2023 - Articles

Two Years after Fall of Kabul, US Still Has Work to Do in Afghanistan - Pulse News Mexico

The Taliban regime is well ensconced and focused on implementing its fundamentalist Islamic doctrine. The UN documents that it is carrying out revenge killings of former Afghan government officials and security forces.

The non-Taliban elites from the previous republic are divided and dispersed around the world. Many are discredited. The only organized opposition is from the even more radical, violent and conservative Afghan branch of ISIS (the Islamic State Khorasan or IS-K).

Neither the Unite

Introductory Remarks: Understanding the Fentanyl and Opioid Crisis: US-Mexico Solutions

Fentanyl and other opioids are fueling the worst drug crisis in the history of the United States. According to the CDC, 107,375 people in the United States died of drug overdoses and drug poisonings in the 12-month period ending in January 2022. A staggering 67 percent of those deaths involved synthetic opioids like fentanyl. Furthermore, synthetic opioid-involved death rates increased by over 56% from 2019 to 2020 and accounted for over 82% of all opioid-involved deaths in 2020. The rate of ove

د دې امکان چې امریکا د طالبانو حکومت په رسمیت وپیژني کم دی: انتوني وین | په افغانستان کې د امریکا پخوانی سفیر ارل انتوني وین پدې باور دی چې دا مهال د امریکا او طالبانو ترمنځ بې باوري زیاته ده او د دې

په افغانستان کې د امریکا پخوانی سفیر ارل انتوني وین پدې باور دی چې دا مهال د امریکا او طالبانو ترمنځ بې باوري زیاته ده او د دې امکان چې امریکا د طالبانو...

Remarks: Awards Ceremony US-Mexico Kaleidoscope Short Film Competition

It was a great pleasure to participate in the Kaleidoscope US-Mexico Short Film Festival Awards Ceremony this week at the Motion Picture Assoiciation headquarters in Washington DC. The contest was sponsored by Arizona State University, Guadalajara University and the Wilson Center's Mexico Institute. I was honored to present the third place award (out of 850 competitors) to Sabor y Amor - the story of a Mexican woman working to create a Mexican food service for immigrant dairy workers in Vermont and, among other activities, calling back home to her dad in Mexico for help with the recipes. It was created by two very impressive Middlebury students who you can see with me. This was a very nice opportunity to talk about how food and art can build bridges between Mexico and the United States.

Article: Assessing the Impact of AMLO's Energy Policies: Insights from Advisory Board Members and Global Fellows

The Mexico Institute seeks to improve understanding, communication, and cooperation between Mexico and the United States by promoting original research, encouraging public discussion, and proposing policy options for enhancing the bilateral relationship. A binational Advisory Board, chaired by Luis Téllez and Earl Anthony Wayne, oversees the work of the Mexico Institute. Read more

Report: Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity (APEP): Potential Framework Components, American University Diplomacy Lab, Spring 2023

The authors of this report believe that APEP has the potential to: 1) increase the U.S.’ geopolitical standing in the world by positioning the US as the established, responsible leader of the Western Hemisphere, 2) advance the U.S.’ geo-economic interests by promoting initiatives that work to diversify critical supply chains away from extra-continental authoritarian regimes and closer to our industry hubs in the continent; 3) increase interconnectedness across the Americas to an unprecedented level, opening new markets and growth prospects for U.S. companies and workers; and 4) enhance prosperity among U.S. neighbors in a system the highlights the value of regional interconnectedness. The authors also believe that the geo-strategic, geo-economic, and commercial benefits can be achieved along with a greater framework for all countries in APEP that encourages responsible growth, driven by the principles of shared prosperity, an international policy for the middle and working classes, and respecting vital climate and environmental goals.

This report seeks to analyze areas of regional importance, identify the obstacles hindering APEP goals, and provide innovative ideas to overcome shared challenges, particularly pertaining to economics and public health initiatives and build sustainable partnerships. The report focuses on five key areas: Diversifying and Securing Supply Chains; Building Prosperity through the Digital Economy; Expanding Financial Access and Inclusion in the Hemisphere; Integrating SMEs into an Increasingly Competitive Regional Framework; and Developing the Workforce for Shared Prosperity.

This Diplomacy Lab report was prepared by a team of six students from American University's School of International Service at the request of the State Department's Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs and with the advice of SIS professor and former Ambassador Earl Anthony Wayne.

Report: Looking at the Use of Digital Diplomacy Use by Select US Embassies and Bureaus, 2023 AU SIS Summer Practicum Final Report

Executive Summary

At the request of the Bureau of Global Public Affairs, the summer 2023 Public Diplomacy
practicum team at American University’s School of International Service carried out an audit of
social media sites on an assigned collection of US Missions and Washington based offices with
the objective of identifying the best practices and practices that could be improved. The team also
tried to identify other useful observations related to how USG missions and offices are generating
engagement with their audiences on social media and the potential for expanded outreach.

In studying the engagement by embassies and State Department offices on each social media
platform, the team first examined the social media penetration in each country examine, tried to
determine the different audiences that were apparently being targeted by the embassy or State
Department office/bureau, outline the broad political and social context of target countries and
observed if the embassies and missions were closely following the objectives identified in their
Integrated Country Strategies (ICS). The project team applied this methodology for the overseas
missions studied and adapted it to examine the State Department Offices and the special platforms
which the team had been asked to study, i.e., Telegram and LinkedIn.

The team found that achieving higher engagement is correlated with how well content is
tailored to reflect local cultural and social contexts for the host country where the mission is
located or specific audiences that care about the mission in the case of multilateral missions. For
example, the Embassy in Kathmandu, Nepal has strong engagement with its audiences which
appears to be at least in part due to the ambassador directly engaging with Nepalese viewers
through tailored cultural connections via the most used social media platforms in Nepal.

Similarly, and more broadly, the team found that a mission’s use of the ambassador in social
media postings correlates with generating strong engagement. The persona of the Ambassador as
a ‘celebrity’ played a role in engagement across various Missions and social media platforms. The
project team observed that the presence of Ambassadors on social media platforms often boosted
engagement on posts, regardless of the gender of the Ambassador. But the team recommends
balancing focus on the ambassador with an array of postings highlighting other embassy staff.

In this connection, Embassy postings about gender issues, especially women and girls, seemed to
regularly garner good engagement.

Another example of tailored content is the use of local languages and cultural icons/practices.
Embassies Conakry and Embassy Rangoon social media posts, for example, attracted significant
engagement when the posts were offered in French and Burmese respectively and more when local
citizens or cultural icons were included.

The use of cross platform posting of the same media content (photos, videos) for all or most social
media accounts was a practice that the team observed for each embassy studied, but the team
found different degrees of evident engagement by local audiences. This may be a successful way to
get information out to a large audience, but it was hard to measure if the information was read
because much of the content garnered little reaction.

Embassies and Missions (e.g. USUNVIE) with some curated local content added seemed to fare better. Specifically, the team concludes that the lack of platform differentiation between what is put on Facebook and Instagram is curbing engagement from audiences that differ in age and engagement opportunities.

Finding ways to invest more time in selective differentiation of posts among platforms (and thus audiences) would seem to be a very valuable practice.

Multilateral missions have a bit different challenge than bilateral embassies, in part because they
have real and potential audiences that are spread across many counties and often have a particular
set of substantive interests. For example, Facebook was a strong place for engagement for most
country missions, but in the case of the US Mission to the UN Agencies in Vienna (USUNVIE),
the Facebook posts attracted the least engagement of all of the USUNVIE accounts, even though
Facebook has the most followers for the mission.

As noted, a number of embassy missions posted the same content across all platforms, without
curating specific content for each platform. But the team notes that different social media
platforms have different demographic followings, and it is a best public diplomacy practice to
tailor posting to different audiences. However, most embassies seemed to post very identical
material, especially material received from Washington, despite demographic audience differences
on various platforms. This does not seem to be a best practice for attracting audience attention
given the low engagement which the team observed. The team assumed that this practice was
being followed because of Public Diplomacy section staff and time limitations. This practice may
serve to get information out to audiences, however, it was very hard for the team to measure if that
was taking place..

The team also found that more engagement seems to flow if the postings do not use too much text.
In instances on Twitter or Instagram where photos and graphics are used, those that contain lots of
text in the graphic or photograph, receive less engagement than traditional photos without text.
However, carefully crafted photographic posts with less text and carefully chosen words, produced
a high level of engagement. U.S. Mission Brazil’s accounts, for example, successfully use posts without lengthy captions and minimal or text-less graphics. One example of space for improvement that the
team observed involved the Office of Monitoring and Trafficking In Persons. That office posted items on a series of Presidential Awards for efforts to combat trafficking. These posts, however, include many words in the graphics which coincided with low engagement on the posts. The posts were otherwise about significant anti-trafficking work.

Consistently across platforms and embassy missions, the team also found that there are higher levels of engagement on posts about visas, events, English education, fellowships, intern opportunities, opportunities to engage with the embassy and job openings. Visa process instructions and information routinely also receive high engagement numbers compared to an average on that embassy platform,
likely because the audiences for those posts are very interested in obtaining visas.

In this connection, social media posts where opportunities for engagement with embassy staff were
observed to be popular and registered high engagement rates. Whether events, educational
opportunities and/or fellowships, those posts tend to gain a lot of attention. Using platforms to publicize
these opportunities also seems to align with an uptick in engagement across other posts by the
embassy, perhaps as more viewers are actively looking at the embassy’s social media page for
opportunities. Posts should think instrumentally about how to use viewer interest in these kinds of
posts to gain attention for other high priority messaging.

The team found that Embassy Nepal was one mission that stood out with very high engagement
across all platforms. It serves as an example of how social media can be used to garner wide
reach within a country. The Embassy’s 4.4 million Facebook followers with daily posts, plus
consistent near daily posts on Twitter, Instagram, and Pro Flicker resulted in far reaching
engagement and messaging across all platforms in the country.

While for a number of reasons social media is usually used for one way engagement and sharing of
information, the team observed that social media can also be used as a tool of public diplomacy for two way engagement. For example, the team found that live Q’s & A’s seemed to be popular. Embassy
Conakry and Embassy Brasilia hosted live Qs and As on their Instagram page, which generated a
large number of comments, creating a decree of two way engagement between each respective
Embassy and platform users in real time.

The team realizes that staff numbers and time constraints limit what embassies can do, but concludes that embassies should look to take advantage of forums that provide for such two-way exchanges with social media audiences. This could be a good practice, used prudently.

The team also concluded that Twitter and Telegram (and WhatsApp though we did not officially
audit this platform) have great untapped potential through the ability to reach expanded networks
for sharing information with the use of these platforms. Using Twitter to curate for local
audiences though re-tweeting relevance to local culture can be a good practice, instead of only
retweeting main State Department accounts without comment. If the embassy staff used a few
moments when retweeting some of the material to add a comment, tying a tweet into a local
message that resonates with local people, the team believes this could create higher engagement
rates and reach more audiences. We would suggest that posts experiment with a limited number of
retweets to see if such a practice produces more engagement.

Telegram and WhatsApp are functionally similar and both provide an excellent opportunity to
reach individual users through their mobile devices to promote US policy interests. Our team
found that for each of the Telegram channels we researched, every message that was posted in a
channel was read (viewed) by at least 50% of the number of subscribers in the channel. For
example, Embassy Tashkent had 20,000+ subscribers to the Embassy channel, and each message
had over 10,000 views which is an extremely high rate of potential audience for embassies to reach
into groups and countries without access to normal media outlets. More use of Telegram message
posts (or similar channels) can be a great way to ensure a high percentage of information will be
delivered to individual subscribers - especially in authoritarian states.

Though the team did not look at WhatsApp channels or groups by any of the embassies we surveyed, our research suggests that in countries where WhatsApp is used by large populations can be used in a similar manner as Telegram. Both messaging platforms can be used to conduct public diplomacy by delivering U.S. messages directly to individual users who can re-share messages through their own contacts. In Russian language speaking populations, Telegram is used primarily over WhatsApp.

Short videos are used across all platforms, and receive considerably more likes than other posts such as longer videos that last over several minutes. This reflects the consistently growing popularity of these
short videos around the world over the last decade. Embassy Nepal’s use of Instagram short video
reels has been successful in growing viewer rates from 1,500 views per video earlier this year, to
approximately 15,000 - 20,000 views per reel into June 2023.

But not all short videos correlate with high engagement. The INL Instagram account, for example, uses primarily short videos to communicate on the account, but it receives low view count and low engagement likely because the bureau has not fully developed and implemented a plan based on best practices in the use of short-form video to gain wider and more consistent engagement. At present, the INL account uses the short video application to post bursts of pictures, rather than video.

Short form videos clearly have excellent potential for all embassy missions and bureaus to consider, for expanding public diplomacy reach and user engagement.

The team found a consistently low engagement on posts that articulate American values where
those values differ significantly from the local culture or country’s societal norms. Many Pride
posts had negative engagement across all platforms and embassies, for example, except in Brazil.
Similarly, Embassy posts promoting the Juneteenth holiday garnered negative reactions and
comments, likely because this is largely an American event (and recently elevated holiday) and
should be presented with context and with links to a local country’s culture and history.

Our interviews with digital diplomacy experts also pointed to the on-going need to find better ways to
combat misinformation online. The team found the Russia-Ukraine conflict is an area where
embassies can and are supporting US values and working to authenticate information on the
conflict in alignment with US policy. Each embassy or account we observed consistently
promoted U.S. policy of supporting Ukraine against Russian aggression on all social media
platforms. Support for Ukraine was positive across all platforms that we observed.

Finally, all embassy missions observed also appeared to do a good job of reflecting the objectives of their respective Integrated Country (or Mission) Strategies in their social media use.

The Practicum Team that prepared this report was made up of five graduate students, Hasan Syed, Israel Archuletta, Natalia Franco Castillo, Olivia Hille, Sokhna Ndoye, at AU's School of International Service, working with Professor and retired Ambassador Earl Anthony Wayne.

Article: Two Years After the Fall of Kabul, the US Still has Important Work to Do

Two years since the dramatic fall of Kabul and the chaotic US evacuation from its airport, the outlook is dark and gloomy for Afghanistan. This is especially true for Afghan women and girls, who have progressively had their rights and futures restricted.

The Taliban regime is well ensconced and focused on implementing its fundamentalist Islamic doctrine. The UN documents that it is carrying out revenge killings of former Afghan government officials and security forces.

The non-Taliban elites f

Report: An Analysis of Democracy Indices: Helping to Understand Democratic Backsliding in Latin America, AU SIS Practicum, Summer 2023

Democratic Backsliding in the Western Hemisphere: An Analysis of Democracy Indices.

This report analyzes established and widely respected democracy indices. The Office of Policy, Planning, and Coordination in the Department of State’s Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs requested assistance from graduate students at American University’s School of International Service to determine which indices that examine democracy and governance would be most helpful for State Department officers seeking to understand key developments in the region and to identify potentially beneficial actions. This report evaluates indices with a regional focus on the Western Hemisphere. It examines and compares how the indices treat the following eight countries: Brazil, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, and Peru.

State Department officers can use these indices not only to learn more about their assigned regions and countries, but also to help orient foreign assistance, programming, and policy planning activities. For example, the data in these indices can help inform budget forecasting by suggesting those areas most in need of stabilization or reform. The Indices can help suggest where of USAID, INL or DRL assistance might be most usefully deployed, for example, or what kind of an International Visitor program might best support certain civil society experts working to support threatened democratic practices and institutions.

This report analyzes the following comprehensive indices that evaluate democracy and governance around the world: 1) the Varieties of Democracy Report (V-DEM); 2) International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA) Global State of Democracy Initiative; 3) the Bertelsmann Transformation Index (BTI); 4) Freedom House’s Freedom in the World Report; and 5) the Economist Intelligence Unit Democracy Index Report (EIU). In addition to these comprehensive indices, this report also analyzes the following issue-specific indices that focus on more limited elements that are important for democracy: 1) The World Justice Project Rule of Law Index; 2) Global Organized Crime Index; 3) World Press Freedom Index, 4) The Capacity to Combat Corruption Index, and 5) the Vance Center Latin America Anti-Corruption Assessment. All indices were chosen from among the many available because of their recognized credibility and wide use as reputable resources. Despite their narrow focus, these issue-specific indices can be very useful to embassy officials and desk officers at the Department of State. Officers with specific portfolios related to the issue-specific indices can use these reports for more thorough research into their topics.
Of the ten indices reviewed, the project team found V-DEM and IDEA to be the most “useful.” They also found two of the specialized indices, the World Justice Project Rule of Law Index (WJP) and the Global Organized Crime Index (GOC), to be particularly useful.
Based on discussions with democracy and governance experts, the team developed five “usability” criteria to answer the following questions: 1) Does the index include a wide breadth of information and evaluate democracy with a variety of criteria? 2) Is the index considered credible as an unbiased external authority? 3) Does the index use a thorough review process with multiple layers of analysis? 4) Is the index easily accessible to users and does it include data that can be searched and manipulated to gain insights? 5) Does the index collect and publish data and analyses regularly and over a long period of time?

The team hopes the findings of this study will facilitate the work of State Department Officers serving in Washington and at the U.S. missions overseas as they seek to support democracy and good governance across the Western Hemisphere.

Written and Oral article/inerview: Afghanistan Project-Earl Anthony Wayne – Association for Diplomatic Studies & Training

The collection of Afghanistan Interviews was released on August 16 2023. My interview covers primarily my work on Afghanistan between 2009 and 2011. But I also include a version of the lessons that I drew from our flawed involvement in Afghanistan and our poor exit strategy.

Q: Good morning, this is September 17, 2021, and we are continuing our interviews with Ambassador Wayne. So, Tony, I wanted to talk a little bit about the economic issues that you probably dealt with during your time in Argentina. There had been a massive default in Argentina of foreign bonds. And the deal had been such of 30 percent of the dollar that not everybody took that deal. And I think it came up again during your time. So, can you describe what was going on with American bondholders?

W

Article: The USMCA at Three: Reflecting on Impact, Charting the Future - Pulse News Mexico

July 1, 2023, marked the three-year anniversary of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), providing an opportunity to reflect on its impact on North American trade and investment and explore ways to further strengthen economic collaboration in the region.

The USMCA is key to building a more competitive, sustainable and inclusive North American economy. The agreement’s passage through the legislatures of all three countries with overwhelming political support exemplifies effective in

Article: Is the USMCA Contributing to Nearshoring? - Pulse News Mexico

By EARL ANTHONY WAYNE, former U.S. ambassador to Mexico

The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) it celebrated its third anniversary on Saturday, July 1, and is contributing strongly to nearshoring and reshoring to North America.

Since coming into force on July 1, 2020, the USMCA has provided a clear set of rules and norms that function well across a well-developed and continent-wide commercial network developed under its predecessor, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). A

Report: Democratic Backsliding in the Americas: a Case Study on Mexico, SIS Diplomacy Lab project

There has been a great deal of attention given to what has been labeled “democratic backsliding” in many regions of the world, including the Americas, whereby democratic practices and institutions have been weakened and less democratic, more autocratic regimes have emerged. The Economist Democracy Index, a yearly review of global democracy, notes that Latin America and the Caribbean has suffered the most backsliding of any region in the world since 2008.

In this broader context, this research study focuses on the case of Mexico, a vital southern neighbor and partner of the United States and where many observers have expressed concerns that recent events and actions are weakening Mexico’s democracy. The report briefly examines the historic development of democracy in Mexico, the key institutions in Mexico’s democracy, and the state of key indicators of democracy in Mexico today.

The report recognizes that Mexicans are and must be the key actors in determining the state of Mexico’s democracy and any changes in its governmental practices and structures. But the report also reflects the understanding shared by experts consulted that Mexico’s international partners and friends are able to lend support to Mexican efforts to sustain and strengthen democratic institutions and practices. The report thus includes some recommendations about ways in which the United States and other democratic governments and non-governmental partners might be able to help support democratic practices in Mexico, while fully respecting Mexico’s sovereignty.

This report was researched and drafted by a team of seven seniors from the American University’s School of International Service. The team produced this report under the supervision of retired Ambassador Earl Anthony Wayne in the framework of the Diplomacy Lab program, in which the School of International Service provides independent research support on a range of topics of potential value to the Department of State. This version of the report was revised for posting in June 2023.

Article: USMCA Can Ensure North America’s Success, if a Few Disputes Are Resolved - Pulse News Mexico

By EARL ANTHONY WAYNE, former U.S. ambassador to Mexico

In 2022, trade between the United States, Mexico and Canada amounted to over $1.5 trillion, or close to $3 million per minute. This milestone underscores a remarkable double-digit growth over the past two years. It also marks an excellent start for the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which came into force on July 1, 2020.

So far in 2023, Mexico and Canada remain the United States’ top trading partners, making up over 30 per

Article: The USMCA Trade Pact Can Ensure North America’s Success, if We Settle a Few Disputes

In 2022, trade between the United States, Mexico and Canada amounted to over $1.5 trillion, or close to $3 million per minute. This milestone underscores a remarkable double-digit growth over the past two years, and so far, Mexico and Canada remain the U.S.’s top trading partners. Moreover, the three countries currently account for almost a third of global GDP, with intra-regional goods commerce alone supporting a staggering 9.5 million or more jobs across North America.

Nevertheless, to sustai
Load More

2023 - Interviews, Speeches, Talks, Podcasts, Panels, and similar items

Interview: Mexico says, ‘No way,’ as Trump, others vow to send U.S. military to fight cartels

Mexico says, ‘No way,’ as Trump, others vow to send U.S. military to fight cartels
Threats of unilateral action against ‘invasion’ and drug scourge imperil cooperation and good will.
By Todd J. Gillman and Alfredo Corchado
Aug 31, 2023

WASHINGTON — The leading Republican candidates for president want to unleash military strikes inside Mexico against the cartels — with or without Mexico’s permission — and have not voiced concern about the likely blowback.
Donald Trump has promised a naval blockade in a second term. At the debate he skipped last week, rivals promised to counter the border “invasion” with assets shifted from Ukraine. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis vowed to send special forces into Mexico “on day one.”
Across the border, where memories of U.S. bullying are long, talk about SEAL teams hunting drug kingpins or drone strikes on fentanyl labs is not going over well.
Current and former officials on both sides say if it’s only campaign-season bluster that’s bad enough, but if they really mean it, the consequences could be dire.
Cooperation on law enforcement, security, drug trafficking and migration from Central and South America could be scaled back dramatically. Mexico could cut staff at ports of entry, throttling cross-border trade — despite the fact that each country is the other’s biggest trading partner.
The biggest backlash would stem from unilateral U.S. operations.
President Andrés Manuel López Obrador called the growing calls for military action “offensive” and disrespectful. On Monday, he accused the candidates of pandering as they try to outdo frontrunner Donald Trump with “extreme anti-immigrant policy.”
“Since we are in election season, they talk about intervening in Mexico’s affairs, about not respecting our sovereignty,” he said, simultaneously downplaying the threats as campaign posturing and making clear such moves would not go unanswered.
Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs — the top U.S. military official — has called any uninvited use of force a terrible idea “that would just lead to something worse than what you already have.”
Mexico is poised for a boom as U.S. manufacturers shift production from Asia after pandemic-era supply chain disruptions. Over three-quarters of Mexico’s exports go to the United States.
But “the issue of military intervention is so sensitive that any president in Mexico would have to respond incredibly forcefully. Even if it hurt the country’s economy,” said Andrew Selee, president of the Migration Policy Institute.
“It worries me when people talk about this,” he said, “because it creates a resistance in Mexico to cooperating with the U.S. on organized crime. These are international businesses. You have to go at them in multiple places, on both sides of the U.S. and Mexican border. You can’t do that if you lose cooperation.”
Polling shows just over half of Americans overall, and a large majority of Republicans, consider the border crisis an “invasion.”
That’s the backdrop for these calls for military engagement in Mexico.
It’s not just rhetoric. The Constitution allows states to defend themselves in case of invasion.
Gov. Greg Abbott has asserted to the White House and in court that because Texas is under “invasion,” it has the right to install an anti-migrant barrier in the Rio Grande and take measures it deems necessary without federal permission.
Depicting problems at the border as an invasion, and using that to justify a military counterpunch, angers Mexicans.
Martha Bárcena, Mexico’s ambassador in Washington for the second half of Trump’s term, views with alarm the rapid escalation of anti-Mexican sentiment, from demands for a border wall to open discussion of invading her country.
It “risks poisoning the goodwill and cooperation with Mexico,” she said.
She lauded López Obrador for “being clear” on the matter but said if anything, he’s being too restrained: “Our government should send that message more explicitly.”
‘Stone-cold dead’
Last week’s GOP debate made clear the consensus about the use of force in Mexico to address the twin crises of migration and drugs.
When it comes to drug smugglers, DeSantis said, “We’re going to use force and we’re going to leave them stone-cold dead.”
He and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy said they’d divert U.S. military resources from Ukraine to the Southern border — implying that concerns related to Mexico aren’t diplomatic and law enforcement challenges so much as threats akin to Russia’s military invasion of its own neighbor.
Ramaswamy, who also invoked the term “invasion” about the border, has promised to eradicate Mexican cartels “Osama bin Laden-style, Soleimani-style” in his first six months — referring to the al Qaeda mastermind killed in a raid ordered by then-President Barack Obama, and the Iranian commander killed in an airstrike ordered by Trump.
Trump has asked advisers to draw up “battle plans” for a second term “that include unilateral military strikes and troop deployments” into Mexico, according to Rolling Stone. In a recent campaign video, he vowed to “impose a full naval embargo on the drug cartels and deploy military assets to inflict maximum damage on cartel operations.”
His former defense secretary, Mark Esper, revealed in a memoir that he’d once talked Trump out of an attack after the president suggested “we could just shoot some Patriot missiles and take out the labs, quietly,” adding “no one would know it was us.”
The $4 million-per-shot Patriot system is designed to intercept missiles and aircraft, not destroy ground targets.
Two other GOP contenders, both from South Carolina, echo the message.
“I will unleash our military to crush the cartels and stop these terrorists from killing our kids,” Sen. Tim Scott said in an ad taped at the border fence in Yuma, Ariz.
Nikki Haley, a former governor and Trump’s United Nations ambassador, vowed last week to “send special operations in there and eliminate them just like we eliminated ISIS. If Mexico won’t deal with it, I’ll make sure I deal with it.”
“The Republicans cheering for war with Mexico are taking the United States down a dark, dangerous path,” Rep. Joaquin Castro of San Antonio, a senior Democrat on the Foreign Affairs Committee, said after the GOP debate.
The GOP presidential field isn’t unanimous on sending in troops.
Mike Pence, Trump’s vice president, said he preferred to “partner with the Mexican military” to destroy the cartels. Asa Hutchinson, a former Arkansas governor who led the Drug Enforcement Administration under former President George W. Bush, said economic pressure would be more effective because “cooperation makes a difference.”
López Obrador has urged Mexican-American voters to shun politicians leveling the threats.
His underlings worry about direct rebukes.
They recall the previous president, Enrique Peña Nieto, having to smooth things over with Trump after lambasting his anti-Mexico, anti-migrant campaign rhetoric.
“2016 taught us that anything is possible in the United States,” said one top official in López Obrador’s government. “We need to walk cautiously because during presidential campaigns, Mexico represents a low hanging fruit … we have a lot to lose.”
Cultural scars
It’s hard to overstate the cultural scar tissue from events like the Mexican-American War — taught in Mexican schools as the Insurgency from the North.
The war ended in 1848 with Mexico losing half its territory — including California, Arizona and most of what’s now the American West.
The opening line of the U.S. Marines’ Hymn — “From the halls of Montezuma” — refers to a battle remembered very differently south of the border. Six cadets died defending a military academy in Mexico City on Sept. 13, 1847, from an invasion force ordered by President James Polk.
Sept. 13 is a national holiday in Mexico in honor of the boy heroes’ sacrifice. The youngest was 13.
The U.S. invaded Veracruz in 1914 and occupied the port city for seven months. In March 1916, when revolutionary Pancho Villa’s forces killed 10 Americans in a New Mexico border town, President Woodrow Wilson sent an invasion force of 14,000 men that hunted him across northern Mexico for the next 11 months. They pushed 350 miles into the interior before giving up.
“There’s this deep sense that you can’t really trust the United States because they’re going to come in, and just do what they want, and they don’t respect our sovereignty and they don’t respect us,” said Earl Anthony Wayne, a retired career diplomat who served four years as ambassador to Mexico.
It’s not just the presidential contenders.
Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and John Kennedy, R-La., are pushing a bill to authorize force in Mexico, vowing to “unleash the fury” of the U.S. military against drug cartels “wherever they exist.”
A similar bill from Houston-area Rep. Dan Crenshaw has 21 Republican co-sponsors, including nine Texans — though not the one who chairs the Foreign Affairs Committee, Rep. Michael McCaul of Austin.
“You’re essentially declaring war against Mexico, and it would have widespread ramifications,” McCaul warned in June. “There are ways to deal with the cartels, including other operations not quite so public.”
‘Theatrics’
Such measures imperil the collaboration that began to blossom after the 1994 North American trade deal.
Mexico also was eager to be seen as a reliable partner on counterterrorism after Sept. 11, 2001, minding that any terror attack linked to Mexico would trigger a costly border shutdown.
Under Bush, who’d seen the value of trade as Texas governor, Mexican distrust eased. The U.S. began sending billions in security aid, providing police training to fend off corruption and improve effectiveness, and stepping up efforts to intercept guns flowing south to the cartels.
A rupture began when Trump took office, and deepened with the election of López Obrador in 2018, at least publicly.
Mexicans were deeply insulted at Trump’s promise to force them to pay for a border wall they viewed as an affront.
He threatened tariffs and other measures that never materialized — though he did manage to prod Mexico to deploy 28,000 troops to its borders with Central America and the United States to deter migration north, spinning that as a better deal than a $15 billion check for wall construction.
Mexicans say the deployments sapped the military’s capacity to fight organized crime.
U.S. officials say the DEA, FBI and other agencies routinely work behind the scenes with Mexican counterparts, sharing intelligence. Together they nab high-value narcos and take down drug labs, even as López Obrador railed about insults to Mexican “sovereignty.”
Two weeks ago, Mexico handed over one of the DEA’s most wanted fugitives, a leader of the Sinaloa cartel.
Tony Payan, director of the Center for the U.S. and Mexico at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, sees a delicate moment in U.S.-Mexico relations, with “quite serious” ramifications as DeSantis and others try “to out-Trump Trump.”
The flow of fentanyl is a major challenge, he said, but Mexico’s own “security breakdown” is far too grave for such casual discussion of invasion and military force.
“It’s just ridiculous,” he said. “You don’t talk about that, especially in a public setting. This is a time for diplomacy, not theatrics.”

Interview: DeSantis said he would send Special Forces after the cartels in Mexico as president. Can he do that? | Politics

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Saturday reiterated his pledge to send US Special Forces into Mexico to confront drug cartels if he is elected president, saying, “We are going to act.”

Speaking to reporters at Saturday’s first stop of the “Never Back Down” bus tour through Iowa, the Republican presidential hopeful said, “It’s humiliating to see the cartels have that type of control. They are effectively invading our country and killing our people.”

The Florida governor first addressed the issue W

Interview: Wagner Group Boss, Prigozhin, Dies In Plane Crash

The Wagner Group boss, Yevgeny Prigozhin, has died in a plane crash in Russia, with nine other people on board also dead. #war #russa #insecurity #planecrash #breakingnews #tinubu #bolaahmedtinubu #kashimshettima #abuja #TVCNews #TVC #News #NaijaNews #NaijaGist #Entertainment #NewsUpdate #BreakingNews #NewsInNigeria #TrendingGists #latestnews #todaynews #BreakingNews #TrendingVideo #YouTubeRewind #Trending #Viral #Music #EntertainmentNews #ClimateChange #BusinessNews #SportsNews #AfricaNews #NigerianYouth #NigerianSports #NigeriaEconomy #NigeriaNews

Join this channel to get access to Exclusive Trending News Content:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgp4A6I8LCWrhUzn-5SbKvA/join

Don't forget to subscribe: https://bit.ly/35V0PCJ

Watch more interesting videos: https://bit.ly/3xOHq2f

Follow TVC News On:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/tvcnewsng
Instagram: https://instagram.com/tvcnewsng
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tvcnewsng/

Get more news on our website: http://www.tvcnews.tv/

Download the mobile app
Android: https://bit.ly/3wYz33U
iPhone: Go to apple store

Written and Oral article/inerview: Afghanistan Project-Earl Anthony Wayne – Association for Diplomatic Studies & Training

The collection of Afghanistan Interviews was released on August 16 2023. My interview covers primarily my work on Afghanistan between 2009 and 2011. But I also include a version of the lessons that I drew from our flawed involvement in Afghanistan and our poor exit strategy.

Q: Good morning, this is September 17, 2021, and we are continuing our interviews with Ambassador Wayne. So, Tony, I wanted to talk a little bit about the economic issues that you probably dealt with during your time in Argentina. There had been a massive default in Argentina of foreign bonds. And the deal had been such of 30 percent of the dollar that not everybody took that deal. And I think it came up again during your time. So, can you describe what was going on with American bondholders?

W

Letter to the US Senate: Military Promotions — The American College of National Security Leaders

Over Sixty Retired Generals, Admirals, Ambassadors and Senior National Security Executives Sign Letter for Senate to Release the Hold on Hundreds of Military Promotions

As retired Generals, Admirals, Diplomats and Senior Executives in national security, we took an oath of honor to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign or domestic. We carried this sacred obligation wherever duty called.

It’s the same solemn oath our nation’s Congressional leaders

Interview: López Obrador thanks Biden for suing Texas over river buoys

While the president’s praise for the Justice Department’s lawsuit was likely politicking, it was also important for him to support the removal of the Texas governor’s “inhumane” efforts to curb border crossings, migrant activists said.

MEXICO CITY (CN) — Mexico’s president Tuesday thanked President Joe Biden for the Justice Department’s lawsuit against Texas Governor Greg Abbott over his refusal to remove buoys placed in the Rio Grande to stop migrant crossings.

“We are very grateful to Presid

Interview: Joe Biden claims a victory on Southern border crossings

The number of people crossing the Southwest land border into the United States dropped in June, despite fears that the end of Title 42 would lead to a growing influx of migrants, according to the latest data by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Border Patrol.

CBP reported a total of 144,571 encounters—including with unaccompanied children, single adults, and families—at the Southwest border in June, the lowest level in two years and the lowest since the beginning of the Biden adm

Interview: Asharq TV on the NATO summit

https://now.asharq.com/program/22/%D8%A3%D8%AE%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B4%D8%B1%D9%82/1690122/%D8%A5%D9%8A%D8%B1%D9%84-%D8%A3%D9%86%D8%AA%D9%88%D9%86%D9%8A-%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%8A%D9%86-%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%B3%D9%8A%D8%A7-%D9%84%D9%86-%D8%AA%D9%83%D9%88%D9%86-%D8%B3%D8%B9%D9%8A%D8%AF%D8%A9-%D8%A8%D9%85%D8%AE%D8%B1%D8%AC%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D9%82%D9%85%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%AA%D9%88-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%AA%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%8A%D8%A7

Interview: VOA Pashto| په افغانستان کې د امریکا پخوانی سفیر ارل انتوني وین پدې باور دی چې د ناټو په روانه غونډه کې اوکراین ته د غړیتوب ورکولو موضوع باندې بحث

د ناټو غونډه کې ښایي د اوکراین په غړیتوب بحث ونشي – انتونی وېن | په افغانستان کې د امریکا پخوانی سفیر ارل انتوني وین پدې باور دی چې د ناټو په روانه غونډه کې اوکراین ته د غړیتوب ورکولو موضوع باندې بحث افغانستان کې د امریکا پخوانی سفیر ارل انتوني وین پدې باور دی چې د ناټو په روانه غونډه کې اوکراین ته د غړیتوب ورکولو موضوع باندې بحث نه کېږي. انتوني...

Podcast: Baker Briefing: The US & Mexico Diplomatic Relationship

Relations between the U.S. and Mexico have come under strain in recent years. The Honorable Earl Anthony Wayne, who served as U.S. ambassador to Mexico from 2011-2015, joins Center for the U.S. and Mexico Director Tony Payan to explore the complex relationship between the two countries and what their future might hold — particularly for trade, immigration after COVID-19, the fentanyl crisis and other public safety issues.

This conversation was recorded on May 31, 2023.
• Tony Payan, Ph.D., Fran
Load More

2022 Articles

Interview: Biden in Mexico: Crises on the agenda, but opportunity is in the air

As Joe Biden visits Mexico City Monday – the first foray by a U.S. president to the southern neighbor in nearly a decade – the prevailing perception of the U.S.-Mexico relationship is one of crisis, dysfunction, and danger.

The U.S.-Mexico border is the locus of a chaotic influx of migrants from across the Americas that shows no signs of abating. The opioid crisis that led to more than 100,000 American deaths last year is fueled by cheap pharmaceuticals like fentanyl smuggled north by Mexico’s

Article: North America: Largest Commercial Partners and Growing

By EARL ANTHONY WAYNE, former U.S. ambassador to Mexico

North America is still the commercial dynamo for the United States, Mexico and Canada with $3 million per minute in goods traded between the United States and its two neighbors in the first nine months of 2022.

Canada and Mexico are the top two U.S. trade partners, together accounting for more than twice what the U.S. trades with China. North American trade is growing at double digits within the framework of the United States-Mexico-Canad

Article (short): By the numbers: The global economy in 2022

As this year began, many experts predicted inflation would be transitory, Europe’s recovery would be stronger than the United States’, and China would return to strong growth. Then inflation soared and Russian President Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine—fueling an energy crisis in Europe and food price shocks around the world. Meanwhile, China’s zero-COVID policy chained its economy. To make sense of a shocking year for the global economy, our GeoEconomics Center experts take you inside the numbers.

Article: In Search of a Stronger, More Unified North America

North America was trending in the midterm elections, although you may have missed it. Think about the top campaign issues in races across the country: economic recovery and job creation, inflation, the price of gasoline, immigration, border security, increasing crime and suffering in communities devastated by fentanyl and other drugs. With the exceptions of abortion and election integrity, virtually every issue that motivated voters also impacts — and is impacted by — North America.

In short, r

Article: A Bicentennial Relationship Still Facing Growing Pains

By EARL ANTHONY WAYNE, former U.S. ambassador to Mexico

This occasion provides a special opportunity to value how intertwined the two nations are, and how, more than ever, each country’s well-being depends on finding the best possible ways to resolve differences with the other, and to build on opportunities for mutual benefit.

The Mexico-U.S. relationship is quintessentially “inter-mestic” or “inter-mestica” — which means key issues are international and domestic at the same time. The ties bet

Article: How 2022 Made History

2022 made history because of the historic, unified response among key nations to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Russia’s invasion not only signaled a direct assault on the international order in Europe and against many values cherished among democracies, but it also set off additional disruptions in global supply chains, still reeling from pandemic effects, and affecting food, fertilizer, and energy supplies, as well as fueling global inflation. Russia’s brutal assault incentivized North American, European, and Asian partners to coordinate policies and actions more closely via NATO, the G7, and US-EU collaboration. The conflict fed doubts about China’s international role after it decided to align more closely with Russia—a trend reinforced by China’s renewed threats toward Taiwan. The US and many other countries were already struggling to respond to the transformations underway in the version of globalization that had interlinked economies from north and south, east and west, for the past two decades, in rising geostrategic rivalries, and democratic backsliding at home and abroad. Russia’s invasion helped to put those challenges into a starker reality and spur cooperation. Those banding together to oppose Russia’s aggression continue to face serious challenges, as they work to fashion and sustain effective cooperation in circumstances that are severely testing domestic policy-making institutions, as well as international agreements, organizations, and problem-solving mechanisms. Thus far, however, the concerted multi-nation response to Russia’s invasion has made 2022 a historic year with the potential to be truly pivotal. Earl Anthony Wayne

Article: The Tough Job of Unlocking the USMCA’s Full Potential - Pulse News Mexico

Today, the USMCA is more important than ever for the prosperity of North America.

During the USMCA’s third year, North American trade has reached over $2.6 a minute and continues to grow by double-digit percentages. This growth significantly surpasses pre-pandemic levels. Moreover, Canada and Mexico remain the United States’ top trading partners.

The USMCA can also help the three North American partners to realize the benefits of reshoring and nearshoring from Asia. Many analysts have discusse

Article: Tough Work Ahead to Unlock USMCA’s Potential

The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) is more important than ever for the prosperity of North America.

During USMCA’s third year, North American trade has reached over $2.6 a minute and continues to grow by double digit percentages. This growth significantly surpasses pre-pandemic levels. Moreover, Canada and Mexico remain the United States’ top trading partners.

The USMCA provides continent-wide rules, norms, and problem-solving processes that can help the three countries to conti

Article: The need for a strong, more unified North America

North America was trending in the midterm elections, although you may have missed it. Think about the top campaign issues in races across the country: economic recovery and job creation, inflation, the price of gasoline, immigration, border security, increasing crime and suffering in communities devastated by fentanyl and other drugs. With the exceptions of abortion and election integrity, virtually every issue that motivated voters also impacts — and is impacted by — North America.
In short, relations with Mexico and Canada touch the daily lives of more Americans than do ties with any other countries in the world.
And with President Biden having recently returned from Asia and his first presidential face-to-face meeting with China’s Xi Jinping, we are reminded that a more unified North America is required to meet the China challenge, economically and strategically. A disunited North America is catnip for global authoritarians. A stronger, more collaborative North American strategy can strengthen the United States’s ability to compete with China and others as the global scene transforms.

Article: Doubling Down against Fentanyl, Arms, Migrant Exploitation - Pulse News Mexico

By EARL ANTHONY WAYNE, former U.S. ambassador to Mexico

In October 2021, Mexico and the United States launched a “High-Level Security Dialogue” (HLSD) to step up collaboration and rebuild trust in efforts to counter deadly cross-border crime. Mexican and U.S. cabinet members just held a one-year review of those efforts.

The two governments have made some good progress, but much serious work remains to effectively counter and reduce the great harm that cross-border organized crime is causing to

Article: US-Mexico Security Cooperation: Doubling Down Against Fentanyl, Arms Trafficking, Exploitation of Migrants and Illicit Money

In October 2021, Mexico and the United States launched a “High Level Security Dialogue” (HLSD) to step up collaboration and rebuild trust in efforts to counter deadly cross-border crime. Mexican and US cabinet members just held a one-year review.

The two governments have made some good progress, but much serious work remains to effectively counter and reduce the great harm that cross-border organized crime is causing to communities across both countries. The challenge remains to turn agreed objectives into effective bilateral action plans and measurable outcomes.

Of particular importance going forward is establishing a clear, comprehensive, multi-year strategy for reducing supplies of the deadly drug fentanyl as well as for reducing US demand for this lethal drug. The US suffered 108,000 drug overdose deaths in the latest reported yearly figures, and some 2/3 of those deaths were from synthetic opioids, particularly fentanyl.

Article/Book: North America 2.0 | Forging a Continental Future

I am happy to have contributed an article on the importance of workforce development programs to this excellent new collection on how cooperation across North America can boost well being in Canada, Mexico and the United States. North America has survived a tumultuous three decades since the implementation of the North American Free Trade Agreement. What characterizes our shared region today? What sort of region can advance our shared interests and well-being over the next generation? This volume offers an agenda for how the region’s leaders can forge inclusive and effective strategies that ensure North America’s next decades build upon past successes—while addressing serious shortcomings.

Article: Rebuilding Bilateral Trust to Fight Cross-Border Crime - Pulse News Mexico

By EARL ANTHONY WAYNE, former U.S. ambassador to Mexico

A year ago, Mexico and the United States launched a High-Level Security Dialogue (HLSD). In recognition of 200 years of bilateral relations, they agreed on a Bicentennial Framework for Security, Public Health and Safe Communities, with the hope of rebuilding cooperation to counter the deadly crime that harms many tens of thousands on both sides of the border.

In January 2022, the two governments further agreed on a set of objectives for t

Article: A year after rebuilding trust, the US and Mexico look for progress against cross-border crime

A year ago, Mexico and the United States launched a “High-Level Security Dialogue” (HLSD). In recognition of the 200 years of bilateral relations, they agreed on a “Bicentennial Framework for Security, Public Health and Safe Communities,” with the hope of rebuilding cooperation to counter the deadly crime that harms many tens of thousands on both sides of the border.

In January 2022, the two governments further agreed on a set of objectives for the security partnership, to cover three pillars o

Article: The USMCA Moves Past the Toddler Stage - Pulse News Mexico

By EARL ANTHONY WAYNE, former U.S. ambassador to Mexico

Two years into the North American Free Trade Agreement (USMCA), many challenges and opportunities for forging an Integrated North America remain.

The USMCA, known in Mexico as the Tratado entre México, Estados Unidos y Canada (T-Mec), created an updated legal framework within which the private sectors in Mexico, the United States and Canada, as well as the three national governments, can address and manage a wider range of trade issues th

Article: Afghanistan -The United States Must Stay Engaged

One year after the fall of Kabul and departure of U.S. troops, the United States still has an important policy and action agenda regarding Afghanistan but with less leverage in a country suffering serious problems.

Millions in Afghanistan face the dire effects of a devastating humanitarian and economic crisis. The Taliban government is focused on installing its version of an Islamic Emirate and cementing control. The new regime gives little priority to including non-Taliban Afghans or to the hu

Article: The US Must Not Forsake Afghanistan

One year after the fall of Kabul and departure of U.S. troops, the United States still has an important policy and action agenda regarding Afghanistan, but with less leverage in a country suffering serious problems.

Millions in Afghanistan face the dire effects of a devastating humanitarian and economic crisis. The Taliban government is focused on installing its version of an Islamic Emirate and cementing control. The new regime gives little priority to including non-Taliban Afghans or to the h

Study: Unlocking the Potential of the USMCA

This report was done by a group of seniors at American University's School of International Service as part of the State Department's Diplomacy Laboratory program, working with retired Ambassador Wayne. Here is the Executive Summary:

The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement or USCMA is now in its third year of implementation. Notably, trade across North America has surpassed pre-pandemic levels growing to a total of $1.26 trillion in 2021 or $2.6 million a minute.i To add perspective, a record 75% of Mexican and Canadian imports came from the US in 2021. Both countries are also the US’ largest trading partners accounting for over twice trade with China.

The trade ministers and their teams are deeply engaged in a wide range of issues as was evident in the agenda for July meeting in Canada This agenda includes not only hard trade and investment issues but also how to make USMCA more inclusive of communities that are traditionally underrepresented in trade.ii USMCA has particularly won kudos from US congress for progress on use of the new Rapid Response Mechanism for Labor Complaints which has been used five times as of August 2022.

Despite the good news and evident progress in the broad trade and investment relationships, there remain serious disputes and problems to work through over the months and years ahead. For example, the United States, supported by Canada, on July 20 requested consultations under USMCA over Mexico’s energy policies and related treatment of private sector investors at the expense of state-owned electricity and oil and gas enterprises. This action followed a series of private conversations where these concerns were raised. Without significant progress during the period of consultations, the US could seek creation of a dispute settlement panel and potentially win the right to sanction Mexico if does not change its policies/practices. Progress on such divisive issues and effective use of USMCA’s dispute resolution mechanisms are important to demonstrate the credibility of the agreement before the agreed review of USMCA’s performance in 2025-26.iii

It is important to recall that USMCA was negotiated to address emerging challenges facing 21st century international trade and to provide a much-needed update to its predecessor, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). From the increasing relevance of the digital marketplace to progressive shifts in policy toward encouraging development and training of workers, the USMCA includes provisions to help modernize the trilateral trade relationship. As USMCA enters its third year, a number of areas within the agreement are also under scrutiny with questions about enforcement or interpretation by one of the parties, and in others because of a desire to understand the effects the new agreement is having on the economies of all three countries (e.g. in the auto sector).

The US, Mexican and Canadian governments have also agreed on goals that go beyond just increasing trade flows and commercial activity to include such factors as more inclusive participation in trade across North America and support for democratic labor rights practices. This signals that the metrics for measuring USMCA’s “success” will include a range of factors beyond simple trade and investment numbers, and some will likely be hard to quantify.

To better unlock the potential of the USMCA, this report recommends that the governments of the United States, Mexico, and Canada take specific actions that can help strengthen trilateral commerce and improve upon some of the disputed and/or flawed aspects of the deal. One of the key challenges in implementing USMCA is accounting for the needs of the many sectors involved in North American trade and co-production and the wide array of stakeholders involved. The diversity of stakeholders and audiences impacted by USMCA, and North American commerce demands both concrete solutions to problem areas and effective public outreach by the three national governments beyond what is being done at present.

The authors studied the USMCA document that entered into effect in July 2020, spoke with a range of experts and industry leaders, and analyzed a wide selection of studies and policy publications. Building on this research, the team recommends the following priorities, presented largely from a United States perspective:

Digital Trade, SME Engagement, and Cybersecurity Cooperation
● Establish a North American Digital Trade Council to help coordinate and direct progress.
● Continue and increase dialogues and stakeholder outreach toward SME e-commerce development.
● Achieve SME empowerment and digital inclusion through capacity and skills development programs.
● Increase efforts to quantify and measure digital trade.
● Hold Mexico and Canada responsible for data localization violations.
Labor Democracy and Workforce Development
● Track reform progress using a shared database which will support US and Canadian labor implementation assistance programs aimed at supporting Mexican reforms.
● Review and potentially revise Labor Dispute Settlement mechanisms during the USMCA 6-year review.
● Collaborate further on forced labor.
● Assemble a Forced Labor Task Force under the Labor Committee.
● Move to adopt real-time labor data collection and expanded credentialing programs by all three federal governments.
Automotive Rules of Origin
● Expedite a resolution of the current dispute in accordance with USMCA’s Article 31.6 over the interpretation of Core/Super-core Roll-up, or content tabulation.
● Work constructively with suppliers and automakers to provide them with more time to collect and report the content requirements and related information necessary for automakers to fully comply with USMCA provisions.
● Streamline the USMCA compliance and certification procedures based on implementation experiences.
● Create further incentives for consumers to purchase electric vehicles sourced in North America, rather than proceeding unilaterally.
Agriculture
● Use all available means so that Mexico adopts a regulatory framework for evaluating GMOs, as stated in USMCA’s Article 3.14.4.
● Launch a multi-agency effort (USTR, U.S. Department of Commerce, USDA, and others as appropriate) to engage in active discussions regarding the long-standing differences over tomato trade with stakeholder groups and Mexican officials to find a resolution to the dispute.
● Continue working to reduce tariffs on Canadian softwood lumber to comply with previous trade rulings, lower U.S. housing prices, and to avoid a dispute settlement complaint by Canada under USMCA.
Good Regulatory Practices (GRP)
● The GRP Committee established by USMCA should meet.
● Harness emerging technologies for conducting Regulatory Impact Assessments (RIAs).
● Take initial steps toward regulatory alignment – data collection, transparency, and identifying priority sectors, with the goal of having robust collaboration underway by the first USMCA review starting in 2025.
Environment and Energy Policy
● Task the new Environmental Committee with creating a strategic plan on climate change, including implementable goals for the pre-existing Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) regarding climate cooperation.
● Create a dialogue among North American peers regarding increasing funding for the CEC to ensure the agency has the funds to implement climate programs while not interfering with existing programs and day-to-day functions.
● As allowed in Article 1.3.2, begin negotiations regarding the addition of the Paris Climate Agreement to the list of multilateral environmental agreements.
● Increased cooperative capacity should be allocated towards harmonizing regional energy efficiency standards as established in Article 12.D.4.
● Develop an agreed US policy framework for addressing and influencing the Mexican government’s energy policies and practices that violate USMCA. Coordinate closely with Canada. Pursue dispute settlement as needed.
● Utilize the USMCA’s Competitiveness Committee to help establish a dialogue regarding North American energy cooperation and regional energy competitiveness.
Public Face: Public Outreach, Transparency, and Public Education
● Acknowledge current limits in public outreach and communications capacity within the USG, including USTR, and create a USG inter- agency working group to devise a more effective public outreach strategy, including to stakeholders as well as the broader public.
● Given similar capacity limitations in the Mexican and Canadian governments, create a standing working committee on public outreach and communications either directly in the USMCA under the Free Trade Commission or perhaps indirectly through coordination mechanisms (e.g., North American Leaders Summit working group).
● In preparation for and during the first sunset review beginning in year five, identify possibilities for more robust and coordinated public communication and outreach efforts regarding USMCA and its benefits for the public.
Emergency Coordination: The authors welcome the decision announced by trade ministers at their July meeting to set up a mechanism under the Competitiveness Committee that can help maintaining trade flows in emergency situations. This is essential for all three countries, given the size and importance of trade flows. With recent examples where cross-border trade was disrupted by a range of unexpected developments from the pandemic to political decisions, this new mechanism can help bolster the other efforts among the three countries to modernize and develop cross border infrastructure, improve border crossing processes and deal with emergencies.

The authors understand that unlocking the potential successes of USMCA will take “whole of government” efforts by all three governments, including the work of foreign ministries, and a range of other agencies. Successful coordination will be challenging in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, especially when involving all the sub-federal governments that must play a role. Yet, the authors came away from its work confident that pulling together, the full potential of the USMCA can be unlocked. Similarly, good public outreach and regular conversations with USMCA’s many stakeholders across the agreement’s three nations will help improve the benefits that accompany trade. The United States, Mexico, and Canada are all in a good position to bolster economic wellbeing in each country and North America’s strength in the international marketplace. We hope that the recommendations described in this report will help the United States and its two key partners to strengthen USMCA’s positive impact in North America.

Article: An Acid Test for the USMCA

By EARL ANTHONY WAYNE, former U.S. ambassador to Mexico

The request by the United States, followed by Canada, for consultations regarding Mexican laws, policies and practices related to its energy sector is a major test for the dispute settlement procedures of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). Though the U.S. and Canadian complaints are directed toward Mexico’s energy policies and treatment of private investors, the outcomes of the dispute will be crucial for the credibility of USMCA
Load More

2022 Interviews, Speeches, and similar items

Podcast: Earl Anthony Wayne y la North American Leaders Summit 2023 (interview is in English)

Listen to this episode from Upstanders on Spotify. En el marco de la North American Leaders Summit 2023, en la que el presidente Joe Biden, el primer ministro Justin Trudeau y el presidente Andrés Manuel López Obrador se reunirán en la Ciudad de México para dialogar sobre los retos y alcances de la relación entre México, Estados Unidos y Canadá; tuvimos la oportunidad de conversar con Earl Anthony Wayne, ex embajador de Estados Unidos en México (2011-2015) y diplomático de carrera. I am interviewed about my diplomatic career with focus on my time in Afghanistan and Mexico. I also talk about the importance and challenges of US cooperation with Mexico and cooperation across North America.

Interview: Autos and energy: What’s weighing on North American trade in 2023 | InsideTrade.com

A U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement dispute settlement panel in the coming weeks is expected to hand Washington an adverse ruling on its interpretation of the trade deal’s automotive rules of origin. How the Biden administration responds to that ruling, analysts say, could have impacts on the credibility of the recently reformed dispute settlement system -- and on how a major disagreement over Mexico’s energy policies plays out in 2023. The U.S.’ response to the final ruling in the autos rules-of-ori

Interview: دپلومات امریکایی: پاکستان باید به آیندۀ دیدگاه طالبان در منطقه نگران باشد

ایرل انتونی وین، معاون پیشین سفارت ایالات متحدهٔ امریکا در افغانستان، می‌گوید که پاکستان باید نسبت به آیندهٔ دیدگاه طالبانی در منطقه، نگران باشد. این دپلومات پیشین امریکایی با اشاره به افزایش فعالیت جنگجویان تحریک طالبان پاکستان گفت که این گروه با استفاده از فرصت‌های موجود در افغانستان، ممکن از قلمرو این کشور برای اهداف خود استفاده کند.

در این کانال شما می‌توانید برنامه‌های تلویزیونی دری صدای امریکا را دنبال کنید و افزون بر آن صدها مطلب جالب علمی، آموزشی، گزارش‌های تحقیقی و مستند در این مجموعه در دسترس تان قرار دارد.
شما می‌توانید ما را در سایر شبکه‌های اجتماعی نیز دنبال کنید. فقط روی لینک‌های زیر کلیک کرده و در انستاگرام، تویتر و فیسبوک نیز ما را همراهی کنید.
https://www.instagram.com/voadari
https://www.darivoa.com/
https://www.facebook.com/voadari
https://twitter.com/VOADari

Interview: López Obrador laughs off US concern for electoral reform in Mexico

President López Obrador laughed at the idea of Biden looking into Mexico’s electoral politics, but experts say Washington is surely keeping a close eye on recent reforms.

MEXICO CITY (CN) — Mexico’s president Friday openly mocked and laughed at news that the United States Congress tasked President Joe Biden with assessing changes to its southern neighbor's electoral system.

“You think the president of the United States has that on his agenda? He doesn’t even know about it,” said President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador...

Letter: Former US ambassadors push for help for Afghan allies in spending bill | Politics

A group of retired ambassadors, all of whom served as chief of mission at the US Embassy in Afghanistan, have written a letter to congressional leaders pushing them to include the Afghan Adjustment Act in the omnibus spending bill.

The legislation “keeps our deep and binding commitments we made to our wartime allies. This is a moral imperative but also ensures we will find future allies in conflicts to come,” former ambassadors Ryan Crocker, Ronald E. Neumann, William Wood, Earl Anthony Wayne,

Ambassador Letter — #AfghanEvac

Retired U.S. Ambassadors who led in Afghanistan Since 2001 Urge Congress to Pass Afghan Adjustment Act

Former Chiefs of Mission Pushing Congress to Include Legislation in Omnibus Spending Bill

Washington DC – Nearly every U.S. ambassador assigned to Afghanistan since 2001 has signed on to a letter urging Congress to include the Afghan Adjustment Act in the omnibus spending bill.

“This legislation is essential to do right by those who fought with us and to save a small shred of our national ho

Letter: Retired U.S. Ambassadors who led in Afghanistan Since 2001 Urge Congress to Pass Afghan Adjustment Act

Link: https://afghanevac.org/ambassador-letter

Nearly every U.S. ambassador assigned to Afghanistan since 2001 has
signed on to a letter urging Congress to include the Afghan Adjustment Act in the omnibus
spending bill.
“This legislation is essential to do right by those who fought with us and to save a small
shred of our national honor,” said Ambassador Ronald E. Neumann (ret.)
This group of retired Ambassadors, all of whom served as Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy
in Afghanistan, has written a letter to congressional leaders pushing them to pass the bill before
the end of the year. The letter is being sent this evening.
This legislation “keeps our deep and binding commitments we made to our wartime allies.
This is a moral imperative but also ensures we will find future allies in conflicts to come,”
write the ambassadors in the letter.
“If the United States does not act to support its allies by passing the Afghan Adjustment
Act, in the future our allies will be less likely to support the U.S. missions if they see that
our Afghan partners are abandoned. In diplomacy, our words will have lost meaning, and
in the unfortunate event of future conflict, what incentive would local allies have to
support our troops? This legislation will go far to honor the promises we have made to
the people of Afghanistan over the last 20 year,” the letter reads.
The letter is signed by retired ambassadors Ryan Crocker, Ronald E. Neumann, William Wood,
Earl Anthony Wayne, James Cunningham, P. Michael McKinley, Hugo Llorens, and Ross
Wilson. It was organized by #AfghanEvac's founder and CEO, Shawn VanDiver and retired
Ambassador Philip Kosnett. Note: I served at Deputy Ambassador and Charge d'Affairs in Kabul, but was not confirmed as chief of mission.

Panel: 200 Years of U.S.-Mexico Bilateral Relations: An Ambassadorial Perspective

Involving nearly every government agency and encompassing collaboration at the federal, state, and local levels, the United States-Mexico bilateral relationship is one of the most complex global partnerships. This makes the stewardship of the relationship complicated and challenging, requiring skillful diplomacy within our countries and across the shared border. In recognition of bicentennial anniversary of diplomatic relations between the United States and Mexico, join the Mexico Institute on December 14 from 1:30 to 3:00 pm for a discussion with former US and Mexican ambassadors to discuss their experiences in the practice of diplomacy and their applicability for the future of the bilateral relationship. Ambassador Roberta Lajous, moderator, Mexican Ambassadors Arturo Sarukhan, Miguel Basenez, Gernoimo Gutierrez, and Martha Barcena, also joined by Mexico Institute Director, Andrew Rudman

Panel: Japan, United States, and Cooperation with the New Latin America

Tuesday, December 13, 2022
Japan, United States, and Cooperation with the New Latin America

Private sector, former-government, and academic experts discussed opportunities for companies to engage with Latin American governments. Speakers
Barbara Kotschwar, Executive Director, Visa Economic Empowerment Institute, Visa U.S.A. Inc.
Erick Langer, Professor of Latin American History, and former Director of the Center for Latin American Studies, Georgetown University
Amparo Mercader, Tax Partner, Transfer Pricing, PwC US
Shohei Tada, Deputy Director General, Latin America, Japan International Cooperation Agency
Earl Anthony Wayne, Distinguished Diplomat in Residence, School of International Service, American University, and former U.S. Ambassador to Mexico and Argentina
Eric Farnsworth, Vice President, Americas Society/Council of the Americas (moderator)

“Compared to other regions like Africa and the Middle East, the private sector in Latin America is mature and many companies are ready to engage in social business in the region,” said Shohei Tada, Deputy Director General for Latin America at the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), in a Council of the Americas discussion on areas of cooperation where governments can partner with the private sector to reduce inequality, increase economic development, and strengthen democracy in Latin America and the Caribbean. Tada’s remarks focused on how JICA, with private sector cooperation, provides technical and financial cooperation to stimulate development in the region. Erick Langer, a professor of Latin American history at Georgetown University, cited Japan as a great partner for governments in the region. He said, “Japan is the Asian power that understands Latin America, thus can aid the region's societies in much more productive and sophisticated ways.” He referenced Japanese investment strategies and democratic values as positives for the country's engagement with the region.

Governments in Latin America and the Caribbean have the potential to benefit from nearshoring or friendshoring. “Mexico is well-positioned to benefit from nearshoring as a key partner in USMCA,” said Amparo Mercader, Tax Partner at PwC US. Supply chains are still a concern for many companies coming out of the pandemic, and opportunities exist for Latin America to gain investment by some manufacturing and production moving closer to markets in North America. The region also stands to gain by partnering with the private sector in the areas of financial inclusion and digital transformation. The region has made progress in these areas but needs to do more to avoid stagnation. “Learn from the mistakes of the 1980s and avoid protectionism, in this case digital protectionism,” said Barbara Kotschwar, executive director at the Visa Economic Empowerment Institute. Kotschwar acknowledged that the region has become a champion of fintechs. Another bright spot is Latin America’s green energy potential. “Boards of companies are now looking to see if countries are making greener energy investments,” said Earl Anthony Wayne, former U.S. ambassador to Mexico and Argentina. He said it is an important factor in how successful Mexico will be in attracting more of its potential new investment. Private sector engagement with countries in the region has the potential to create opportunities for economic growth.

Talk: Diálogos del Bicentenario de las Relaciones Diplomáticas entre MEX EEUU; 200 years of diplomatic relations between Mexico and the United States

I was happy to join this session on the anniversary of 200 years of US-Mexico diplomatic relations. I speak from around 17 minutes to 28 minutes in the video (in English).

Título: Sesión de Clausura

Participan: Arturo Sarukhán, Exembajador de México en Estados Unidos, y Anthony Wayne, Exembajador de Estados Unidos en México.

Modera: Graciela Martínez-Zalce, CISAN

Panel: North America 2.0 : Towards a Continental Future

The Wilson Center's Mexico Institute and Canada Institute marked the publication of North America 2.0, a compilation of perspectives on the future of the trilateral relationship. This event consisted of two panel discussions with the authors and contributors to the book, as well as comparing experts' perspectives on the opportunities for collaboration within North America and the challenges faced by the three countries, ahead of the next North American Leaders' Summit. Please see the participants listed below. I was happy to talk about workforce development and start to speak about minute 35 in the program
Load More

2021 Articles

Articles publishes in 2021

Article: By the numbers: The global economy in 2021 - $2.4 million per minute in US-Mexico-Canada trade.

A year ago, experts predicted the “Roaring ‘20s,” a decade in which a tamed pandemic would unleash a new era of global growth. As the year comes to a close, our GeoEconomics Center’s staff and senior fellows called out the numbers behind the headlines that best capture the shape of the global economy in 2021—and what to expect in 2022.

The United States, Canada, and Mexico traded more than $2.4 million per minute on average during the first ten months of 2021. The United States’ two neighbors are its top two trading partners this year, followed by China. This trade supports up to 12 million jobs in the United States and millions more in Mexico and Canada. The three countries not only sell to each other, but they also co-produce many products, with high percentages of US content coming back to the United States in finished manufactured products bought from its two neighbors. These facts signal that the economic partnership in North America is very important for economic competition with China, in addition to its direct impact on prosperity in the UnitedStates, Mexico, and Canada. It is, thus, very welcome that the three countries are rolling up their sleeves to improve supply-chain resilience, cross-border infrastructure and processes, workforce development, cybersecurity coordination, and more ...

Article: A Nation on the Verge of Collapse

The United Nations, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the donor community have all been warning of the humanitarian catastrophe emerging with the imminent collapse of the Afghan economy. The withdrawal of U.S. and allied forces from the country, which led to the disintegration of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the Taliban takeover, has been followed by the cutoff of most external assistance and the freezing of most of Afghanistan’s monetary reserves, thereby elim

Article: Afghanistan is about to collapse. Here’s what the US must do about it.

The United Nations, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and the donor community have all been warning of the humanitarian catastrophe emerging with the imminent collapse of the Afghan economy. The withdrawal of US and allied forces from the country, which led to the disintegration of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the Taliban takeover, has been followed by the cutoff of most external assistance and the freezing of most of Afghanistan’s monetary reserves, thereby eliminating

Article: Getting Down to the Business of Action (North America)

The summit constituted the first of its kind since 2016. Thei leaders of the United States, Canada and Mexico set an agenda that could power all three countries to rebound more effectively from the pandemic’s effects and unlock the important potential of better cooperation across the continent.

Biden, Trudeau and López Obrador were positioned to greatly increase collaboration: 1) to support rebuilding from pandemic’s blows to the continent’s deeply integrated value chains and industries; 2) to

Article: La Cumbre de Líderes de Norteamérica, de regreso

La próxima reunión de líderes es una oportunidad importante para conectar, comunicar, establecer objetivos y planificar Los líderes de Estados Unidos, Canadá y México se reunirán el 18 de noviembre para una “Cumbre de Líderes de Norteamérica”, o NALS, por sus siglas en inglés. La agenda será grande e importante para esta primera reunión a tres bandas de los socios de Norteamérica desde 2016.

Article: Resuming North American leaders summits could accomplish much

David Jacobson was the U.S. ambassador to Canada from 2009 to 2013 and is vice-chair, BMO Financial Group. Earl Anthony Wayne was the U.S. ambassador to Mexico from 2011 to 2015 and is co-chair of the Wilson Center’s Mexico Institute Advisory Board and a Distinguished Diplomat in Residence at American University’s School of International Service.

The leaders of the United States, Canada and Mexico will meet Nov. 18 for a North American Leaders’ Summit, or NALS. The agenda will be big and important.

Article: Washington’s Highest Western Hemisphere Priority

By EARL ANTHONY WAYNE, former U.S. ambassador to Mexico

The most important bilateral relationship in Latin America for the United States is that with Mexico. Mexico is one of America’s top two trade partners and largest export markets. Economic ties support millions of jobs on both sides of the border.

Mexico is an indispensable partner in improving management of migration across the southern border. Cooperation with Mexico is essential to getting a better handle on the deadly flows of drugs i

Article: Mexico - Highest U.S. Priority in the Western Hemisphere

The most important bilateral relationship in Latin America for the United States is that with Mexico. Mexico is one of America’s top two trade partners and largest export markets. Economic ties support millions of jobs on both sides of the border. Mexico is an indispensable partner in improving management of migration across the southern border. Cooperation with Mexico is essential to getting a better handle on the deadly flows of drugs into the U.S. from Mexico, as well as getting better contro

Article: Revised HLED Will Enhance Binational Cooperation

By EARL ANTHONY WAYNE, former U.S. ambassador to Mexico

In a bid to revive economic relations and make Mexico and the United States more competitive with China, leaders of the two countries have launched a renewed cabinet-level High Level Economic Dialogue (HLED), dormant since 2017. To underscore that initiative, Vice President Kamala Harris headed a U.S. delegation consisting of the secretaries of state, commerce, Homeland Security, and the U.S. Trade Representative in a meeting at the White

Essay in E-Book Collection: Bringing Supply Chains Back to Mexico

I was happy to contribute an article to this collection. Introduction:
In a bid to revive economic relations and make Mexico and the United States
more competitive with China, leaders of the two countries have launched a
renewed Cabinet-level High Level Economic Dialogue (HLED), dormant since
2017. To underscore that initiative, Vice President Kamala Harris headed a
US delegation consisting of the Secretaries of State, Commerce, Homeland
Security, and the US Trade Representative in a meeting at the White House with
Mexico’s foreign and commerce ministers and others on September 9.
If done well and accompanied by Mexican moves to improve the investment
climate, the HLED process can encourage more nearshoring of manufacturing
and other businesses to Mexico, contributing to more resilient supply chains.
Binational working groups are working to identify objectives and actions with
plans to report on progress by early November.
The HLED is aimed at pursuing economic opportunities beyond the trade
issues covered in the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which
took effect in 2020. The USMCA calls for new consultative mechanisms on such
issues as trade rules for auto production, respect for labor rights, and barriers to
trade in agricultural products. As a complement to the new dialogue, the HLED
can also help strengthen value chains and effective nearshoring in key sectors,
generating “good” jobs on both sides of the border

Article: Bilateral Effort for a Common Good

By EARL ANTHONY WAYNE, former U.S. ambassador to Mexico

The United States and Mexico took important steps toward better cooperation against cross-border crime and criminal networks on Oct. 8. Meeting in Mexico City, cabinet members from both countries approved a new framework to replace the Merida Initiative, which had served as the umbrella for bilateral public security cooperation since 2008. Now, teams from both countries aim to hammer out an agreed action agenda by year’s end and then forge

Essay/Article: What Will the U.S.- Mexico Economic Talks Accomplish?

Earl Anthony Wayne, former U.S. ambassador to Mexico and co-chair of the Mexico Institute Advisory Board at the Wilson Center: “Mexican and U.S. ministers launched the renewed High-Level Economic Dialogue (HLED) with an agenda aimed at boosting supply chains, border management, jobs skills, stakeholder dialogue and helping reduce migration flows. Done well, this process can energize bilateral economic relations with more inclusive processes and concrete improvements. Progress reports from working groups are due in early November. This new HLED recognizes the value of sustained cooperation as demonstrated from 2013-2016 and of learning from the pandemic, which exposed weaknesses in cross-border supply chains. It also reflects agreement to address the root causes of migration. There are four pillars for HLED work. The first pillar, ‘building back together,’ includes steps to support the creation of more resilient supply chains and modernizing the U.S.-Mexico border. Semiconductor supply chains will get a first review, with electric vehicle, medical device and pharmaceutical supply chains as additional candidates. Importantly, work includes renewed attention to improving border crossing processes and infrastructure, as well as better dialogue with private and subfederal government stakeholders. The HLED’s second pillar, ‘promoting sustainable economic and social development in Southern Mexico and Central America,’ will entail the hard work of trying to identify the mix of programs to produce good results. The third pillar, ‘securing tools for future prosperity,’ can foster needed cooperation on cybersecurity and resilient information technology networks. The fourth pillar, ‘investing in our people,’ gives needed attention to workforce development, such as applying best practices for upskilling workers and can usefully target specific groups in need and small and medium enterprises (SMEs).”

Article: The Return of the HLED

By EARL ANTHONY WAYNE, former U.S. ambassador to Mexico

A modified version of this article previously appeared in he U.S. congressional publication The Hill, and is being republished in Pulse News Mexico with express prior permission.

Heed closely what Mexico and the United States agreed on earlier this month. On Thursday, Sept. 9, ministers from both governments held the first meeting of a new High-Level Economic Dialogue (HLED) aimed at pursuing economic opportunities beyond the trade issues

Article: The US and Mexico take steps to strengthen ties

Watch closely what Mexico and the United States agree on this week. On Thursday, Sept. 9, ministers from both governments will hold the first meeting of a new High-Level Economic Dialogue (HLED) aimed at pursuing economic opportunities beyond the trade issues covered in the new North America trade agreement — the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA — that took effect in mid-2020.

In the USMCA framework, the governments already are overseeing bilateral trade and working through trade

Article: 5 Questions on Afghanistan: What Brought Us to This Point, and Where Do We Go Now?

The Taliban took Kabul, Afghanistan, far faster than US intelligence officials had anticipated; evacuations out of the country are enveloped in chaos; and on August 26, deadly attacks took place at the Kabul airport. How did we get to this point? Ambassador Earl Anthony Wayne, SIS professor and distinguished diplomat in residence, served as coordinating director for development and economic affairs and deputy ambassador in Kabul from 2009 to 2011. In this Q&A, he describes how the Taliban was ab

Article: The Hard Lessons Learned from Afghanistan

By EARL ANTHONY WAYNE, former U.S. deputy ambassador to Afghanistan

Ending a war well requires an accurate assessment of the facts, careful weighing of the potential costs, and plans for achieving the desired outcomes and dealing with unexpected repercussions:

There will be plenty of re-examination of the U.S. decision in April to give a September date certain for pulling out of Afghanistan, but events over the last few months make clear that the final U.S. decisions were based on a poor under

Article: Lessons, Credibility and Priorities for Afghanistan

There will be plenty of re-examination of the U.S. decision in April to give a September date certain for pulling out of Afghanistan, but events over the last few months make clear that the final U.S. decisions were based on a poor understanding of the damage already done to Afghan government morale, authority, and capacity by the U.S. negotiations with the Taliban, during the last two years of the Trump administration. The Taliban had used the last two years while negotiating with the United St
Load More

2021 Interviews, Speeches, Presentations, Testimonies, etc.

2021 activities

Interview VOA Pashto: Getting humanitarian Aid to the Afghan people and not yet recognizing the Taliban as legitimate; افغانستان کې د امریکا د پخواني سفیر ارل انتوني وین مرکه

تېره اونۍ د امریکا د خزانې وزارت افغانستان ته د مرستو لېږلو په اړه درې جوازونه ورکړل او ملګرو ملتونو پدغه اړه د امریکا لخوا د وړاندې شوي یو پریکړه لیک مسوده تصویب کړه. په افغانستان کې د امریکا پخوانی سفیر ارل انتوني وین وايي چې یاد پرمختګونه به د طالبانو سره د نړیوالې ټولنې غیر مستقیمې اړیکې رامېنځته کړي، خو امریکا او نړیوال لا هم د طالبانو د حکومت په رسمیت پېژاندلو څخه لري دي.

د امریکاغږ پښتو یوټیوب چینل سره یوځای شئ او د ورځنیو مهمو خبرونو تر څنگ د افغانستان او نړۍ له گوټ گوټ څخه ځانگړي ویدیویي راپورونه وگورئ. د امریکا غږ پښتو ویبپاڼې، فیسبوک، ټویټر او انستگرام کې هم په لاندې لینکونو له مونږ سره مل شئ.


Subscribe to VOA Pashto’s YouTube channel for daily news, feature reports, interviews and many more on Afghanistan and the world. You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram with the following addresses.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/voapashto
Twitter: https://twitter.com/VOAPashto
Instagram: https://instagram.com/voa_pashto

Interview: As Humanitarian Disaster Looms, U.S. Opens Door for More Afghanistan Aid

Op-ed that I co-drafted cited in this article: Sacks of flour from a World Food Program convoy were unloaded in Afghanistan in October. The Treasury Department will make it easier for international organizations and the U.S. government to provide relief to Afghans while maintaining economic pressure on the Taliban.

The Treasury Department and the United Nations offered new protection for aid from sanctions meant to pressure the Taliban.

Interview: With hunger, poverty growing in Afghanistan, Biden pressured to ease sanctions

“We don’t want to help the Taliban, but we don’t want to see Afghans starving in the winter either,” said Rep. Tom Malinowski (D-N.J.), who helped to spearhead the effort. “We want the millions of Afghans who are not going to leave the country, but who are trying to defend the gains of the last 20 years, to know that the United States is still behind them.”

But a growing number of administration officials, particularly in the U.S. State Department, are pushing for more flexibility, with some ar

Interview: Lawmakers, former officials issue urgent appeals for Biden to help Afghanistan

House lawmakers are calling on the Biden administration to prioritize assistance to Afghanistan in the face of a crippling economic and humanitarian crisis facing the country.

“No one benefits from a failed state in Afghanistan,” a bipartisan group of 39 lawmakers wrote on Thursday, in a letter to the State and Treasury departments, calling for the release of Afghan assets — which amount to an estimated $9.5 billion — that were frozen in the wake of the Taliban’s takeover of the country in Augu

Interview VOA Dari: Zheela Noori interview Earl Anthony Wayne replay on LinkedIn: #Afghans #humanitarian

Earl Anthony (Tony) Wayne says there should be action by the US and others to get money to #Afghans in need to meet the #humanitarian needs and recognizing that that means there needs to be channels where money can be sent in and in and distributed accurately. We need more leadership by US and others to encourage to go ahead and try these new methods. All the time preserving the sanctions on the Taliban that deserve to remain in place because of their previous behavior and their unwillingness to have a truly inclusive government.”

Interview VOA Dari: addressing the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan

ایرل انتونی واین، استاد پوهنتون امریکایی و دپلومات پیشین می‌گوید که امریکایی ها با مردم افغان احساس همدردی دارند و می‌خواهند از راه های متفاوت برای مردم نیازمند کمک کنند. این دپلومات پیشین امریکایی می‌گوید که برای رسیدگی به بحران بشری در افغانستان تلاش‌ها نه تنها باید افزایش یابد بلکه باید سرعت نیز گیرند. اما او می‌گوید که تا زمانیکه گروه طالبان تخطی های حقوق بشر را رفع نکرده و حکومت همه شمول تشکیل ندهند، تحریم ها علیه طالبان باقی می‌ماند.
در کانال یوتیوب دری صدای امریکا خبرهای تازه، موثق، معتبر و جامع را دنبال کنید.
ما را فیسبوک، تویتر و انستاگرام نیز دنبال کنید.
https://www.instagram.com/voadari
https://www.darivoa.com/
https://www.facebook.com/voadari/
https://twitter.com/VOADariAfghan

Interview: Biden’s electric vehicle plans spark outrage in Mexico and Canada

Biden’s electric vehicle plans spark outrage in Mexico and Canada
US trading partners insist that EV incentives breach terms of USMCA pact
Aime Williams and Christine Murray
Joe Biden will meet the leaders of Mexico and Canada this week as his plans to encourage Americans to buy electric cars made in the US have sparked furious opposition from two of America’s biggest trading partners.
The so-called three amigos summit, to be held at the White House, will take place for the first time since 2016, and comes as senior officials in Mexico City and Ottawa have complained that Biden’s plans to kickstart EV manufacturing in the US break international trade rules.
The opposition of some of the US’s closest allies to a flagship climate policy poses a political and diplomatic dilemma for Biden. The president has pledged to both lower tensions with trading partners following the tumultuous tenure of Donald Trump, and to use industrial policy to boost green industries like electric car manufacturing.
Although not yet passed into law, Biden’s broader $1.75tn legislative package contains proposals to offer a tax credit of $7,500 for electric vehicles made only in the US from 2026. Another $4,500 of tax credits are available for purchasing electric cars made with union labour.
On Friday, Mélanie Joly, Canada’s foreign minister, said she had raised the issue in a meeting with Antony Blinken, US secretary of state.
Mary Ng, Canada’s trade minister, has previously written to the Democratic and Republican leaders and to Katherine Tai, US trade representative, and Gina Raimondo, US commerce secretary, to convey Ottawa’s “very serious concerns” about the EV credits.
Ng’s office said that Washington’s proposed measures were “inconsistent” both with its obligations under USMCA, the updated North American trade deal struck between the three countries under Donald Trump, and with the rules of the World Trade Organization.
Tatiana Clouthier, Mexico’s economy minister, has sent her own letters to US legislators to ask that the proposals be altered to be brought in line with USMCA.
“It’s contradictory,” Clouthier said. “They would set off more [migration] with this kind of measure.”
Tai refused to be drawn this week on whether the US proposals contravened the USMCA trade agreement that she helped broker as the Democrats’ chief trade counsel in the House of Representatives.
“I’m aware of concerns that our trading partners have raised, and we care about these concerns,” she said.
Edward Alden, senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, said the growing dispute between the three nations was “a big deal”.
“Everybody is moving at warp speed towards electric vehicles, and auto companies are now deciding where to locate their electric vehicle factories,” Alden said.
“This tax credit gives pretty strong incentives to locate final assembly in the United States so, not surprisingly, the Canadians and Mexicans are deeply worried about it.”
At present, the North American motor industry supply chain is scattered across all three countries. According to a recent report by the Congressional Research Service, some car parts cross the US, Mexican and Canadian borders “seven or eight times” before they are assembled into the final vehicle.
The US imports $29.4bn of car parts from Mexico and exports $5.9bn of parts to Canada, while exporting $11.7bn of completed vehicles to Canada and $67.5bn to Mexico. The CRS says that vehicle parts exported to Canada and Mexico often return to the US to be incorporated into the finished vehicles.
“It’s important to remember that the auto industry is the most quintessential North American, USMCA or Nafta industry,” said Tony Wayne, a former US ambassador to Mexico, referring to USMCA’s predecessor trade deal. “It’s more integrated than any other industry.”
Canada has suggested that US threats to rupture the motor industry’s integration at this time might backfire on the US.
Ng’s letter reminded US officials that Canada was “the only country” in the western hemisphere to have stores of all of the critical minerals needed to build an electric vehicle battery, and that Canada was therefore “necessary for the United States to achieve its electric vehicle objectives in the future”.
Mexico’s lower labour costs have long attracted carmakers, but sector leaders are already worried that it may not be able to attract a renewed investment boom in the shift to EVs. ...
Load More

2020 Articles

Fulfilling North America's Promise

Key Policy Recommendations
• Establish cooperative work agendas addressing key economic and security issues.
• Re-organize structures to take full advantage of the opportunities from North American cooperation, as well as to resolve problems.
• Reinitiate the North American Leaders' Summits, preferably once a year, but at least every two years.
• Make supply chains more resilient and less dependent on distant suppliers.
• Re-create and improve bilateral mechanisms to deal with homeland security and economic issues outside of USMCA.
• Establish a multi-layered approach to North America that effectively incorporates the many stakeholders in North America's success.
• In the short-term, agendas should include COVID-19 management and recovery; strengthening supply chains; implementing USMCA; revisiting border security; bolstering law enforcement coordination; and rethinking migration management and aid to Central America.
• The medium- and longer-term agendas should include creating a shared vision and structures that enhance mutual prosperity and security, and a focus on issues such as climate change, “green” energy futures, workforce development, the deployment of new technologies, and more cooperative approaches to cybersecurity.

The High Stakes of the US-Mexico Relationship - Pulse News Mexico

By EARL ANTHONY WAYNE, former U.S. Ambassador to Mexico

Mexico and the United States cannot escape the need to collaborate. The big test is how well the governments can work together with the arrival of President Joe Biden.

The action agenda is urgent: handling migration from Central America, deepening anti-crime coordination, managing the pandemic and recovery, and implementing the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), including Mexico’s treatment of energy investments and protection

Biden’s Trade Policy Needs Commercial Diplomacy

By EARL ANTHONY WAYNE and SHAUN DONNELLY, both former U.S. ambassadors

The new Joe Biden administration has a great opportunity to rebuild the United States’ international competitiveness and policy effectiveness in ways to assure that the domestic and international policy agendas reinforce each other. This approach can build prosperity at home and simultaneously establish markets, opportunities and partnerships internationally.

The appointments of Jake Sullivan as national security adviser an

US-Mexico Relations

Earl Anthony Wayne, former U.S. ambassador to Mexico and co-chair of the Mexico Institute
Advisory Board at the Wilson Center: “Mexico and the United States cannot escape the need to collaborate. The big
test is how well the governments can work together with the arrival of President Joe Biden. The action agenda is
urgent: handling migration from Central America, deepening anti-crime coordination, managing the
pandemic and recovery, and implementing the USMCA trade agreement including Mexico’s treatment of
energy investments and protection of labor rights. The opportunities are also great: building on the USMCA to
boost both economies, enhancing homeland security and reinforcing trust undermined in
recent years. President Biden arrives with the deepest understanding of Mexico of any
U.S. president. His strong predilection is to reinforce cooperation. Until recently, however,
President López Obrador (AMLO) was not welcoming. He also placed a serious legal wrench in
Mexico-U.S. anti-crime cooperation. One can debate why AMLO adopted
this stance, but the challenge is whether the leaders and their teams can rebuild enough
trust to find and implement solutions. The stakes are immense. Legal trade is about $1 million per minute.
That represents about 80 percent of Mexico’s imports. That trade supports almost five million U.S. jobs. Illicit
drug trade fuels tens of thousands of deaths in each country via drug overdoses and
criminal violence. A new surge of Central American migrants would spark a crisis for
the Biden administration. U.S. companies and unions are worried about Mexico’s
implementation of the USMCA. Much work remains to deal with the pandemic’s effects.
The neighbors should quickly establish the dialogue and processes to manage these
challenges well.”

Biden Team Must Forge Early Security Strategy

By EARL ANTHONY WAYNE, former U.S. ambassador to Mexico

U.S. President-elect Joe Biden’s emerging national security team has impressive credentials, reflecting his own deep experience. This will be a big advantage, given the need to “build back better” with the world as well as at home. The tasks include rebuilding institutions battered over the past four years, including the State Department, the intelligence community, and law enforcement and justice agencies.

The daunting international agen

Biden's trade policy needs effective commercial diplomacy

The incoming Biden administration has a great opportunity to rebuild America’s international competitiveness and policy effectiveness in ways to assure that the domestic and international policy agendas reinforce each other. This approach can build prosperity at home and simultaneously establish markets, opportunities and partnerships internationally.

The appointments of Jake Sullivan Jake SullivanBiden formally appoints NSA's Anne Neuberger to key national security position How should Biden re

The Way Forward in Afghanistan

Among the most pressing issues on U.S. President-elect Joe Biden’s to-do list on foreign policy is the war in Afghanistan, which offers only hard choices. But despite the blunders of U.S. President Donald Trump, Afghanistan may actually now have a chance to achieve some form of political settlement and significantly reduced violence.

To pursue a path toward sustainable peace in Afghanistan, Biden’s team must walk a fine line. On the one hand, they must make it clear that peace does not mean sim

The way forward in Afghanistan: How Biden can achieve sustainable peace and US security

Among the most pressing issues on the US president-elect’s to-do list on foreign policy is the war in Afghanistan, which offers only hard choices. But despite the blunders of President Donald Trump, Afghanistan may actually now have a chance to achieve some form of political settlement and significantly reduced violence.

To pursue a path toward sustainable peace in Afghanistan, Joe Biden’s team must walk a fine line. On the one hand, they must make it clear that peace does not mean simply handi

A Better Way Forward for Mexico

By EARL ANTHONY WAYNE, former U.S. ambassador to Mexico

Mexico’s Congress passed legislation on Dec.15 that restricts the work of foreign government employees in a way that could greatly inhibit U.S.-Mexico cooperation against powerful cross-border criminal organizations, which are moving drugs northward to the United States and arms and illicit proceeds to Mexico. Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) signed the law and it took effect on Dec. 19.

Before this grows into a very d

Biden's team must forge an early national security strategy — and better processes

President-elect Biden’s emerging national security team has impressive credentials, reflecting his own deep experience. This will be a big advantage, given the need to “build back better” with the world as well as at home. The tasks include rebuilding institutions battered over the past four years, including the State Department, the intelligence community, and law enforcement and justice agencies.

The daunting international agenda makes it imperative that the president and his advisers draw on

Imaging Peace in Afghanistan

By EARL ANTHONY WAYNE, career diplomat, ambassador and senior advisor with the Project on Prosperity and Development at theCenter for Strategic and International Studies

The following report was first published by the U.S. Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and is being republished in an abbreviated format in Pulse News Mexico with explicit prior permission.

This report identifies best practices among reconciliation programs used in conflicts around the world that may help p

A better way forward than Mexico's new anti-crime legislation

Mexico’s Congress passed legislation on Dec.15 that restricts the work of foreign government employees in a way that could greatly inhibit U.S.-Mexico cooperation against powerful cross-border criminal organizations, which are moving drugs northward to the U.S. and arms and illicit proceeds to Mexico. President López Obrador signed the law and it took effect on Dec. 19.

Before this grows into a very damaging bilateral problem, the two governments urgently need to engage to address the serious a

Imagine Peace: Connecting Global Solutions on Reconciliation with an Afghanistan Ready for Peace

Imagine Peace: Connecting Global Solutions on Reconciliation with an Afghanistan Ready for Peace
• This report identifies best practices among reconciliation programs used in conflicts around the world that may help promote reconciliation in Afghanistan, should progress toward peace advance. A team of American University undergraduate researchers at the School of International Service worked under the guidance of former ambassador Earl Anthony Wayne to examine scores of programs in over 30 count

High Profile Tests for Mexican Justice, Bilateral Cooperation

By EARL ANTHONY WAYNE, former U.S. ambassador to Mexico

Mexico’s law enforcement and justice system is now in the spotlight over U.S.-Mexico cross-border crime.

Mexico’ public security and justice systems currently face a series of “stress tests”: handling charges against two former Mexican secretaries for aiding criminal groups trafficking drugs to the United States; the still-ongoing investigation of the November 2018 murders of U.S. citizen women and children in Sonora by members of criminal ...

Are Mexico and the U.S. Putting Politics Above the Law?

“The U.S. arrest and release
to Mexico of retired Mexican Defense
Secretary Salvador Cienfuegos on charges
of supporting a drug-smuggling group has
set up a high-profile test for Mexico’s justice
system. Many questions swirl around the
general’s arrest, release and future treatment in Mexico, especially the chances for
a credible Mexican prosecution. Mexico’s
handling of General Cienfuegos’ case will
have a significant impact on U.S.-Mexican
cooperation against deadly cross-border organized crime. Most important to watch for
the long term will be how the management
of the case strengthens or weakens bilateral
collaboration against drug-trafficking groups
that cause tens of thousands of deaths in
the United States and Mexico. We must
keep the real costs of trafficking in focus.
Mexico’s foreign minister and president have
spoken positively about Mexico’s ability to
carry out a serious investigation of Cienfuegos. Other experts are skeptical, given
the poor record of Mexico’s justice system
on cases involving high-profile individuals.
In this case, electronic evidence collected by
U.S. authorities without a Mexican judge’s
approval may not be admissible in Mexican
courts. If the case falters, a bright spotlight
will shine on still-existing flaws in Mexico’s
judicial system. A poorly handled case will
further erode confidence among U.S. law enforcement officials in their Mexican partners
and will erode confidence among honest
Mexican officials in their system. To bolster
trust, the two governments must build new
mechanisms to help prevent corruption of
officials from either country, as part of work
to strengthen and expand effective cooperation against cross-border trafficking.” by me and other experts on the arrest and release to Mexico of retired General Salvador Cienfuegos related to charges of supporting a drug trafficking group.

El caso Cienfuegos: la gran prueba para el sistema judicial de México

La captura y liberación del exsecretario de la Defensa Nacional, Salvador Cienfuegos es una gran prueba para el sistema de justicia mexicano. Pero también subraya los desafíos a una relación bilateral más profunda y efectiva para la cooperación contra el narcotráfico.

El caso Cienfuegos está drenando la confianza en ambos lados de la frontera. Como secretario de la Defensa, entre 2012 y 2014, Cienfuegos supervisó la cooperación militar cercana entre México y Estados Unidos. Sin embargo, las aut

Biden Will Boost Regional Ties

A Joe Biden administration can be expected to put U.S.-Mexico and U.S.-Canada relations back into a strategic framework for solving problems and strengthening long-term cooperation. This would include pursuing a more consistent approach to Mexico and Canada, less driven by individual issues and tradeoffs and more concerned with achieving progress across a range of key issues, stretching from trade to public security to economic competitiveness to the environment.
Load More

2020 - Interviews, Speeches, Talks, Presentations, Testimonies, Media mentions, etc.

SIS Students Worked and Shared Findings with the State Department

The Diplomacy Lab SIS Capstone centers on a research project deemed important for the US State Department. It is a unique opportunity for SIS students to work with State Department officials, career diplomats, ambassadors, and people who are currently working in the Foreign Service. Launched in 2013, the Diplomacy Lab aims to address two key priorities: first, to engage the American people in the work of diplomacy, and second, to broaden the State Department’s research base.

U.S. Evidence Against Mexican Ex-Defense Minister Raises Conviction Doubts

Explosive U.S. drug-trafficking allegations against Mexico’s former defense minister rely largely on circumstantial evidence, diminishing the chances that the Mexican government could bring a case against him to trial or could convict him in a Mexican court if it did, according to people in both countries familiar with the case.

American agents arrested Gen. Salvador Cienfuegos in October as he arrived in Los Angeles for a family vacation, accusing him of taking bribes in exchange for protectin

1 big thing: When Joe meets AMLO

Biden (then VP) and López Obrador (then a presidential candidate) in Mexico City in 2012. Photo: Uri Cortez/AFP via Getty

Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador is off to an awkward start with President-elect Biden. Along with Russia’s Vladimir Putin and Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro, he's one of the very few world leaders still declining to recognize Biden’s victory.

Why it matters: López Obrador’s stance may soon be forgotten, but it could foreshadow tensions in a relationship that will be

Migrant Caravans Could Be Early Test For Biden

Biden will need Mexico to continue to help prevent such a surge in the short term, said Earl Anthony Wayne, who served as U.S. ambassador to Mexico under President Barack Obama. Wayne said the United States also will need to partner with other countries on medium- and long-term solutions to improve conditions in Central America and the treatment of migrants in Mexico and the United States.

“Biden will not have an easy set of choices, but I think he will try to thread the needle between a more humanitarian approach and a need to avoid getting overwhelmed,” said Wayne, who teaches at American University. “What he can do is try to forge a more effective partnership with Mexico to see the common value of dealing with this in an orderly way, and not letting it get out of hand.”

Ex-national security officials warn of risks in Biden transition delay

Several former Trump administration national security and diplomatic officials also signed on, including former U.S. ambassador to Iraq Doug Silliman; former NSC senior director for counterterrorism Javed Ali; former DHS assistant secretary of counterterrorism Elizabeth Neumann; former DHS deputy assistant secretary for counterterrorism policy Tom Warrick; and former U.S. ambassador to the U.K. Lewis Lukens.

I was happy to join in this effort.

Del muro al espinoso caso Cienfuegos: radiografía de lo que viene en la relación México - EEUU por el exembajador Anthony Wayne

En las últimas semanas el tema que ha mantenido los reflectores del mundo entero es, sin duda, la elección presidencial en Estados Unidos. Y uno de los países más interesados –sino es que el principal– en el resultado de esos comicios .

Y no es para menos. México no solo es el vecino del sur de Estados Unidos. Su vínculo también incluye una fuerte relación en temas humanitarios, como la migración; económicos, como el nuevo tratado comercial (T-MEC); de seguridad, como la cooperación en temas de

México, Estados Unidos y la promesa migratoria que jamás llegó

Quoted in the following article:
Un análisis de las políticas migratorias de Estados Unidos, y qué significaría una reelección de Trump o el triunfo de Biden para las relaciones con México. Cuando comenzó su apuesta por la presidencia en 2015, la narrativa antinmigrante, como sus críticos la denuncian, se convirtió en el centro de la campaña de Donald Trump. Él prometió frente a audiencias entusiasmadas construir un muro en la frontera y sostuvo que México “no envía a su mejor” gente al territorio estadounidense ...

Sixth North American Process Symposium: Economic Coordination and Adaptation

The School of Public Policy at the University of Calgary, the School of Global Studies at Universidad Anáhuac México, and the Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions at Arizona State University, in association with The Wilson Center in Washington D.C., were proud to host the Sixth Annual North American Process Symposium: Economic Coordination and Adaptation.

In an era of a global pandemic, regional trade uncertainty, tensions with China, devastated supply chains, and increased d

Exembajadores de México y Estados Unidos aportan recomendaciones para mejorar relación entre ambos países

Exembajadores de México y Estados Unidos presentaron una serie de recomendaciones para fortalecer y potencializar la relación bilateral entre ambos países, en materia de seguridad, migración y agua. Ello en el marco de una reunión virtual con la Comisión de Relaciones Exteriores América del Norte.

John Dimitri Negroponte, ex embajador de Washington en México, reconoció que la agenda de seguridad, siempre ha sido un tema delicado para los dos países, sobre todo, en lo referente al tráfico de dro

National Security Leaders for Biden

We are former public servants who have devoted our careers, and in many cases risked our lives, for the United States. We are generals, admirals, senior noncommissioned officers, ambassadors, and senior civilian national security leaders. We are Republicans, Democrats, and Independents. We love our country. Unfortunately, we also fear for it. The COVID-19 pandemic has proven America needs principled, wise, and responsible leadership. America needs a President who understands, as President Harry
Load More

2019 Articles

USMCA: Approval and Economic Boost in Sight

A big push is under way to achieve approval in the U.S. House of Representatives for the newly amended United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), the new NAFTA, before the end of the year. The deadline goal appears to be congressional action by Dec. 20, at the latest.

Supporters of USMCA are working hard to complete the procedures needed for action by in the U.S. House of Representatives and to secure as many votes as possible there for the agreement, so the USMCA heads to the U.S. Senate w

North America 2.0: A Workforce Development Agenda

As new technology reshapes workplaces and jobs across North America, the United States, Mexico, and Canada need to reinvent the ways that they educate, train, and re-skill their workforces. With Mexico and Canada now the United States’ two largest economic partners, more than ever the three countries need to work together to effectively and equitably manage the massive transformations ahead in the skills needed by tomorrow’s employees.

Already, employers across the continent are having difficul

North America 2.0: A Workforce Development Agenda

A new report examining the need for the United States, Mexico and Canada to collaborate on workforce development in order to better meet the massive challenges of new technologies transforming work and workplaces over the next few years. governments, the private sector, educational institutions need to find and implement new models of skills training and preparing for the changes brought by new technology or face serious social, political and economic disruptions.

USMCA: So near, or just too far?

A big push is under way to achieve U.S. approval for the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), the new NAFTA, but important gaps remain between the parties. The most recent deadline goal appears to be congressional action by Dec. 20, at the latest.

Missing that deadline could delay approval until 2021 and leave the continent’s economies under a cloud of uncertainty. Approving the USMCA could bring a needed economic boost to the millions of jobs supported by commerce with America’s two largest t

A Fresh Approach to Peace in Afghanistan

An effective peace process is possible and desirable in Afghanistan. Success, however, will require a careful, step-by-step course to test bona fides, build confidence, reduce violence and encourage the difficult negotiations in which Afghans themselves determine the political future of Afghanistan.

U.S. Special Representative Zalmay Khalilzad has been working to re-engage the peace process in visits to the region, in meetings with international players, and in fostering last month’s detainee s

Apprenticeship and Other Work-Based Learning Programs in North America

The apprenticeship movement is reshaping skills, policies, and programs in the United States at a critical moment in our country’s history. I was happy to be leader author in the first article in this reader. The collection offers a chorus of voices emanating from different countries and populations, echoing commitment to bright, sustainable workforce futures through a well-crafted approach to this talent development model. The collected chapters and vignettes address questions for businesses of all sizes, community-based organizations, and schools looking for a way

A fresh approach to peace in Afghanistan

An effective peace process is possible and desirable in Afghanistan. Success, however, will require a careful, step-by-step course to test bona fides, build confidence, reduce violence and encourage the difficult negotiations in which Afghans themselves determine the political future of Afghanistan.

U.S. Special Representative Zalmay Khalilzad has been working to re-engage the peace process in visits to the region, in meetings with international players, and in fostering the just completed deta

More Effective US-Mexico Cooperation Is Urgently Needed

An abbreviated version of the following article first appeared in Fox News Opinion and is being republished in Pulse News Mexico with specific prior permission.

The horrific Nov. 4 killing of U.S. citizen women and children in Sonora, Mexico, should prompt closer and more effective U.S.-Mexico cooperation against the cross-border organized crime that is seriously endangering citizens of both countries. These transnational criminal groups are undermining the sovereignty of both countries daily.

Democrats’ Clash with Trump Must Not Imperil USMCA Passage

It is increasingly urgent that the United States achieve stability and predictability with its two largest trading partners. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) warns of a “synchronized global slowdown” powered significantly by trade tensions, and the Institute of International Finance flags 20-year highs in global trade and economic uncertainty.

“Getting to Yes” on the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) this year would diminish these threats in North America.

Mexico and Canada ar

Democrats' clashes with Trump must not imperil trade with Mexico and Canada

It is increasingly urgent that the United States achieve stability and predictability with its two largest trading partners. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) warns of a “synchronized global slowdown” powered significantly by trade tensions, and the Institute of International Finance flags 20-year highs in global trade and economic uncertainty.

“Getting to Yes” on the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) this year would diminish these threats in North America.

Mexico and Canada ar

Afghanistan: Where Do We Go from Here?

The following article first appeared in the U.S. political website “The Hill” and is being republished in Pulse News Mexico with specific prior permission.

It is in the strong interest of Afghanistan, its neighbors, its international partners and especially, the United States, that the Afghanistan peace process not be abandoned, despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s declaring the U.S.-Taliban talks “dead.”

No party can win a military victory any time soon in current circumstances, and Afghans

Mexico Seeking Stronger Ties with US

Because of the current U.S. trade dispute with China, Mexico has become United States’ Number 1 trade partner. Mexico’s Secretary of Foreign Relations (SRE) Marcelo Ebrard met in Washington, D.C. with U.S. officials on Tuesday, Sept. 10, in an effort to put U.S.-Mexico cooperation on firmer footing, and especially to overcome U.S. threats tied to migration and move ahead with the new United States-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement (USMCA).

Mexico’s President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) has b

Mexico, the leading US trade partner, seeks to fortify relations

Because of the U.S. trade dispute with China, Mexico has become America’s No. 1 trading partner. Mexico’s foreign minister is scheduled to be in Washington for meetings Tuesday, in an effort to put U.S.-Mexico cooperation on firmer footing, especially to overcome U.S. threats tied to migration and to move ahead with the new U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement (USMCA).

Mexico’s President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, known as “AMLO,” has been laboring to bring about what he views as a historic transformation in Mexico ...

US-Taliban Negotiations: How to Avoid a Rush to Failure

We strongly support a negotiated peace in Afghanistan, a limited force drawdown as part of getting peace negotiations going, and the substantial force drawdown later that peace would allow.

Equally strongly, we believe that U.S. security and values, including support for women, require that a full troop withdrawal can come only after a real peace. How our troop presence is managed will have a critical influence on the chances for successful peace negotiations, the future of the fight against th

US-Taliban Negotiations: How to Avoid Rushing to Failure

This is a collaborative product of former US diplomatic officials who have worked on Afghanistan.

We strongly support a negotiated peace in Afghanistan, a limited force drawdown as part of getting peace negotiations going, and the substantial force drawdown later that peace would allow.

Equally strongly, we believe that US security and values, including support for women, require that a full troop withdrawal come only after a real peace. How our troop presence is managed will have a critical

Border Security and Counter-Narcotics

(The following article first appeared in the Woodrow Wilson Center’s web site and is being republished in Pulse News Mexico with specific prior permission.

Cross-border criminal activity fueled by illegal drugs is causing great damage in both Mexico and the United States. The two governments need to prioritize forging an agreed strategy and action agenda to tackle this serious problem. They should establish a permanent cabinet-level group to oversee bilateral counter-narcotics and cross-border

Is Peace Actually on the Horizon in Afghanistan?

The momentum for peace in Afghanistan is growing. The progress over the last year is far more than many “Afghan hands” have imagined.

At present, U.S.-Taliban talks are apparently making progress on addressing U.S. counterterrorism concerns and on U.S. military withdrawal plans and timetables. Though the Taliban have so far refused to negotiate with the Afghan government, a well-publicized informal meeting in Doha, Qatar, between Taliban members and representatives from Kabul — including women
Load More

2019 - Interviews, Talks, Speeches, Presentations

Amazon.com: El Tercer Pais: San Diego & Tijuana Two Countries, Two Cities, One Community eBook: Malone, Michael S.: Kindle Store

The product of scores of interviews with citizens of San Diego and Tijuana – from everyday working folks to the leading figures – this is the first book ever to look at the two-hundred-year history of the two cities and chart how their relationship has evolved from conflict to interdependence to cooperation. El Tercer Pais combines hard-nosed journalism with insiders’ perspectives to create a celebratory look at how the two cities have gone beyond decades of distrust and wariness to become the m

AMLO’s first year: Mexico’s political, economic, and security trends

Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) assumed office in December 2018, promising to bring a fourth revolution to Mexico and to reduce Mexico’s inequality, corruption, and violent crime. Yet a year into his administration, homicides and violent criminality in Mexico have not diminished. While the new government has undertaken new security initiatives and adopted new anti-crime priorities, the brazenness of organized crime has increased. Despite anti-corruption efforts, the country’

Trump's Plan to Label Mexican Drug Cartels as Terrorists Could Backfire in a Big Way

This article originally appeared on VICE US.

Within a matter of two months, the Jalisco New Generation Cartel brazenly killed 13 Mexican police officers; the Sinaloa cartel took an entire city hostage after the arrest of one of its leaders; and nine U.S.-citizen women and children were massacred in northern Mexico.

Soon after, President Donald Trump proposed a solution: designate the cartels as terrorist organizations.

The idea of designating Mexican cartels as terrorist organizations may not

Argentina's elections and its divided Congress with Ambassador Earl Anthony Wayne

(Part two of a two-part interview) Ambassador Earl Anthony Wayne joins American Ambassadors Live! Podcast host Ambassador G. Philip Hughes for a discussion surrounding Argentina's recent election results, it's divided Congress, and it's economic standing. Ambassador Wayne served as U.S. Ambassador to Mexico and Argentina. This podcast was recorded on November 8, 2019.

Cartel violence, AMLO and USMCA with Ambassador Earl Anthony Wayne (Part One)

(Part one of a two-part interview)Ambassador Earl Anthony Wayne joins American Ambassadors Live! Podcast host Ambassador G. Philip Hughes in a discussion surrounding recent episodes of cartel violence in Mexico, the USMCA deal, and the development of U.S.-Mexico relations and policy from President Felipe Calderon to Mexico's current president, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO). Ambassador Wayne served as U.S. Ambassador to both Mexico and Argentina.

A Conversation with Afghanistan First Lady Rula Ghani

An armchair discussion with the First Lady of Afghanistan Rula Ghani. The conversation will focus on the progress of women and their role in the peace process in Afghanistan. Women have made great economic and social strides in the past 15 years. More than 3.6 million girls are in school and women are now allowed to work, both of which are essential to peace and stability in Afghanistan. However, the work is not over.
Load More

2018 Articles

US, Mexico defy expectations by cooperating on immigration

Mexico and the United States are defying expectations by identifying ways to cooperate on the contentious issues surrounding migration.

Since Mexico’s new president, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO), took office on Dec. 1, U.S. and Mexican officials have hammered out a dual-track approach to tackling the flow and management of migrants heading northward from Central America to Mexico and the United States.

One track is a cooperative multi-year strategy designed to help keep potential migrant

Narcos: Transnational Cartels and Border Security

Former U.S. ambassador to Mexico and Argentina, and public policy fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center in Washington, D.C.

Cooperation between Mexico and the United States regarding transnational crime is vital for the wellbeing of both countries. Both societies pay a high price for the illegal traffic in drugs, money, guns and people that cross our common border. The effective and efficient operation of the border itself is vital for the $1 million a minute of commerce between the

The Time to Build Lasting Bonds Between the US and Mexico is Now

Former U.S. ambassador to Mexico and Argentina, and public policy fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center in Washington, D.C.

The moment is ripe for the United States to double down on efforts to build a stronger relationship with Mexico for the longer term. Serious short-term problems need to be managed in a way that solidifies cooperation for the years ahead.

On Saturday, Dec. 1, Mexico’s new president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO), took office for a six-year term. He also no

The time to build lasting bonds between US and Mexico is now

The moment is ripe for the United States to double down on efforts to build a stronger relationship with Mexico for the longer term. Serious short-term problems need to be managed in a way that solidifies cooperation for the years ahead.

On Saturday, Mexico’s new President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO), takes office for six years. He will also control both chambers of Mexico’s Congress. AMLO wants to focus on the “transformation” of Mexico, and major domestic reforms are the top priorities

Afghanistan: Praiseworthy Economic Reforms, But Path to Peace Offers the Big Dividend

International donors will convene in Geneva in late November to discuss the social and economic progress made in Afghanistan since the Brussels Donor Conference in 2016. The economic advances made by the Afghan government give donors reasons to be pleased about the results from their pledge to provide $15 billion in assistance through 2020, conditional on the government making progress on the reform program agreed upon in Brussels. In Geneva, donors should praise the reforms made while making cl

US Spotlight Fixed Squarely on AMLO as He Prepares to Take Reins in Mexico

Former U.S. ambassador to Mexico and Argentina, and public policy fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center in Washington, D.C.

On Dec. 1, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO) will be sworn in as Mexico’s president. AMLO’s presidency will have important ramifications for the United States.

Through trade, travel, heritage and history, U.S.-Mexico relations touch the daily lives of more American citizens than ties with any other country. The two countries trade over $1 million a minute, ha

Afghanistan Is Making Economic Progress but Needs Peace

International donors will have some good news when they gather to review Afghanistan’s economic progress on November 27–28 in Geneva. While peace prospects , Taliban attacks , and Afghanistan’s unsettled politics will be on everyone’s mind, donors can applaud positive reviews of Afghan performance from the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as welcome steps.

Afghanistan’s partners should still make clear, however, that continued aid depends on continued reform. Donor governmen

US spotlight fixed squarely on AMLO as he takes reins in Mexico

On Dec. 1, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO) will be sworn in as Mexico’s president. AMLO’s presidency will have important ramifications for the United States.

Through trade, travel, heritage and history, U.S.-Mexico relations touch the daily lives of more American citizens than ties with any other country. The two countries trade over $1 million a minute, have over $100 billion in mutual investment and share a million border crossings a day.

AMLO promises a historic “transformation,” with wi

Central American Caravan Crisis Is a Chance to Forge a Better US Immigration Policy

Former U.S. ambassador to Mexico and Argentina, and public policy fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center in Washington, D.C.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s demands for neighboring governments to stop the most recent migrant caravan heading to the United States from Central America highlight the pressing need for a regionwide strategy to deal with migration flows.

With the current caravan, the government of Mexico is caught between the forceful U.S. requests for action and portions of

Caravan 'crisis' a chance to forge better immigration policy

President Trump Donald John TrumpTrump to fundraise for 3 Republicans running for open seats: report Trump to nominate former Monsanto exec to top Interior position White House aides hadn’t heard of Trump's new tax cut: report MORE’s demands for neighboring governments to stop the most recent migrant caravan heading to the U.S. from Central America highlight the pressing need for a region-wide strategy to deal with migration flows.

With the current caravan, the government of Mexico is caught be

If Approved, the New NAFTA Will End the Tyranny of Uncertainty

Former U.S. ambassador to Mexico and Argentina, and public policy fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center in Washington, D.C.

The new U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) is a welcome step.

If approved by each country’s legislature, the agreement will dissolve the uncertainty that has hovered over North America’s commercial and production networks for the last two years. A new rules-based agreement can be a major plus for the $1.2 trillion continental market.

It is very important no

Special Envoys, ‘Silos’ and Coherent International Policy

Former U.S. ambassador to Mexico and public policy fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center in Washington, D.C.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo recently appointed four special envoys to help him manage high priority portfolios regarding Iran, Afghanistan, Syria, and North Korea. His actions are understandable and can yield valuable results, if implemented well. The nomination and confirmation process for senior State Department positions in Washington and overseas has been terribly slow

New NAFTA will end the tyranny of uncertainty if approved

The new U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) is a welcome step.

If approved by each country’s legislature, the agreement will dissolve the uncertainty that has hovered over North America’s commercial and production networks for the last two years. A new rules-based agreement can be a major plus for the 1.2 trillion dollar continental market.

It is very important now, however, to have good assessments of the potential results that will flow from the agreement. While President Trump lauds the po

Special Envoys, “Silos” and Coherent International Policy

Secretary of State Pompeo recently appointed four special envoys to help him manage high priority portfolios regarding Iran, Afghanistan, Syria, and North Korea. His actions are understandable and can yield valuable results, if implemented well.  The nomination and confirmation process for senior State Department positions in Washington and overseas has been terribly slow, yet the world has not slowed.

9 Million Reasons for the US to Get a Trade Deal Done with Canada

Former U.S. ambassador to Mexico and public policy fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center in Washington, D.C.

As U.S. and Canadian officials resumed trade negotiations in Washington earlier this month, it is vital to realize that the United States gains massively from its economic relationship with Canada.

Ending the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and moving ahead with only a new U.S.-Mexico trade agreement, as the White House has threatened to do, would damage the Unit

Argentina Deserves US, IMF Support along Rough Road to Recovery

Former U.S. ambassador to Mexico and Argentina, and public policy fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center in Washington, D.C.

Argentina faces a new economic storm in the midst of extraordinary efforts to restructure its economy and to move against ingrained corruption.

Argentina itself must take and implement the hard decisions to succeed on both fronts, but it deserves strong support from its international partners, including the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the United States

9 million reasons to get a trade deal done with Canada

As U.S. and Canadian officials resume trade negotiations in Washington, it is vital to realize that the United States gains massively from its economic relationship with Canada.

Ending the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and moving ahead with only a new U.S.-Mexico trade agreement, as the White House has threatened, would damage the U.S. and Canada. Compared to what is at stake for the United States, the remaining U.S.-Canada trade differences are small and resolvable.

Argentina deserves US, IMF support on rough road to recovery

Argentina faces a new economic storm in the midst of extraordinary efforts to restructure its economy and to move against ingrained corruption.

Argentina itself must take and implement the hard decisions to succeed on both fronts, but it deserves strong support from its international partners, including the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the United States and the investment community, as it strives to achieve these laudable goals.

US-Mexico deal means very little without Canada

The “preliminary agreement in principle” between Mexico and the United States is an important step forward in the effort to agree on a modernized trade agreement in North America.

It is important to recognize, however, that the bilateral U.S.-Mexico agreement is not a good substitute for a trilateral agreement that brings in Canada, America’s largest trading partner.

Much work lies ahead to agree upon a new North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) that will significantly benefit the United

Trump's New Trade Agreement: What's In It?

On August 27, US President Donald J. Trump and Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto announced an initial agreement on a new bilateral trade relationship . The negotiations were initially intended to be a start for wider conversations on the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), including the third treaty partner, Canada. During the announcement, however, Trump implied that he may choose to negotiate bilaterally with Canada instead of reviving the tripartite agreement.
Load More

2018 Interviews, Speeches and Presentations

December 2018: Ambassador Earl Anthony Wayne | Season 2018 Episode 12 | Suncoast Business Forum

Our trade agreement with Mexico and Canada, America's biggest trading partners, was just torn up and rewritten. Tariffs on imports from China and other countries are in affect and could go higher. Is the New World Order changing? And if so, where does the U.S. fit in? Former U.S. Ambassador Earl Anthony Wayne will be our special guest to give an inside perspective on America's role. Ran 15 times, from December 2018 through March 2019.

Between Free Trade and 'America First': Analyzing the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement

After a two-year period of uncertainty on the future of the North American Free Trade Agreement, the United States Mexico and Canada reached a new deal on the U.S. self-imposed deadline of September 30. The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) is now pending approval from each country’s legislature. If approved, what potential results will come from the agreement?

The Wilson Center’s Canada and Mexico Institutes hosted a discussion on the beginning of a new era in North America’s trade

A Modernized NAFTA

The new trade agreement between the United States, Canada, and Mexico “modernizes” the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and lifts a cloud of uncertainty that has lingered over the past several months, according to Earl Anthony Wayne, a nonresident senior fellow with the Atlantic Council’s Global Business and Economics Program.In negotiations that went down to the wire, Canada agreed on September 30 to join the United States and Mexico in a revised version of NAFTA.

Telephone Briefing "The U.S.-Mexico Trade Deal: Is This the End of NAFTA?"

Yesterday, after more than a year of negotiations, the United States and Mexico announced a trade deal that resolves several contested bilateral issues. However, this tentative deal does not include Canada, which will join in negotiations this week.

The deal has implications for jobs, manufacturing, and competitiveness across the continent. What does it mean for North American trade? What is the likelihood that the three countries will reach a trilateral trade agreement? What impact will this have on U.S.-Mexico relations?

Senior Wilson Center experts discussed the implications of the U.S.-Mexico trade deal and what the next steps entail in this telephone briefing.
Load More

2017 Artices

It's in America's National Interest to Stay in NAFTA

President Trump’s new national security strategy stresses the importance of promoting America’s prosperity and security. It highlights rivalry and competition with China and Russia and underscores the importance of strengthening international alliances where partners shoulder their responsibilities.

Our North American neighbors, Mexico and Canada, should be priority partners under President Donald Trump’s new strategy for enhancing U.S. security and prosperity. Both are willing and effective pa

Avoid an American “Brexit” with NAFTA

The United States, Mexico, and Canada are in the midst of renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which came into force in 1994. Millions of jobs, massive cross-border production networks, and broader cooperation on fighting transnational crime are at stake.

Today, trade among the three countries has grown almost four times, supporting up to 14 million U.S. jobs and generating $1.3 trillion of commerce each year. The security, political, and economic costs and consequence

Beyond Trade: The Costs and Consequences of Exiting NAFTA

The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is a free trade agreement signed by Canada, Mexico and the United States in 1993 and came into force on January 1st, 1994.  After more than 23 years of successful economic cooperation, supporting 14 million U.S. jobs and generating $1.2 trillion of commerce each year, the trade agreement is now being renegotiated and faces very tough challenges as the U.S. administration is pursuing major changes, not just a modernization.

Ditching NAFTA not in America's best interests

Texas has the most to lose of any U.S. state if NAFTA talks go wrong. It has a great deal to gain if the talks to modernize NAFTA go well. Now that the negotiations have slowed over controversial U.S. proposals, Texans and their elected federal and state representatives should be making very clear to the Trump administration team overseeing the NAFTA negotiations that they should do no harm to the massive Texas-Mexico trade relationship, and rather focus on creating new opportunities.

The contr

Ditching NAFTA not in America's best interests

Texas has the most to lose of any U.S. state if NAFTA talks go wrong. It has a great deal to gain if the talks to modernize NAFTA go well. Now that the negotiations have slowed over controversial U.S. proposals, Texans and their elected federal and state representatives should be making very clear to the Trump administration team overseeing the NAFTA negotiations that they should do no harm to the massive Texas-Mexico trade relationship, and rather focus on creating new opportunities.

The New Afghanistan Policy Is Set. The Question Is How to Implement It.

The focus now should be on the implementation of the new U.S. strategy for Afghanistan and the region. Commentators debate the pros and cons of the approach, but it is now U.S. policy. It requires careful coordination and integration of the tools of American power—military, diplomatic, economic and development—to move toward its objective: a negotiated Afghan political settlement. The policy’s specifics must now be defined and executed.

North America’s Agenda for 2017 and Beyond

Continental supply chains that link Canada, the United States and Mexico mean that much of what is produced in each country has content from its neighbors. For example, a CRV SUV built in Jalisco, Mexico, has inputs of 70% from the United States and Canada. To establish these supply and production chains, private firms in all three countries have invested in their neighbors: U.S. companies have invested about 386 billion dollars in Canada and 108 billion dollars in Mexico.

Many of Trump's NAFTA goals aren't new — they're from the TPP

The United States Trade Representative (USTR) announced a set of U.S. trade objectives for a modernized North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) on Monday. The objectives seem to offer a bit to everyone, trade skeptics and trade advocates alike. To do so, they use strong yet vague rhetoric on protectionists’ priorities, like the trade deficit, while promising to maintain and expand market access for U.S. farmers, manufacturers and the broader business community.

The US and Mexico: Education and Mutual Understanding

Last week, officials from the U.S. and Mexico revitalized their commitment to fight cross-border smuggling of drugs, arms and money. U.S. officials recognized America’s demand for drugs as “the magnet” that feeds drug smuggling, and Mexico committed to tackle jointly the elements of the cartels’ business model.

While illegal immigration and drugs dominate much of the public discourse around U.S.-Mexico relations, the partnership between these countries is vital and dynamic in many other ways.
Load More

2017 Interviews, Speeches and Presentations

Beyond Trade: The Costs and Consequences of Exiting NAFTA

The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is a free trade agreement signed by Canada, Mexico and the United States in 1993 and came into force on January 1st, 1994.  After more than 23 years of successful economic cooperation, supporting 14 million U.S. jobs and generating $1.2 trillion of commerce each year, the trade agreement is now being renegotiated and faces very tough challenges as the U.S. administration is pursuing major changes, not just a modernization.

Private Sector Engagement in Afghanistan

Private sector development in Afghanistan is a crucial topic for U.S engagement in the region. Between 2002 and 2010, about 57 billion US dollars of official development assistance (ODA) was disbursed to Afghanistan for purposes of reconstruction and development. Less than five percent of the ODA has gone towards private sector development in Afghanistan, with most of the money allocated to infrastructure, agriculture and rural development, and governance.

Tackling North America’s Workforce Challenges, NASCO Conference, Dallas, Texas

As North America strengthens its global competitive advantage in advanced manufacturing and logistics, we are facing significant and growing labor market shortfalls. We share a common challenge, and also a common opportunity, to “up-skill” and grow our next generation of front-line manufacturing and logistics workers by streamlining and harmonizing our approach to standards and training, and to bring maximum value to workforce credentials.

Presentation to the U.S.-Mexico Border Mayors Association – Binational Summit, San Diego, CA

NAFTA 2.0 is a big opportunity for San Diego and the entire U.S.-Mexico border region. From the perspective of the cities and states along the U.S.-Mexico border there are two big objectives: first, do no harm to the massive trade, production and investment networks that support over a million U.S. jobs in the border states; and second, assure that NAFTA 2.0 creates new opportunities for economic growth, more fluid commercial border flows, and steps that will make cross-border production more competitive internationally.

Discussion Focuses on the Future of Afghanistan at SAIS Johns Hopkins University

Analysts and former ambassadors talked about possible U.S. policy and strategy toward Afghanistan in the upcoming Trump administration. They assessed the current situation in the region, and laid out what they thought were key priorities for the incoming administration to pursue in order to achieve further security, stability and autonomy for Afghanistan’s government and people.

Analysts and former ambassadors talked about possible U.S. policy and strategy toward Afghanistan in the upcoming Tru

2016 Articles

Shaping the New National Security Council

Many around the world and across the United States are watching with rapt attention reports about President-elect Trump’s potential national security team. His choices will be vital in shaping America’s international role for the years ahead.

After forty years as U.S. diplomat, having worked through presidential transitions, I am watching from the outside, teaching about foreign policy decision-making at Hamilton College this semester.

Why the Brussels Donor Conference Should Recommit to Afghanistan

This week, the European Union and the Afghan government will co-host the third in a series of conferences in Brussels that will convene Afghanistan’s partners to discuss future foreign assistance commitments. At the 2012 Conference in Tokyo seventy international donors promised to mobilize $16 billion for Afghanistan in total foreign assistance over the subsequent four years, with the United States expected to cover about half of the amount.

The business community is the driving force behind North America’s economic strength

On June 29, President Obama, Prime Minister Trudeau, and President Peña Nieto will meet in Ottawa for a North American Leaders Summit (NALS). While often ignored or criticized, America’s relations with Canada and Mexico touch the daily lives of more U.S. citizens than any other relationships in the world.  Positive, productive relations among neighbors will help generate the well-being and economic growth our citizens seek.

North America Must Compete Globally

Contrary to campaign rhetoric, the integration of North America over the past quarter century has successfully grown the continental economy and enabled it to compete in global markets. And, in North America this has been done without the centralized institutions that UK voters just rejected. The June 29 North American Leaders' Summit in Ottawa offers an opportunity to launch even smarter collaboration across Canada, Mexico, and the United States that respects the sovereignty of each partner.

North America Must Compete Globally

Contrary to campaign rhetoric, the integration of North America over the past quarter century has successfully grown the continental economy and enabled it to compete in global markets. And, in North America this has been done without the centralized institutions that UK voters just rejected. The June 29 North American Leaders’ Summit in Ottawa offers an opportunity to launch even smarter collaboration across Canada, Mexico, and the United States that respects the sovereignty of each partner.

Three Amigos, five important results for Trudeau, Obama and Peña Nieto

Michael Kergin is a former Canadian ambassador to the U.S.; Earl Anthony Wayne is a former U.S. ambassador to Mexico and Arturo Sarukhan is former Mexican ambassador to the U.S.

This week's North American Leaders' Summit (NALS) in Ottawa is the first time Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, President Barack Obama and President Enrique Peña Nieto will discuss issues affecting the continent together.

North American Leaders Must Not Surrender to Nativism

Relations among North America’s three big neighbors are much more important to their citizens’ self-interest than the great majority of those citizens realize. The U.S. media’s focus on Mexico is too often negative, while Canada frequently gets neglected. The political campaign season in the United States has magnified negative statements about North American ties by candidates building on stereotypes and false premises.

Toward A Cleaner And Leaner Energy Future For North America

Energy and Environment will be key topics when the leaders of North America gather for a Summit in Canada on June 29.  Because of a closer orientation among the three governments, the leaders of Canada, Mexico and the United States have a real opportunity to think about cooperation across our continent in a new way.  President Obama, Prime Minister Trudeau and President Peña Nieto can enunciate a shared strategic vision of energy security and environmental protection.
Load More

2011-2015 Op-Eds and other items published while Wayne served as U.S. Ambassador to Mexico

Juntos Contra la Trata de Personas

Durante mis 40 años como diplomático he tenido el privilegio de descubrir tanto los mejores como los peores aspectos de países alrededor del mundo, incluido el mío. Uno de los temas más difíciles que he trabajado en múltiples naciones ha sido el aumento de la trata de personas. En mis casi cuatro años como embajador en México me he percatado agudamente de cómo el tráfico de personas es una plaga en este país y en nuestra región, América del Norte, como un todo.

Trabajar en innovación es la nueva fase de las relaciones de México y EU

El embajador de Estados Unidos en México señala que hay que ir más allá de los intercambios comerciales y de inversión.

Anthony Wayne, representante en México del gobierno de Estados Unidos, anunciará esta semana la firma de un Memorándum de Entendimiento entre las dos naciones con objeto de establecer programas de intercambio de pasantías para que mexicanos puedan acudir por algunas semanas a Estados Unidos y viceversa...

Una prensa libre, vital para la democracia

El sábado 3 de mayo celebramos el Día Mundial de la Libertad de Prensa, una ocasión para que los países conmemoren los principios fundamentales de este derecho, evalúen su estado a escala mundial, defiendan a los medios de los ataques contra su independencia y rindan tributo a los periodistas que han perdido sus vidas en la línea del deber. http://www.milenio.com/opinion/anthony-wayne/columna-anthony-wayne/una-prensa-libre-vital-para-la-democracia

Contra la trata, primero identificar a las víctimas

La trata de personas debe preocupar a cada individuo, porque es la degradación de nuestra humanidad común. Debe preocupar a cada comunidad porque desgarra el tejido social. Debe preocupar a cada empresa porque distorsiona los mercados. Debe preocupar a cada nación porque pone en peligro la salud pública y alimenta la violencia y el crimen organizado. Estoy hablando de la injusticia, de la brutalidad de la trata de personas, a la que debe llamarse por su verdadero nombre: esclavitud moderna .

El Universal - Opinion - Celebrando los avances en derechos humanos

El Día Internacional de los Derechos Humanos, que celebramos cada 10 de diciembre, conmemora la adopción de la Declaración Universal de Derechos Humanos por la Asamblea General de la Organización de las Naciones Unidas en 1948. Al adoptar la declaración, Estados Unidos, México y gobiernos alrededor del mundo reconocieron que los seres humanos son, por virtud de su nacimiento, investidos con ciertos derechos inalienables, y que éstos sirven como “fundamentos de la libertad, la justicia y la paz alrededor del mundo".

Día Mundial de Lucha contra el Sida

Alrededor del mundo, la atención de la gente se ha volcado sobre México por la toma de posesión de otro presidente libremente electo, Enrique Peña Nieto. Pero cada año, el 1º de diciembre también conmemoramos el Día Mundial de la Lucha contra el Sida (síndrome de inmunodeficiencia adquirida), y reflexionamos sobre las vidas perdidas a causa de este padecimiento. Es una oportunidad de rendir tributo a los 34 millones de personas que viven con VIH (virus de inmunodeficiencia humana) en todo el mundo. Hoy celebramos las vidas que se han salvado y que han mejorado, y volvemos a comprometernos con la lucha contra el Sida...

Combatir la esclavitud moderna: la trata de personas

El 22 de septiembre de 1862, el presidente Abraham Lincoln anunció la Proclamación de Emancipación, que liberó a casi cuatro millones de hombres, mujeres y niños de las cadenas de la esclavitud y comprometió a Estados Unidos a terminar con este delito en toda la nación. Al conmemorar el 150 aniversario de este gran paso en la promoción de derechos humanos en Estados Unidos; países alrededor del mundo, incluyendo Estados Unidos, continúan marcados por servidumbre involuntaria y llevan el yugo de los mitos que la apoyan. Para erradicar esta moderna aflicción a la sociedad debemos de reconocer estos mitos y reemplazarlos con la verdad...
Load More

1996-2009 Articles, interviews and other public references.

During his time in the U.S. Foreign Service, Earl Anthony Wayne published a number of articles and spoke at a number of conferences and seminars as well as testifying before the U.S. Congress. 

Transatlantic Cooperation: New Strategies for New Issues

Burros, William, and University of Pittsburgh. Center for West European Studies. Global Security Beyond 2000: Global Population Growth, Environmental Degradation, Migration, And Transnational Organized Crime : November 2-3, 1995, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA : Conference Report. Pittsburgh, PA: Center for West European Studies, University of Pittsburgh, 1996.

1987-1989 Articles published in The Christian Science Monitor

Mr. Wayne was the National Security Correspondent for The Christian Science Monitor based in Washington, D.C. from summer of 1987 through summer of 1989.  This is a listing of the articles he authored.

1977-78 Articles on China

While working on Chinese Affairs at the Department of State, Wayne published two scholarly articles.

Spring, 1978  "The Politics of Re-staffing China's Provinces: 1976-77," Contemporary China. Volume II Number 1

April, 1977    "China and the Third World," Contemporary China. Volume 1 Number 7