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, […]
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 […]
American President-elect Barack Obama met with Mexican President Felipe Calderon in Washington on Monday. More detailed analysis to follow, but see coverage here. Significantly, the BBC points out that this will be “Mr Obama's first [meeting] with a foreign leader since his election in November”. Although high-profile issues of the global financial crisis and wars […]
Not really. However, this is not Mexico's fault. Mexico just happened to be elected into one of the most ineffective international institutions of the 20th Century: the UN Security Council. Many could argue that the Security Council is great at investigating, recommending, formulating, determining, calling, and exercising a number of functions. Unfortunately, the Security Council […]
For a number of years, Mexico was at the forefront of political science research and teaching in Latin America. Jose Antonio Aguilar Rivera, a Professor at CIDE in Mexico City, argues that this is no longer the case. In an article in Nexos, an influential magazine, Professor Aguilar presents a clear and powerful argument that […]
With Christmas almost here, I wanted to share a list of my favorite charities that are doing amazing work in Mexico. If you have not finished your Christmas shopping or are looking for a way to give, please read on. Heifer International – provides livestock for families in rural villages. For example, you can choose […]
Today's BBC featured an article about a small town in Michoacan, the state that has been consumed by drug violence. But today's story centered on the affect that decreasing remittances is having on town, a decline of around 12% thus far. Many families are sending less money from the US to their relatives in Mexico, […]
As the year closes, we’re focusing on 2008 in review. Below is my take; see my co-blogger Alejandro's commentary here. Summary 2008 has been an extremely turbulent year in Mexico. Drug-related violence dominates the headlines and is now the most pressing issue facing the country. Following President Felipe Calderon's crackdown on drug cartels–including deployment of […]
In August 2008, an article in the New Yorker described a number of outbreaks of highly resistant infections caused by "superbugs‚ those bacteria that have developed immunity to a wide number of antibiotics." Although the author of the article, Jerome Groopman, was referring to the harmful inhabitants of the human body, he could have been […]
Historically, the Interior Minister in Mexico has been the second most important politician in the country. Last week, Juan Camilo Mourino, the Interior Minister and a close ally of President Calderon, died in a plane crash. He has been replaced by Fernando Francisco Gomez Mont Urueta, an influential lawyer and high-ranking member of the ruling […]
By now you surely have seen the headlines about the historic election of Barack Obama as the next President of the United States. As an American, I’m thrilled to have Obama as our next President, and to know that the race and class barriers have been shattered by his victory. Naturally, his election will have […]
Juan Camilo Mourino, Mexican Interior Minister, has been killed in a plane crash in Mexico City. Mourino was not only the second most important politician in the country, but also a close ally and advisor of President Felipe Calderon. Jose Luis Santiago Vasconcelos, a former high-ranking official at the Unit of Special Investigations on Organized […]
During the past two weeks my mid-term exams at Georgetown University have consumed nearly all my time. After several papers, I’ve nearly finished my mid-terms with only one more to go in Economics for Latin American Studies… That said, I should be back on track writing frequently for the Mexico blog, along with Alejandro. In […]
Surprise, surprise! One of Mexico's key anti-drug units has been infiltrated by a drug cartel. This suggests not only that Mexico's best anti-drug units are still at risk of losing even more credibility (government agencies can always lose more credibility), but also that the Mexican government should start to hire more historians. Indeed, this is […]