As Mexican Americans and American Latinos protest across the country against Arizona’s new law on illegal immigration, a rising tide of frustration and disgust is occurring in Mexico as well. Continuing with our coverage of the Meixcan reaction to Arizona’s new law, Excelsior’s Jorge Fernandez Menendez writes that without deep and comprehensive “integration” of the NAFTA countries, particularly the U.S. and Mexico, problems like drug trafficking, energy security and migration will never be resolved.
For Excelsior, Jorge Fernandez Menendez writes in part:
The new law allows local authorities to arrest persons of Latino origin under suspicion of being undocumented: ultimately, any Mexican living, working or traveling in Arizona, must prove his or her legal status in Arizona if any authority (or even a neighbor) approaches them to ask – or if they are stopped. The U.S. has never imposed a law like this on any other community – including Muslims after the September 11 attacks. As has been said, in that state [Arizona], it will be illegal to detain someone for looking like Osama bin Laden, but anyone can be detained for looking Mexican.
This also shows how badly many elements of our bilateral relationship and regional integration with the U.S and Canada are going. In fact, although bilateral trade is enormous, there is no plan for achieving real integration.
For example: can anyone be against what Bill Clinton said here last week, about the need for a Plan Mexico (that emulates Plan Colombia, launched by Clinton at the end of his presidency) to attack drug trafficking? Clinton was careful about speaking of intervention – and even explained that a comprehensive plan should involve local Mexican forces, and on this basis, involve the cooperation of the United States. Plan Colombia cannot be repeated in our country for the simple reason that intervention of direct military force as it exists in Colombia, even if it’s limited, is inconceivable. But it is possible to do a great many other things in the security area. It’s true that the U.S. has a debt to pay Mexico, and hasn’t even fully implemented the Merida Initiative, which has already been overtaken by events. The difference would be to increase joint security efforts: first, as a bilateral challenge; and second, as part of a plan for integration.
READ ON AT WORLDMEETS.US, your most trusted translator and aggregator of foreign news and views about our nation.
Founder and Managing Editor of Worldmeets.US