drug violence that is increasingly spilling over from Mexico to the US. The big proposal put forth by the Department of Homeland Security was to deploy the National Guard on the US-Mexico border to stemt the tide of violence. Read more here. Recently the Woodrow Wilson Center […]
The State Department recently released a document titled “Spring Break in Mexico – Know Before You Go.” I’d highly recommend it for anyone with Spring Break plans south of the border.
I just received the following email today that the Congressional Subcommittee on National Security will be examining the US role is fueling organized crime in Mexico. This long overdue, as I wrote about the seriousness of the issue back in May. Our previous Mexico blogger, Rohini Gupta, first wrote about the issue in July 2007. […]
Ciudad Juarez is right on the border between the United States and Mexico, and since it was founded in the 17th century it has been a coveted price for guerrilla fighters, catholic congregations, revolutionary armies, as well as drug traffickers and the modern federal armed forces. Although the number of drug cartel members is not […]
The depth and breadth of Operation Xcellerator suggests that Mexican drug cartels present a clear and present danger to the American population and its institutions. Operation Xcellerator is an extensive investigation that resulted in the arrest of 775 criminals and the seizure of almost $60 million dollars and 23 tons of drugs, among other assets. […]
One of the key questions posed by the formation of the Congress of the People in South Africa is what the likely consequences are going to be for African National Congress dominance. A short term answer will arrive soon enough when the results of the 2009 election are announced. Present indications are that the ANC’s […]
Thomas Friedman wrote an intriguing article in last week’s NY Times on how immigration for highly-skilled workers could save the American economy. He said the following: “All you need to do is grant visas to two million Indians, Chinese and Koreans,” said Shekhar Gupta, editor of The Indian Express newspaper. “We will buy up all […]
President Barack Obama should meet Professor Zedillo, former President of Mexico and Director of the Yale Center for the Study of Globalization, because Zedillo might provide valuable advice on how to approach the current economic crisis in the United States. Former President Zedillo, after being elected into office in 1994, inherited a country plagued by […]
In a rather boring soccer game last Wednesday, Mexico’s national team managed to lose to the United States. For historians and soccer fans on both sides of the border, the result was not a surprise not only because Mexico tends to lose in general, but also because it has not won a single game against […]
I’m immensely proud to announce that the Latin American Studies Department at Georgetown University has launched a new web site. “The Center for Latin American Studies was one of the first of its kind in the United States. Its core faculty bring together diverse scholarly interests with a focus on Latin America, and adjunct faculty […]
With the global economic crisis still dominating headlines following inconclusive results from Davos, I’d like to focus on two effects on Mexico’s economy. One indicator is remittances. Worldwide, remittances bring in several times more money than foriegn aid. In Mexico, these bring in the second-largest amount of foreign money after oil. In 2008, remittances slowed […]
Two retired generals have captured the attention of the Mexican public. One general was kidnapped, tortured, and killed in a remote area near Cancun, in the south of the country. The other general successfully confronted a group of criminals that attempted to break into his house in Mexico City. The general not only killed one […]
According to Mexican President Felipe Calderon, his participation at the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum aims at placing Mexico as an attractive place to invest, re-designing the global financial system, meeting with international organizations and heads of state and government, discussing global issues, and attending three plenary sessions. Three of these five goals […]
Wednesday begins the annual World Econonic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. With the global credit crunch continuing to worsen, this year's meeting is of utmost importance. In 2008, Mexico hosted the World Economic Foreign in Latin America in Cancun. This year the government's senior people will be in Davos, including: Agustin Carstens, Secretary of Finance Felipe […]