The Foreign Service Journal, March 2003

tionalist agenda, but to a great degree this was based on the need to redefine the relationship with the United States, a looming presence in Mexico. At first the U.S. seemed to expect a new ally on a host of issues. Some of those hopes were justified, as a change in the Mexican policy toward human rights in Cuba occurred. But, as in other countries, the sympathy created in Mexico in reaction to the events of September 11 did not carry over to support for a war or for unilateral U.S. intervention in Afghanistan or Iraq. Other bilateral issues helped cool the relationship between Fox and Bush. In August, 2002 the Mexican government asked the Texas state government to at least postpone the execution of Javier Suarez Medina, condemned to death for the murder of an American policeman but whose case gained international promi- nence because, as in other cases, the Texas authorities had failed to comply with the Vienna Convention on Consular Rights. The execution was scheduled to take place only days before a Fox visit to Bush in Texas. Mexico does not have a death penalty and campaigns actively internationally against it. When Texas Governor Rick Perry, who was in the middle of a dis- puted electoral campaign, ignored the Mexican request, President Fox was forced to cancel his visit. Months after the lack of agreement on a new immi- gration policy, the cooling in the relationship between the U.S. and Mexico was underlined by what was described as the “visibly sullen” attitude of President Bush at the end of a bilateral meeting with Fox last November in Los Cabos, in Mexico. Still Talking Indeed, Secretary Powell has had to navigate against the tide. He has repeated time and again, whenever asked or speaking in an international forum, about how important Mexico is for the U.S. The Mexicans like to hear that, and would like to believe it, but many claim that the speeches and the facts do not correspond. Despite the obviously weakening state of the rela- tionship, Powell and Castaneda continued to speak frequently by phone, exchanging views and advice on issues that went from the water problems along the common border to Iraq and Venezuela, from Argentina to Afghanistan, and to long-stand- ing differences between both countries, such as on the legali- ties and circumstances that may have helped Mexican nationals avoid the death sentence in the U.S. The limits to that close rela- tionship, however, were seen in a series of Mexican decisions. Though recognizing the American right of response, Mexico refused to back unilateral American military operations in Afghanistan, and remains very cautious about accepting the idea of granting any country the right of unilateral action. Mexico refused to support the American tendency to unilateralism in Iraq in the U.N. Security Council, when last November it was an active participant in the effort to water down an American- sponsored resolution about inspections in Iraq. And, on Jan. 9, 2003, Mexico filed a complaint with the International Court of Justice concerning the legal cir- cumstances surrounding death sentences against 51 Mexicans in the U.S. Finally, in early January, Jorge Castaneda abruptly resigned. Secretary Powell and Mr. Castaneda had been in contact by telephone on Jan. 7, and even though everybody knew that Castaneda had present- ed his resignation and that President Fox was “con- sidering” it, the subject was not broached. Two days later Castaneda called again but minutes later, when Powell was able to return the call, Castaneda was already “indisposed.” His resignation had been accepted. Colin Powell is now on the telephone with Luis Ernesto Derbez, the new Mexican Secretary for Foreign Relations, and is again stressing the importance of Mexico for the United States and conveying his hopes for a productive relationship with Derbez. He may be able to convince the Mexicans and Derbez ... but will he ever convince the Americans? F O C U S M A R C H 2 0 0 3 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 21 Powell was well intentioned, mostly because he understood that President Bush wanted a special relationship. However, after September 11, his priorities and those of the U.S. government changed...