Mexico’s Fox Warns U.S. Border Fence Will Fall
Reuters, Jan 25, 2006
AGUASCALIENTES, Mexico — President Vicente Fox warned on Tuesday that a proposed high security border fence to keep illegal immigrants out of the United States will fall just like the Berlin Wall.
The fence, approved by the U.S. House of Representatives last month, has angered many Mexicans and Fox’s government is lobbying U.S. Senate leaders to block it while also rallying opposition from other Latin American nations.
“What is not resolved by intelligent policies and by leaders is resolved by citizens. That is how the Berlin Wall fell and that is how this wall will fall,” Fox told Reuters. “I hope it isn’t even built because, if it is, it will fall.”
Fox’s government has pushed hard for U.S. immigration reform in favour of millions of Mexicans living and working illegally in the United States.
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U.S. treatment of Mexican migrants is already a campaign issue ahead of Mexico’s presidential election in July, especially after the recent fatal shootings of two illegal Mexican migrants by U.S. security forces.
Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, the leftist candidate leading opinion polls, said on Tuesday the migration problem could not be resolved “with walls or repressive measures”.
“If there is no growth in the Mexican economy and no jobs, then even if they build walls and maintain hardball threats and severe laws, people will still, because of necessity, try to go and work in the United States,” he said.
