From the Desk Of Antonio O. Garza

EnglishEspañol

From the Desk Of Antonio O. Garza - Aug. 31

In spite of the still challenging economic times around the globe, there’s every reason to remain bullish about Mexico’s economy and business climate remaining strong.

A few recent pieces come to mind that echo and underscore these opportunities: “Mexico: Finding Opportunity in the Financial Storm,” Financial Times, Aug. 23, 2011; and “A New Report Finds that Violence in Mexico is Not Slowing Foreign Investment,” Business Insider, Aug. 8, 2011. You might also watch this Bloomberg TV interview with Mexico’s Minister of the Economy, Bruno Ferrari that aired Aug. 22.

Sadly, last week’s tragedy at the Casino Royale in Monterrey is a reminder that even as Mexico continues to weaken and fragment the drug cartels, we’ll continue to see violence in the headlines. But, President Felipe Calderon’s resolve is not shaken, and he has made clear that the country will not relent in its aggressive pursuit of these narco-traffickers who are, in the president’s own words, “truly terrorists.”

Mexico’s Secretary of Public Security Genaro Garcia Luna recently released, “The New Model of Security for Mexico,” chronicling the ongoing efforts to lay a credible, enduring foundation for security by way of institutional reforms and strategic investments from both Mexico and the U.S. You can read my thoughts on these initiatives in the Houston Chronicle, available here.

I also feel strongly that a path toward greater security, prosperity and economic growth in the U.S. and among our key allies is through free trade. Free trade agreements with Colombia, Panama and South Korea have been stalled in Congress, but there’s renewed hope that we might finally see progress. You can read my take on the benefits of approving these three bilateral trade deals, including the geopolitical and security reasons for taking immediate action. A piece that I wrote appeared earlier this week in The Dallas Morning News and is available here.

I hope you’ll share your thoughts with me on Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter regarding these and other matters. And, as always, if I can be of help to you or your colleagues from my office here in Mexico City at White & Case or at Vianovo, I hope you’ll call on me directly.

Sincerely,

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it