Bush works to reassure skeptical Mexico

Toy soldiers for Bush
Gerardo Fernandez, a spokesman for Mexico’s leftist Democratic Revolution Party, arrived in Merida on Monday with a bag of toy soldiers he wanted to leave at Bush’s hotel so he could “play war and leave the world alone.” When he couldn’t get through security, he climbed a rusty metal barrier and threw the plastic troops into the secured area.

When he first became president, Bush promised that Latin American would vault to the top of his agenda. But after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, the administration’s focus was riveted on South Asia and the Middle East. That left many Mexicans feeling neglected by their northern neighbor, and some view Bush’s trip as a case of too little, too late.

Bush and Calderon’s two days of talks are meant to better relations, not yield dramatic announcements.

The two have some things in common. Both went to Harvard University. Both are conservative and pro-business. Each wants to stem illegal immigration. Yet Calderon has a more wonkish and less charismatic personality than his predecessor Vincente Fox, who like Bush, owned a ranch.

Counterweight to Chavez
Bush’s five-nation tour of Latin America also is acting as a counterweight to Hugo Chavez, Venezuela’s leftist leader who is carrying the flag for the leftward shift in Latin America.

Calderon, a conservative who narrowly won the contested July election, is under pressure from a strong leftist opposition to alleviate poverty affecting half of Mexico’s citizens, and refrain from being a subordinate to the more powerful United States. The Mexican leader has said he’s not interested in being Bush’s front man for battling Chavez’ rising influence.

Brazil, Uruguay, Colombia and Guatemala were the first four stops on Bush’s trip that began last week. He returns on Wednesday to Washington, reinvigorated to press Democrats and Republicans to overhaul U.S. immigration law. Bush is hoping that a measure will materialize by August — before spending bills begin to crowd the legislative calendar.

The biggest hurdle, Bush said, is figuring out what to do with the 12 million illegal immigrants already in the United States. The president has proposed a guest worker plan that would allow legal employment for foreigners and give some illegals a shot at becoming American citizens. Critics say this rewards unlawful behavior.

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