Obama In Mexico: Drug Violence To Top List Of Issues (VIDEO)

President Obama travels to Mexico Thursday morning as the first stop in his Latin America trip, after which he will join other regional leaders in Trinidad and Tobago for the Summit of the Americas. Obama will be the first president since Bill Clinton to visit the Mexican capital, according to the New York Times, and his visit comes at a critical time for Mexican-American relations. Mexican President Felipe Calderon and Obama's discussions are expected to traverse a range of issues, including a recent protectionist trade dispute, immigration, the economy and, most urgently, the increased drug-related violence now spilling across the U.S. border, the New York Times reports.

[WATCH:]

Obama's Thursday arrival will be in the immediate wake of a major shootout between soldiers and drug traffickers that has left 12 dead, Reuters reports.

But though drug violence will surely top the list of priorities for the visit, others are focusing on the long-time, politically intractable immigration issue. A Dallas Morning News editorial Tuesday, for example, issued a plea for immigration to not be shelved yet again. From Dallas News:

Calderón has performed admirably in deploying government forces to confront drug cartels head-on. But Mexico has yet to accept co-responsibility for the illegal immigration problem that has created tremendous political turmoil on this side of the border. Like his predecessors, Calderón has defended illegal immigrants' rights and criticized U.S. efforts to clamp down on unauthorized border crossings.

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Consider this: When people illegally cross the border, their intentions are unknown. They can be drug runners, hit men or kidnappers. More often, they're campesinos heading for better-paying jobs in cities like Dallas. Calderón would not dare criticize the United States for patrolling the border to deter traffickers, killers or kidnappers. But he has repeatedly criticized U.S. efforts to halt illegal immigration.

Regardless of priorities though, it is widely agreed that the issues Obama and Calderone seek to address will all require mutual "co-responsibility" -- neither country is insulated from the effects of drug violence, immigration, trade or the global economic crisis. From the Los Angeles Times

But beyond spoken commitments, Mexico is looking for concrete assistance in several areas. Powerful drug-trafficking organizations have unleashed a wave of violence that has claimed more than 10,000 lives in just over two years and could threaten the very ability of President Felipe Calderon to govern. Calderon has repeatedly called on Washington to do more to stop the flow of weapons and drug money from the U.S. and to curb the demand for the tons of cocaine and marijuana that Mexican traffickers send northward.

"It is essential that we make the U.S. see the need to fully assume shared responsibility in this fight," Atty. Gen. Eduardo Medina Mora said. "The Obama visit is a chance to cement new cooperation."

And indeed, Obama's visit comes at the heels of a number of other high-level US officials working to build a closer, more workable relationship with Mexico. From the New York Times:

The trip comes on the heels of a string of high-profile visits by administration officials. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Attorney General Eric Holder and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano have all been to Mexico since taking office. Ms. Napolitano, who will be here along with the president, announced that the administration would move hundreds of federal agents to the 2,000-mile border, and pledged to focus more efforts on stopping the flow of money and weapons from the United States into Mexico. The president's visit, though, takes the effort to a new level. Denis McDonough, senior director for strategic communications on the National Security Council, said the visit was "designed that way to send a very strong signal to President Calderón," and that Mr. Obama "admires his work as it relates to confronting violence and impunity by criminal trafficking organizations."

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Comments

[Doug Flight]

Maybe we all should listen to what Mr. Allen St. Pierre has to say?

[loki]

Ok, after several years here, Im finally getting to accept Huffpos up to the week news feeds, but really, shouldnt this at least be on the front page as its going on right now?

Anyway, my question is, are we Mexico's step father? We bailed them out with 50 billion a while back so the peso didnt fall flat on its arse. We give them everything they want, and then they insult , scream , yell, and refuse us the same curiosities. And now they insist we, the USA , should not only stop their drug wars for them, but we should do it because " America needs our labor" ?? Which we really dont with millions unemployed right now. We really dont need your labor. Our ivy Greed thrones called corporations want your labor because they can exploit them and get them cheap. American corporations abuse your people and take advantage of your poor treatment of your own citizens. I dont think we owe you diddly squat. You owe your people a decent government and regulations that will help them survive and thrive in your country. You need to stop taking the payouts from drug lords and end this problem yourself. right now we need to focus on keeping your drug war problems from running over into our border. that is what we need to do. But we do not need to do your job for you.

[Bitsko]

Expect the right wing to critique the President for just going south of the border.

[zizyphus]

The gun dealers in the US are making a killing off the drug war, why would the Republicans want that to stop? So are the money launderers, the crooked cops, and politicians. Anyone know how many hundreds of gun dealers are set up near the border?

Calderon will probably privately beg Obama to legalize pot, the world's safest and most popular substance. That is the humane and sensible approach.

I am old, and I thought this war would have been ended decades ago. Now I just hope I live to see the day when Americans can twist one up in the privacy of their own home without fearing a gestapo-like knock on the door and asset forfeiture.

The War on Drugs is at it's base, a civil war against liberals and minorities. Just say No to any more fake, trumped up Wars.

[loki]

gun dealers are making a killing on paranoid gun owners who fear obama will take all the guns away. This happens every time a democrat is elected into the white house, and as usual. nothing happens. In fact, the only real gun law that was passed was the Brady Bill. Brady, the republican , and it was passed because some idiot shot Reagan, a republican. If you have been reading the articles on this problem, a lot of the weapons are coming from US military bases, and the Military Industrial Complex here in the US and around the world. Not gun dealers in the US. Im sure some are doing it, but the pale in comparison to the Corporate and government level of gun running.

[greyhound2]

The Mexican government IS the Mexican Drug Cartel.

[WilliamL]

Yes.

And quit blaming junkies for the Cartels cutting heads off.

[Bitsko]

Got simplicity?

[CR46]

Mr. President if you need to do a "trade off" on some point, offer them Texas.

[rain33]

gov. perry is a jerk.just trade texas so we can legalize washington d.c. a state.let'­s be fair.

i am so sick of right wing hyprocritcs who are making a fool of themselves.

mexico need to put a strained on the drug war because there is so much united states can do.but we do need immigration reform as well and maybe it's time to charge weed on a tax. hey legalize it and see what happens.

president obama knows how to talk and make sense while right-wing buts don't.

[GreatNews27]

We cannot afford to win the War On Drugs. Just think about all the job losses at the arms manufacturers that supply the weapons to Mexico drug gangs.

[liminal67]

Amazing and frightening times we live in...

http://pitchbendpost.blogspot.com/

[MideastDove]

Legalize grass and that part of the criminal underworld disappears.