Issues in International Political Economy: Obama and Mexico

November 14, 2008

Positions taken during the campaign have created uncertainty in Mexico about what President Obama’s policies will be. The question that raises the most immediate concern, because it was created by Obama, is how he will deal with his repeated statements to renegotiate NAFTA. Violence in Mexico is out of control. Much of this is spawned by battles among Mexican drug cartels over dominance of the large U.S. market for drugs produced in or transported through Mexico. In addition to drug violence, Mexico has become the kidnapping capital of the world. It is not clear whether Obama's close advisers understand how important the Mexico relationship is to his presidency; this commentary is written in the hope that it may have some influence on their thinking and his.