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Friday, June 26th, 2009 (All day) The Mexican Ambassador to the United States Arturo Sarukhan gave a lecture on June 26 in Los Angeles which analyzed political and social relations between the two countries.

The lecture, organized jointly by the University of Guadalajara at Los Angeles and the Los Angeles-based organization Zócalo Public Square, was conducted as an interview moderated by Dra. Pamela K. Starr, Senior Fellow at the University of Southern California’s Center on Public Diplomacy and Associate Professor at the USC School of International Relations.

Dr. Starr asked whether the two countries and their current presidents are committed to true strategic relations, as occurred during the first year of the administration of President George Bush. “Yes, I believe we are,” replied the Mexican ambassador. “Nonetheless, you can’t control exogenous factors such as what happened in 2001. Let’s be very clear about this: given what's on the geo-strategic radar screen of the White House these days, whether it’s Iran, Iraq, the Middle East, Afghanistan or perhaps North Korea, Latin America will not be a priority or a top priority of the administration.”

With respect to relations between the current leaders of Mexico and the United States, he explained that the present-day political situation and geographical proximity have resulted in a necessarily close relationship. “I believe that a generational relationship has developed between (Obama and Calderón), but I also believe there is a growing understanding that these two countries will either fail together or succeed together. Where you see this most powerfully today is in how we go about fighting organized crime.”

Regarding organized and drug-related crime, he pointed out that since 2006 the two countries have taken negotiation-based approach to the issue, and that the era of "finger pointing" has ended and one of cooperation is at hand.

In attendance were a number of a figures from the public and private sectors in Mexico and the United States, including Juan Marcos Gutiérrez González, Consul General of Mexico in Los Angeles; Marco Antonio Cortés Guardado, Rector of the University of Guadalajara; Héctor Raúl Solís Gadea, General Academic Coordinator; Jorge Gamboa Patrón, Director of the Mexican Tourism Board in Los Angeles; Miriam Vachez Plagnol and Laura Patricia Cortés Sahagún, directors of Culture and Education for the Guadalajara City Council; Olga Garay, Director of the Department of Cultural Affairs for the City of Los Angeles, in addition to others.

See VIdeo:
Arturo Sarukha Conference