What We Shouldn't Be Doing to 'Help' Mexico

By Theodore Bromund & Ray Walser

 - FOXNews.com

President Calderón deserves American support. But not at the cost of American liberties.

Mexican President Felipe Calderón is in Washington for a two day state visit from May 19-20. He and President Obama have a lot to talk about, ranging from reaffirming a shared commitment to the North American Free Trade Agreement to the vital need for both countries to emphasize competitiveness, technological innovation, and creative entrepreneurship. In Mexico, these policies will increase growth and employment and reduce the economic pressures that drive illegal immigration across the U.S. border.

Reuters

But front and center in the visit will be President Calderón’s battle with the deadly Mexican drug cartels. This battle has so far claimed over 22,000 Mexican lives since 2006. Under President Bush, the U.S. launched the Merida Initiative, which has delivered aircraft, police training, computers, and drug detection machinery to Mexico’s federal police. Because Mexico’s problems affect the U.S., the Initiative was a wise response, and both Presidents should seek to build upon it.

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