HELEN L. MONTOYA/hmontoya@express-news.net
Former Mexican President Vicente Fox addresses the
Future Leaders Conference at the UTSA Main Campus.
Posted on 03/28/2009 9:59:47 AM PDT by SwinneySwitch
Former Mexican President Vicente Fox was in San Antonio Friday, delivering a wide-ranging address about U.S.-Mexico relations that touched on trade, the drug war, comprehensive immigration reform and the United States' “mammoth” financial crisis that has spread worldwide.
Fox also delivered a message of hope — hope that someday Canada, the United States and Mexico, indeed the rest of Latin America, would function like the European Union.
“It's an extremely successful model,” said Fox, whose wife, Marta Sahagún, accompanied him. “My vision is to speed up the process of further integration.”
Fox was in town to address the Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute's Future Leaders Conference, held at the UTSA Main Campus. He received four rousing standing ovations from the crowd, many of them student business majors.
The event was hosted by the University of Texas at San Antonio's College of Business.
Fox acknowledged the difficulty of establishing a European Union-like structure in the Americas, given those who'd oppose it. But Fox said, “Hope is back again,” referring to the new U.S. president and the United States' “capacity to fight for ideals.”
“The border between Mexico and the United States is not as fluid, stable or open as the border with Canada,” Fox said. “This certainly is because there is a huge difference in the levels of development.”
Fox hailed the success of the North American Free Trade Alliance even as a student in the audience questioned its societal impact and inability to create jobs for Mexican citizens.
“It has happened,” Fox said of Mexico's job creation. Before NAFTA, annual “per capita income was $3,500. Today it is $8,500, three-fold growth.”
Fox also spoke of Mexico's war against drug cartels and its impact on “perhaps the most dynamic border in the world.” He reiterated comments made by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton this week, in which she said “insatiable” U.S. drug consumption drives the war.
Indeed, Fox conceded that more of his own citizens are engaging in drug use as cartels look for new markets.
And while he lamented how the terror attacks of 9-11 quashed potential plans for comprehensive immigration reform, supported by then-President George W. Bush, Fox expressed hope that President Barrack Obama would take up the charge.
Former Mexican President Vicente Fox addresses the
Future Leaders Conference at the UTSA Main Campus.
yeah Vincente Fox, is who I trust.
How many of us do they figure on killing to get this done?
As many as is necessary...
Presidente Zorro ping!
If you want on, or off this S. Texas/Mexico ping list, please FReepMail me.
“Before NAFTA, annual “per capita income was $3,500. Today it is $8,500, three-fold growth.””
Ah, I see the Mexican school system functions at about the same level ours does!
Wh7y don’t we just include Cuba and Venezuela and use them as the model for our own gov’t.....wait......Zer0 is already g0ing there.
This guy is totally out of the loop. The EU is the LAST place countries want to model.
Consolidate with us so that we can drag you down to our level.
Vicente has a diploma in Top Management Skills from the Harvard Business School.
What a surprise. NOT!
“Vicente has a diploma in Top Management Skills from the Harvard Business School.”
Speaks volumes about Harvard, doesn’t it!
How have there been so many ‘officials’ assassinated in Mexico and this globalist Fox managed to escape??
Not to worry...it’s just tin foil theory stuff.
If I owned a corner grocery store, I’d be hoping one of the big chains would buy me up, too. Especially if I were being robbed every night.
sucessful model?
HA HA HA!!!!
Fox is blowing smoke out his posterior.
The EU model is a HUGE ECCONOMIC FAILURE! it has only spread local inflation and massive debt.
It has created a society of RENTERS who are beholding to the aristocracy of the bureacrat.
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