The Last Stop

President Bush visits Mexico

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President George W. Bush speaks during an arrival ceremony in Temozon Sur, Mexico, on March 13, 2007. (Photo: Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images/NewsCom)

March 13, 2007

President George W. Bush visited the Mexican city of Mérida to have talks with the country’s new President, Felipe Calderón, on Tuesday. It was the last stop on the President’s six-day, five-nation tour of Latin America.

During the arrival ceremony, President Bush stated: “My pledge to you and your government, but more important to the people of Mexico, is I'll work as hard as I possibly can to pass comprehensive immigration reform.”

The first four stops on his trip were Brazil, Colombia, Uruguay, and Guatemala. Each stop on the journey included a visit with that country’s president. The last time Bush made a visit to Latin America was in 2005.

At the beginning of his presidency in 2001, Bush vowed to improve relations with Latin American countries. Following the September 11 attacks, though, the Bush administration mainly focused on fighting terrorism. Many people in Latin America felt Bush did not follow through on his promises.

Bush hoped that this visit would relieve those tensions. During his visit with President Calderón, talks were expected to address issues such as trade, the state of the Mexican economy, immigration concerns, and border security.
 
Last year, Bush signed legislation that called for a 700-mile fence to be built along the border to keep out illegal immigrants. The decision further strained the relationship between the U.S. and Mexico.

"I'm going to work with members of both parties to find a rational middle ground," said Bush of the illegal-immigration debate.

Bush proposed a temporary-worker program that would allow currently undocumented workers to stay in the United States, and others to come in under the program.

An estimated 14 percent of the American workforce is foreign-born. About 6.4 million of those workers are undocumented.

Critical Thinking Question

Read today's news story, and then answer the following question.

Do you think President Bush's visit will improve the relationship between the U.S. and Mexico? Why or why not?

Join a discussion of this question on our bulletin board.

 

Samantha Henderson is a contributing writer for Scholastic News Online.

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