President George Bush just finished his tour of Latin America last week with his final stop being Merida - the capital city of Yucatan State.
I happened to be with my group in Merida just days prior to the president's visit and the city was busy bustling with the preparation. The locals were amazed at how much was being done to protect the President during his visit. The police and military closed down 10 square blocks around the Hyatt where he was staying allowing entry only to those authorized to be there (ie. military, police, secret service, etc.). Store owners had to close down for the day. Over a dozen C-5 Cargo planes arrived carrying Apache Helicopters that were sent out to patrol the entire surrounding area for days prior to Bush's arrival. I took my group to visit a flamingo reserve in Celestun on the western coast of the Yucatan Peninsula and our conversation during lunch was drowned out by the rotor-blades of an Apache flying low up and down the coastline. There was even an aircraft carrier stationed in the Gulf of Mexico! Pretty hardcore security measures for a 35 hour visit to our "friendly" neighbors to the south.
I spoke with the owner of a campground near Uxmal where we stay with our groups and he told me that security was just as tight at Uxmal the day that Bush visited. According to him, the road that passes by Uxmal was closed and security checkpoints where posted at several different roads leading to the area. He said that there were "thousands of men, Mexican and American, protecting that one man". Several articles on the web highlight the security that was required for the visit. Univision says that there were "thousands of military, secret service, expert snipers and trained dogs" there for Bush's protection.
So why does Bush need so much protection. Well, he's not the most popular guy down here... well he's not the most popular guy anywhere really. But in Mexico he dropped the ball. When he was elected in 2001 he promised that Latin America would be at the top of his agenda. But after the attacks on Sept. 11 his focus shifted to warmongering and his promises fizzled. I was in Mexico during the attacks and for months after and the feeling here was that Bush dropped that ball... that he didn't care about improving relations between the countries. I d3finitely saw a change in how people here reacted to the idea of the United States, Bush and American Politics. They don't want to be associated with the U.S. or the ideas of Bush. Even Calderon, prior to becoming President, wanted to distance his country from the U.S. by removing "United" and "States" from the official name of the country, The United Mexican States. Relations haven't improved and Bush's proposal for a 700 kilometer fence along the border has made things even worse. Calderon used the visit to lambaste Bush about his immigration policy and to ask for more help with drug trafficking. Mexicans (and residents of all other countries Bush visited on his tour) used the visit as an excuse to protest. There were several small protests in Merida for the week leading up to his stay and throughout his time there as well as a big protest in Mexico, City.
I think to most Mexicans it is a case of too little too late. I guess only time will tell if Bush comes through with his promises this time. Until he does though I will continue being a "Pinche Americano" with the "Terrorista" for a president... Fuera Bush!
