Beware : A leftist leader in Mexico, too?

[tocqueville]

If presidential front-runner Obrador wins in July, it could alter US-Mexico ties.

By Danna Harman | Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor

Obrador has come out against many of the free-trade economic policies supported by the US. Just as the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) enters the final years of its 15-year phase-in period, with the last agricultural tariffs to be lifted in 2008, Obrador talks of reopening chapters of NAFTA that he says have hurt Mexican corn and bean farmers.

On foreign policy, Obrador has reiterated his support for Mexico's long-standing nonintervention and pacifist policies, and made digs at what he sees as Fox's "mirroring" of US foreign policy, especially regarding Cuba. "We're not going to meddle in the internal life of other peoples and other governments, because we don't want them meddling in ours," Obrador said at a late February rally in Mexico City. "The next president of Mexico is not going to be the puppet of any foreign government."

And, on the question of illegal Mexican immigration to the US, Obrador talks particularly tough. He has, for instance, proposed taking a much more proactive role than Fox by using Mexico's 45 consulates in the US as "prosecutorial" offices to "protect our countrymen from mistreatment, discrimination, and the violation of their human rights." And he has stridently criticized Fox for being an elitist too eager to please the US.

"It's infuriating to see how President Fox, because he is dedicated to maintaining economic policies that only benefit the elite, does not have the moral or political authority to confront the disgrace of a wall on the border," Obrador told supporters at a January rally in Mexico City, in reference to a bill passed by the US Congress in December that would see a fence built along a third of the US-Mexico border. Fox has voiced stringent opposition to the barrier, but Obrador argues that for someone who has staked his presidency on immigration, Fox has far too little to show for his efforts.

http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0403/p06s03-woam.html

mmm Chavez, Lula, Obrador ? it's interesting to note that meanwhile the GOP is fighting the poor "over there in the ME", the biggest problem for them could come from the backyard...

[Gabi Hayes]

1. has he been assassinated yet?

countdown starts......now!

[eleny]

5. Just as soon as he messes with their oligarchy

Mark our words!

[NNN0LHI]

Fox had him fitted for a jail cell last year but the Mexican people....

...had huge protests over the bogus allegations so Fox backed down and had to have the charges dropped.

Don

[maveric]

2. And with Venezuela and Bolivia the Latin American Crusade begins?

I can see where this may go. Bu$hco will find ties to Castro and the invasions will occur.

[Gabi Hayes]

3. reconstitute the draft! Give me that, or I'm going over

THERE!

[Swamp Rat]

4. ¡Viva Obrador!

:applause:

e Lula também! :)

[radio4progressives]

6. Hear ! Hear!

but what does e Lula tambem mean, Swamp Rat? please translate for this Gringa.. ;) :hi:

[Gabi Hayes]

7. he's showing off, the nasty boy....my guess it's an encomium

to Lula, no fan of the BFEE

spanish or portuguese?

[Swamp Rat]

10. How did you know I am nasty!

:D

Eu estava falando português. ;)

[Swamp Rat]

9. "Lula also"

As in, "long love Lula," but in portuguese. :) :hi:

[mdelaguna2000]

8. De acuerdo - viva Obrador!

Bring it on.

[bliss_eternal]

11. I don't care for the way Fox represents the people of Mexico--

as if American's SHOULD exploit them. Well, at least that is the way I interpreted some of his prior comments. I know I didn't like what he said or the fact that he seems content to evade issues regarding improving the economic conditions for the residents of his country.

This guy sounds like he'll be an interesting change, to say the least...

[hedda_foil]

12. Si, se puede! Viva Obrador!

Wouldn't that be the shiznitz?

[Rotten]

13. Unless they do away with the corruption, it doesn't matter who the

president of Mexico is.