Obama/Clinton to visit Mexico

Dear Readers,
US-Mexico relations are at a tense and defining moment. During Felípe Calderón's first two years as president, drug war violence has reached an all time high. Meanwhile, the effects of the U.S. financial and economic crisis are spilling over our southern border - with job loss and the devastation of family incomes and savings hitting Mexicans, just as they have in United States.
At the same time, disputes over NAFTA provisions have gone public, and some panicky voices in the U.S. national security establishment have even suggested that the overall disintegration of Mexico is so serious that the Mexican state itself is in danger of "catastrophic failure." This sense of crisis - whether manufactured or real - has reduced the focus on traditional, bi-lateral concerns like immigration policy.
On March 25th and 26th, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will visit Monterrey, Mexico to lay the groundwork for an April 16th and 17th trip by President Barack Obama to Mexico City where he will meet with Mexico's president, Felípe Calderón. Additional preparatory visits by Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and Attorney General Eric Holder add to the sense that the new U.S. Administration is giving Mexico top priority.
As these official visits take place we will be intensifying our coverage of Mexico -- both on this list serve and our website. If you would like to receive Mexico-specific news on a regular basis, sign up here.
Linked to this message please find:
1. An excellent piece by our colleague Laura Carlsen, who lays out a case for skepticism regarding claims that Mexican cartels are orchestrating widespread violence on the U.S. side of the border;
2. A review of David Bacon's Illegal People: How Globalization Creates Migration and Criminalizes Immigrants by Ted Lewis recently published in Z Magazine;
3. A backgrounder on Mexico's appearance before the United Nations Human Rights Commission; and
4. An article from The Associated Press covering recent disputes over NAFTA trucking provisions that will be a front and center topic of bi-lateral conversations.
Sincerely,
Global Exchange


Source Global Exchange

as always, just passing it on

2004 U.S. intervention repeated; Republicans threaten Salvadoran voters 4 days before election

We need you to call the U.S. State Department, and demand an official statement of respect for El Salvador's March 15 presidential election, and urge Secretary Clinton to seek a positive relationship with whoever is elected!

Call the U.S. State Department's El Salvador/Nicaragua Desk today: (202) 647-1510.Yesterday, two Republican congressmen gave speeches on the floor of the House of Representatives threatening Salvadorans living in the U.S. will lose their immigration status and be outlawed from sending money home to their families if voters in El Salvador exercise their right to elect the opposition FMLN party's candidate on Sunday.

Rep. Trent Franks (R-AZ) said, "Should the pro-terrorist FMLN party replace the current government in El Salvador, the United States, in the interests of national security, would be required to reevaluate our policy toward El Salvador, including cash remittance and immigration policies to compensate for the fact there will no longer be a reliable counterpart in the Salvadoran government."

Rep. Dan Burton (R-IN) stated, "Those monies that are coming from here to there I am confident will be cut, and I hope the people of El Salvador are aware of that because it will have a tremendous impact on individuals and their economy."
These threats carry considerable weight for Salvadoran voters, as 25% of the Salvadoran population lives in the U.S., and 20% of the nation's economy consists of remittances from those family members. As in 2004, we expect these open, blatant threats to be plastered across the front pages of newspapers across El Salvador in the coming days. These threats endanger the sovereign right of the Salvadoran people to elect their own government, free from outside manipulation.


TAKE ACTION!
Call the State Department to demand an immediate public declaration of U.S. neutrality toward the Salvadoran election! CALL: (202) 647-1510 (El Salvador/Nicaragua desk) "I am calling to urge Secretary Clinton to immediately make a public statement declaring that the United States will respect the results of Sunday's presidential election in El Salvador and seek a positive relationship with whoever is elected." "On Wednesday, Members of Congress publicly threatened to revoke the immigration status of Salvadorans living here in the U.S. and outlaw the remittances they send back to their families. These threats have been extensively covered by the media in El Salvador. Without a statement by the State Department refuting these threats, the integrity and fairness of the Salvadoran election will be severely compromised."

The Republicans' statement stand in stark contrast to last week's declaration by over thirty House Democrats and one Senator who publicly committed to U.S. neutrality, to respect the election results, and to maintain a positive relationship with whichever government is elected. In a March 5th press conference in Washington, D.C., Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ) stated, "the proper position of the U.S. Congress and government is one of neutrality and respect for El Salvador's independent democratic process."

With the election less than a week away, it is imperative that the State Department declare this same position of neutrality and respect for El Salvador's independent democratic process, and reject the Republicans' threats and lies about immigration status and remittances. The integrity and fairness of El Salvador's presidential election is in danger as long as such a statement is not made.

Stay updated with news from within El Salvador with CISPES

Learn more background information on the role of the U.S. government in Salvadoran elections.


Thank you, as always, for your work on behalf of peace & justice.

source: Global Exchange