When President Barack Obama spoke at the National Anthropology Museum in Mexico City, gone were the condemnations of cartel violence that have dominated Mexican/American relations recently. Instead Obama focused on discussing the economic prosperity that can occur on both sides of the border when the two countries work together.
"We agree that the relationship between our nations must be defined not by the threats we face, but by the prosperity and the opportunity that we can create together," Obama said.
Instead of focusing on security issues between the two countries, which Obama had criticized earlier according to The New York Times, the speech focused on the rise of Mexico's economy. As the Mexican economy has flourished in recent years a middle class has begun to grow within the country. This middle class has lead to increased trade with the United States, as noted by Jodi Bond, vice president for the Americas for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
"U.S. exports to Mexico grew $51 billion in the last two years, and that's more than anywhere else in the world," Bond said. "Mexico is helping us with a manufacturing resurgence, and U.S. companies are growing because the Mexican middle class is growing."
The New York Times reports that in private talks with Obama, Mexican officials discussed finding a way to ensure that trade between the two countries becomes more efficient. Since Sept. 11, the border crossing for trucks wishing to enter or leave the United States has caused massive delays, stoppages that are very costly for the businesses attempting to ship their goods into the United States.
"There was certainly recognition on both sides that this is something we need to focus on," said a U.S. official who attended the meeting. "It brings together the issues of border safety, border security, immigration and trade."
In his speech, Obama also tried to assure Mexico of its importance to the United States.
"Some Americans only see the Mexico depicted in sensational headlines of violence and border crossings. Some Mexicans may think America disrespects Mexico, that we seek to impose ourselves on Mexican sovereignty," Obama said. "I have come to Mexico because it is time to put old mind-sets aside. It's time to recognize new realities, including the impressive progress in today's Mexico."
While Obama mostly skirted around discussing Mexico's drug violence, it was impossible for him to avoid the issue completely. Instead of haranguing Mexican officials for failing to control the violence Obama decided to put some of the blame on the United States, according to the Washington Post.
"We understand that the root cause of much of the violence here - and so much suffering for many Mexicans - is the demand for illegal drugs, including in the United States," Obama said. "We recognize that most of the guns used to commit violence here in Mexico came from the United States."
After speaking in Mexico City, Obama's trip continued on to Costa Rica where the president will meet with Costa Rican President Laura Chinchilla and meet with youth, according to the Washington Post.
