Next Mexican ambassador must be high priority

Next Mexican ambassador must be high priority

Dallas Morning News: President Barack Obama’s agenda is already packed to the brim with urgent domestic and international issues. Another item — Mexico — deserves a place high on his list, though it’s rarely been apparent from Obama’s campaign and post-election public statements that he shares our sense of concern.

Being from Chicago, and having spent the past few years in Washington, it’s understandable why he might not have a Mexico-centric view of the world. That could change quickly.

A comprehensive immigration reform initiative looms. Aside from Mexico’s status as America’s third-largest trading partner and primary source of illegal immigrants, it is the main conduit for illicit drugs entering our country and the biggest customer of U.S. arms smugglers.

Death toll is high

Last year, the rate of killings from Mexico’s drug violence surpassed those in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. The hideous nature of these deaths — beheadings, hangings and torture using acid — competes with the worst that al-Qaeda and the Taliban have inflicted. It is terrorism, and it is being fueled by thousands of U.S.-purchased weapons. Mexico’s problem is our problem and poses a national security threat of the highest degree.

The situation is too pressing for the United States to allow the U.S. ambassador’s office to remain vacant in Mexico City. The Bush administration’s ambassador, Tony Garza, left office this month. He was a distinctive diplomat because he was conversant in Mexican affairs and enjoyed direct access to Bush.

Obama must move quickly to designate a new ambassador to Mexico. The White House is said to be floating the name of Federico Pena, the Clinton administration’s transportation secretary. That shouldn’t stop Obama from casting his net wider with an eye toward others who speak fluent Spanish, know Mexico inside-out and have a demonstrably close relationship with the president. For Mexicans, this an essential mix of ingredients.

Considering the problems the new ambassador will confront, there is precious little time to waste putting Obama’s key Mexico adviser in place.