RSS FeedNorth American Leaders’ Summit Kicks Off in Mexico
Over the next couple days Prime Minister Harper, President Obama, and President Calderon are meeting in Guadalajara [From Arabic, وادي الحجارة , "rocky riverbed"], Mexico for the North American Leaders’ Summit.
The meeting is part of the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America, which seeks to address trade and security issues among the NAFTA partners.
From my vantage point in Guadalajara, the not-so-secret service with earpieces are overshadowed by the armed soldiers in camouflage (literally) hiding in the bushes outside my door. President Calderon is staying in my hotel (“No, yo no trabajo aquí. Soy una estadía aquí.”), just a few dozen meters from me.
There’s good reason for the security, with anti-NAFTA protesters greeting their arrival. Some organizations are even hosting parallel sessions highlighting the failures of NAFTA. The major grievances include corn and bean imports that have hurt Mexican farmers, and the ongoing trade-war over Mexican truck drivers.
