Jorge Castañeda Examines “Disconnects” in U.S.-Mexico Relations
The relationship between the United States and Mexico has become one of disinterest, said Jorge Castañeda, a former foreign minister of Mexico who gave this year’s George Ball Lecture at SIPA on October 15.
“Generally, the U.S. cares about Mexico when there are problems, which is most of the time,” Castañeda said.
But neither country’s leadership really cares a lot about the other right now, he added. The United States is understandably distracted by events elsewhere, and Mexico is not pushing its large agenda with its neighbor to the north.
“President [Enrique] Peña Nieto doesn’t even really try to go to the United States,” he said.
Castañeda, who is the George Ball Adjunct Professor at SIPA for Fall 2014, served as Mexico’s foreign minister from 2000 to 2003 and attempted to run for his nation’s presidency in 2006 until he was deemed ineligible by Mexico’s Supreme Court.
In opening remarks, Dean Merit E. Janow described his as a “forceful thinker” who is willing “to take a principled stand even against popular opinion.” Provost John Coatsworth, who introduced the speaker, said Castañeda has predicted missteps on the economy by Mexico’s leadership.
Castañeda focused his remarks on bilateral relations around the issues of immigration, drugs and prosperity, highlighting what he called “disconnects” between the two countries.
“Drugs are a more important bilateral issue between the U.S. and Mexico than any other two countries,” said Castañeda. But, he added, President Obama can only go “so far [in] bothering the Mexicans or anyone else on drugs when the District of Columbia is about to legalize recreational marijuana.”
President Peña Nieto of Mexico, in turn, is “a bit too overwhelmed” to even deal with the legalization of drugs, the process it entails, and the probable backlash, said Castañeda.
Rather than publically wage a “war on drugs” like his predecessor, Felipe Calderón, Peña Nieto has been “deemphasizing the drug war” rhetorically and diplomatically, Castañeda said, while quietly continuing the same basic strategy.
Unfortunately, Castañeda said, Calderón’s war on drugs was disastrous: “A lot of people died, a lot of people disappeared, [and it] cost a bundle of money.”
He predicted that Peña Nieto would end up with the same problems if he continued the same strategy.
Turning his attention to immigration, another major bilateral issue, Castañeda expressed his concern for the crackdown, which he said followed pressure from the U.S. government, after a perceived spike of unlawful immigration attempts.
People keep trying to cross the border, even when it is less safe, said Castañeda, who insisted on the importance of immigration reform.
Castañeda also discussed unsuccessful efforts to make education a central issue in the U.S.-Mexico relationship. Ambitious plans were made to have a program launched for students, he said, but funding was lacking on both sides.
“Nobody did the numbers,” Castañeda said. “They didn’t get into who was going to pay for this thing.”
“At the end of the day, the single most important issue for the U.S. on the agenda with Mexico has always been Mexico’s prosperity, or lack of it,” said Castañeda.
Mexican prosperity helps the U.S., one way or another, Castañeda said, but “we have not found a way to place Mexican prosperity on the U.S. agenda.”
In Castañeda’s view, the issues of immigration, drugs and prosperity are just too important to set aside. “It will come back to haunt both countries,” he said.
— Tamara El Waylly MIA ’15