Mexico

Thursday February 23, 2017

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday February 23, 2017

Central American corridor a dangerous route for migrants heading to Canada

One of the world’s busiest migrant corridors runs from Central America through Mexico.

For decades, migrants from the northern triangle of that region — Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala — have fled countries plagued by endemic levels of violence and crime in the hopes of crossing the Mexican border and eventually seeking asylum in the United States.

 

November 25, 2015

But migration experts say the profile of those using that route is rapidly changing.

With European borders tightening and increased anti-immigration anxiety in the United States, a rising number of migrants from as far away as Africa and Asia are turning to the Central American migrant corridor in the hopes of reaching a new promised land: Canada.

Tapachula, in the Chiapas region of Mexico, is a key transit hub on the Mexican-Guatemalan border. CBC News met dozens of migrants there, young men and women who fled their homes in Somalia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Ethiopia, Eritrea, India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Haiti.

November 18, 2015

Many say they began their journeys — which take between three and five months and cost upwards of $20,000 US — with Canada in mind. Others changed their plans and want to reach Canada in fear of U.S. President Donald Trump’s immigration policies.

All have faced extraordinary journeys to reach Tapachula — threatened by smugglers, robbed at gunpoint, trekking through jungles with little food or water.

The majority of African and Asian migrants enter South America through Brazil or Bolivia, countries that in some cases they can enter without a visa.

They travel by boat, bus or foot through Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Guatemala — countries that grant them temporary visas of 20 days to transit through the country — before reaching the Mexican border.

Almost none speak any Spanish. They are easy targets for violent smugglers and extortion by immigration agents along the well-trodden route. (Source: CBC News) 

 

Saturday January 28, 2017

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Saturday January 28, 2017

Trump pledges ‘lasting support’ to relationship with Britain after meeting with Theresa May

U.S. President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Theresa May appeared chummy as they faced a curious world together for the first time Friday, pledging allegiance to the special relationship between their countries while trying to mask stark differences on some major issues.

June 29, 2016

It was Trump’s first White House meeting with a foreign head of state, a hastily arranged confab held precisely one week after the businessman and reality TV star, who remains a largely unknown figure to European audiences, was sworn into office as president.

Trump sought to charm May from the outset, showing her the bust of Prime Minister Winston Churchill that he’s using to decorate the Oval Office. He then opened a joint news conference by noting that his late mother was born in “Stornoway, which is serious Scotland.” Scotland is part of Great Britain.

Trump and May were seen briefly holding hands as they walked along the White House colonnade after leaving the Oval Office. Their talks continued in the State Dining Room over lunch of iceberg wedge salad, braised beef short ribs with potato puree and salted caramel crème brûlée.

June 27, 2016

For her part, May congratulated Trump on his “stunning election victory,” and announced that he had accepted the queen’s invitation for a state visit for the president and his wife, first lady Melania Trump, later this year.

But the attempts at mutual flattery didn’t completely mask the leaders’ differences over some issues, including NATO and Russia.

Trump also reiterated his belief that torture works. Britain takes a vocal stand against it.

The appearance alongside May was more amiable than Trump’s most recent public appearance with a foreign leader: a joint news conference with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto last August. Trump was more staid and serious then, and read from lengthy prepared remarks.

Coincidentally, Trump and May met a day after Pena Nieto cancelled his own trip to Washington next week amid disagreement with Trump over which of their countries will pay for the wall Trump wants to build along the U.S.-Mexico border. Trump says Mexico will pay; Mexico says it won’t. (Source: Toronto Star) 

 

Thursday January 26, 2017

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday January 26, 2017

Why President Trump might not be the worst for Canada

Yes, the Donald Trump presidency is going to be bad. Yes, it might be a disaster. But it won’t necessarily be a disaster for Canada.

Consider Canada-U.S. trade. President Trump talks like he believes global trade is a form of war, and every day he threatens to start one. Canada is an exceptionally trade-dependent economy, and almost all of our trade is with the United States. Many of our industries have integrated, cross-border production chains. If President Trump wages trade war against any and all imports, Canada is going to suffer catastrophic collateral damage.

But much more likely, as Blackstone CEO and Trump economic adviser Stephen Schwarzman told Canadian government officials on Monday, is that the President will go after countries running big trade surpluses. That means China. It also means Mexico, which Mr. Trump consistently portrays as a stealer of jobs and exporter of illegal aliens. As a result, NAFTA is almost certainly doomed. 

But if NAFTA disappears or is sent into the limbo of renegotiation, the earlier Canada-U.S. free-trade agreement still stands, and still protects much (though not all) of Canada’s trade access. Given that Canada-U.S. trade is relatively balanced – Canada runs a small trade surplus with the U.S. when oil prices are high, and a deficit when they’re low – it’s unlikely that the Trump administration is going to want to make Canada a priority target.

Visibly steamrolling the Mexican economy will be popular with many voters from both parties. Ditto a trade fight with China. But attacking Canada? There’s no economic logic to it. Nor would there be much domestic political upside in starting a trade war with the place Americans consistently call their most admired foreign country.

Bottom line: The end of NAFTA is not a good thing. However, if the Trump administration stops there, it would mean a big hit for Mexico, but a relatively small hit for the Canadian economy. (Source: Globe & Mail) 

 

Friday November 18, 2016

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator - Friday November 18, 2016 Will disillusioned U.S. voters really move to Canada? The election of Donald Trump has some Americans looking north, perhaps to make a new home in a country removed from Trump's style ofÊRepublicanism. Many said jokingly if Trump were elected, they would move to Canada. For some, it's no longer a joke. But moving northÊmight not be so easy. "You'll never be my president, because I'm moving to Canada!," shouted one protester, strongly opposed to a Trump presidency. The declaration was born in anger and frustration, but also reflects what many Americans have been soberly contemplating. On election night in the United States, an unusual occurrence took place with the computer systems of theÊCanada Immigration andÊCitizenshipdepartment. They crashed, more than once, and remained offline for hours. Canadian officials confirm that it was because of aÊspike in the amount of web traffic, most of it coming from the U.S. But while the interest is acute, immigration lawyers like Lee Cohen warn that getting into Canada isn't as easy as packing up and heading north. "Immigrating to Canada is a complex, paper-intensive, time-consuming process with a little bit of expense attached to it," Cohen said. Canada normally accepts only 6,000 American immigrants a year. Officials are expecting many times that number in the wake of the election. As for coming to Toronto, most Americans will be deterred when they find out the cost of housing in one of Canada's hottest real estate markets. (Source: NPR)Êhttp://news.wbfo.org/post/will-disillusioned-us-voters-really-move-canada Canada, USA, Mexico, immigration, Donald Trump, refugees, illegal, migrants, democrats, elite

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Friday November 18, 2016

Will disillusioned U.S. voters really move to Canada?

The election of Donald Trump has some Americans looking north, perhaps to make a new home in a country removed from Trump’s style of Republicanism. Many said jokingly if Trump were elected, they would move to Canada. For some, it’s no longer a joke. But moving north might not be so easy.

“You’ll never be my president, because I’m moving to Canada!,” shouted one protester, strongly opposed to a Trump presidency.

The declaration was born in anger and frustration, but also reflects what many Americans have been soberly contemplating.

On election night in the United States, an unusual occurrence took place with the computer systems of the Canada Immigration and Citizenshipdepartment. They crashed, more than once, and remained offline for hours. Canadian officials confirm that it was because of a spike in the amount of web traffic, most of it coming from the U.S.

But while the interest is acute, immigration lawyers like Lee Cohen warn that getting into Canada isn’t as easy as packing up and heading north.

“Immigrating to Canada is a complex, paper-intensive, time-consuming process with a little bit of expense attached to it,” Cohen said.

Canada normally accepts only 6,000 American immigrants a year. Officials are expecting many times that number in the wake of the election.

As for coming to Toronto, most Americans will be deterred when they find out the cost of housing in one of Canada’s hottest real estate markets. (Source: NPR)

 

Wednesday June 29, 2016

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator Ð Wednesday June 29, 2016 Trudeau looks for reset with Mexico, leadership role with Americas The official state visit by Mexico's President Enrique Pena Nieto in Ottawa today is a chance for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to not only reset the bilateral relationship, but also for Canada to show it can play a leadership role in the Americas. Trudeau's meeting with Pena Nieto comes ahead of Wednesday's North American Leaders Summit with U.S. President Barack Obama, a gathering also known as the Three Amigos. In the lead-up to this week's meetings, Trudeau's government has been relaying a clear message to Canada's allies in the Americas. "It is absolutely the case that we are living in a time of a tremendous wave of populist protectionism and anti-immigrant sentiment around the world," International Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland said in an interview with CBC News Network's Power & Politics on Monday. Freeland said the Pacific Alliance countries are "important and valuable allies" who are worried about rising anti-immigration and protectionist sentiments from abroad. "When they hear people talking about building walls, that concerns them deeply and rightly," Freeland said without naming Donald Trump, the Republican presidential candidate whose proposal for a wall along the Mexican-U.S. border has been a controversial part of his campaign. (Source: CBC News) http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/justin-trudeau-enrique-pena-nieto-ottawa-state-visit-1.3637234 Canada, USA, Mexico, amigos, bridge, Donald Trump, Justin Trudeau,ÊEnrique Pena Nieto, fire

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday June 29, 2016

Trudeau looks for reset with Mexico, leadership role with Americas

The official state visit by Mexico’s President Enrique Pena Nieto in Ottawa today is a chance for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to not only reset the bilateral relationship, but also for Canada to show it can play a leadership role in the Americas.

March 23, 2005: Martin, Fox, Bush

Trudeau’s meeting with Pena Nieto comes ahead of Wednesday’s North American Leaders Summit with U.S. President Barack Obama, a gathering also known as the Three Amigos.

In the lead-up to this week’s meetings, Trudeau’s government has been relaying a clear message to Canada’s allies in the Americas.

“It is absolutely the case that we are living in a time of a tremendous wave of populist protectionism and anti-immigrant sentiment around the world,” International Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland said in an interview with CBC News Network’s Power & Politics on Monday.

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator - Wednesday February 10, 2016 Poll: Trump, Sanders lead ahead of New Hampshire's vote Donald Trump continues to lead the Republican race in New Hampshire on the eve of the vote, the final CNN/WMUR tracking poll finds. On the Democratic side of the race, it remains Bernie Sanders' primary to lose, with the Vermont senator holding a 26-point lead over Hillary Clinton. The field of candidates vying for a second place finish behind him is finally beginning to separate, according to the survey. Trump holds 31%, down two points from the February 3-6 release, but within the poll's margin of sampling error. READ: The full CNN/WMUR tracking poll results Behind him, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio earned 17% support -- within the margin of sampling error of Texas Sen. Ted Cruz at 14%, but significantly ahead of the fourth and fifth place candidates in the poll, Ohio Gov. John Kasich at 10% and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush at 7%. Behind Bush, Carly Fiorina stands at 5%, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie at 4% and retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson at 3%. Aside from Trump, none of the Republican candidates moved more than 1 point in either direction compared with the previous CNN/WMUR tracking poll. About three-quarters of the interviews conducted for this poll were completed before the Republican candidates debated Saturday night, their final such match-up before Tuesday's election. Although the post-debate sample size is too small to produce a separate estimate of the vote, interviews conducted Sunday and Monday found no drop in support for Rubio, and actually showed a slimmer margin between Trump and Rubio. There has been little movement in the last two days in the other metrics tested in the survey, with about two-thirds still saying they expect to see Trump win on Tuesday (64%), and about a third saying they would never vote for Trump (32%). (Source: CNN) http://www.cnn.com/2016/02/08/politics/donald-trump-bernie-sa

February 10, 2016

Freeland said the Pacific Alliance countries are “important and valuable allies” who are worried about rising anti-immigration and protectionist sentiments from abroad.

“When they hear people talking about building walls, that concerns them deeply and rightly,” Freeland said without naming Donald Trump, the Republican presidential candidate whose proposal for a wall along the Mexican-U.S. border has been a controversial part of his campaign. (Source: CBC News)