Front-runner promises break with U.S. policies

[Judi Lynn]

Feb. 27, 2006, 1:03AM
Front-runner promises break with U.S. policies
Lopez Obrador says Mexico will return to its non-intervention stance


Knight Ridder Tribune News

MEXICO CITY - Tens of thousands of Mexicans filled an ancient square in this capital Sunday to hear leftist presidential front-runner Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador pledge to distance himself from U.S. policies.

While not naming the United States or the Bush administration, Lopez Obrador, a fiery former mayor of Mexico City, made it clear that he would return Mexico to its traditional foreign policy of non-intervention in the affairs of its neighbors.

Conservative President Vicente Fox broke that tradition after taking office in 2000 when he joined the United States in condemning the lack of fundamental liberties in Cuba and elsewhere. Mexico's foreign policy under Fox sought to promote human rights and civil liberties abroad.

That'll change, Lopez Obrador signaled to a crowd estimated between 70,000 and 120,000. Having led public opinion polls for two years, Lopez Obrador is on track to become Mexico's first president elected from a left-wing party, the Party of the Democratic Revolution.

"We're not going to meddle in the internal life of other peoples and other governments, because we don't want them meddling in ours," Lopez Obrador told a sea of supporters in the Zocalo, the city square that Spanish conquistadors built atop Aztec ruins.
(snip/...)

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/world/3687308.html

[I_Make_Mistakes]

1. Better warn them about Diebold!

[PassingThrough]

2. How exactly does Mexico "meddle" in the affairs of other nations?

[Judi Lynn]

3. Th example named in the article was the use of Mexico's President Fox

by _{George W. Bush} to condemn Cuba, etc., and support some of his hostile actions toward Cuba since he stole the pResidency, etc.

Mexico has had a tradition of very peaceful relations with Cuba before Vicente Fox fell under the very obnoxious influence of _{George Bush.}

On edit: There have been quite a few of individual situations since 2001 in which _Bush pressured Fox to act in ways hostile to Cuba, a lot of small skirmishes kicked up by design to make trouble between Mexico and Cuba which would NEVER have happened without some Washington machinations.

[PassingThrough]

4. Condemning the lack of fundamental liberties in Cuda is not what I

would call meddling. So he gave a speech in which he voiced his opinion that Cudans should be free and have basic human rights. Doesn't sound like a hostile action to me. Last time I checked they still do have peaceful relations with Cuba.

[Judi Lynn]

5. I don't recall hearing about that speech. I doubt there was one.

You should have been paying closer attention. Mexico broke off relations briefly over a problem which was created by Radio Marti, run by Cuban right-wing "exiles" in Miami, on a huge yearly budget financed by American taxpayers, which broadcast an absurd lie, resulting in a problem between Cubans and the Mexican embassy which called the Cuban police to remove some people, ending in both Cuba and Mexico recalling their ambassadors for a period, and involved a lot of hurried diplomacy.

As I said, you probably should have been paying attention. DU'ers followed it very closely.

[PassingThrough]

6. Edited.

Originally was a sarcastic reply on what you think people should do and the condescending tone of your post. My bad.


Peace Out.

[High Plains]

9. It's what the Mexicans would call meddling.

Being a neighbor to the US, they are very sensitive to interference in the affairs of sovereign nations. It's been a staple of their foreign policy since the Revolution.

[ronnie624]

7. Oh brother.

"Mexico's foreign policy under Fox sought to promote human rights and civil liberties abroad."

A neoliberal who promotes human rights and civil liberties abroad? One can only roll one's eyes at those who reside in bizarro world.

So I will. :eyes:

[Judi Lynn]

8. Yeah, that was some not-so-subtle perception molding, wasn't it? Yikes.

Propagandists show no small amount of contempt when they try to explain what we're supposed to believe to us. We've been getting far more than is "prudent."