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Show TheSaltLake Tribune UTAH/WORLD Monday, February15, 1999 Clinton Visit to Mexico Delivers a Line of Credit He meets with Zedillo to maintain goodrelations and check on drugfight of darkness.” Mrs. Clinton was wearing a gold-colored, heart-shaped pin on her dark suit. Asked whetherit was new, she replied, “Brand new.” She then pointed to her BY TERENCE HUNT THE ASSOCIATED PRESS MERIDA,Mexico — In a swift husband andsmiled. Mrs. Clinton said the box of Pivot from impeachment, President Clinton began a quick summit in Mexico on Sunday to encourage its struggle against quickly through the press cabin, distributing candy to passengers in otherparts of the planeas well. narcotics and governmentcorrup- tion, and grow its markets for US. products. Thepresidentandhis wife were greeted at their sunset arrival by candy wasa gift from one of her brothers. The first couple moved Clinton and Zedillo are expect- ed to discuss immigration and complete an agreement on border safety and curbing border violence. The administration official said Mexican President Ernesto Zedillo and his wife Nilda. A mili- other agreements the presidents will sign after their Monday sum- tary honor guardsaluted the Clintons and four children presented bouquets of flowers. BA civii-aviation pact to liberalize flights between the United Thetwo leaders and their wives were later headed to a private dinner. Clinton, traveling abroad two days after his acquittal by the Senate, was accompanied by about a half-dozen members of his Cabinet, including retired Gen. Barry McCaffrey, director of the White HouseOffice of Nation- al Drug Control Policy, Atty.Gen. Janet Reno, and Export-Import BankPresident James Harmon. Clinton brought with him a $4 billion line of credit from the U.S. bank to provide loans to Mexican businesses that buy American goodsandservices. He planned to announcetheaid today, an admin- istration official said. Thevisit — 23 hours from land- ing to takeoff — comes two weeks before the administration must render a formal evaluation of Mexico's cooperation in fighting drug trafficking. Clinton and Ze- mit at Hacienda Temozoninclude: States and Mexico, estimated to be worth hundreds ofmillions of dollars to the two nations’ airlines. @$1.2 million in U.S. funds to the Mexican Nature Conservation Fund, to prevent a repeat of last year’s forest fires south of the border that sent smoginto Texas. US. training and technical assistance to Mexico's new feder- al police force, meant to be a fresh start for the country’s long- corrupt law enforcementsystem Mexico could behit with tough economic sanctionsifit receives a failing grade in the drug battle. While the administration says Mexico has a tremendous drug problem, it is believed likely that Clinton will re-certify Mexico as a cooperative ally in fighting nar- cotics, as it has been in all 12 years since the congressionally mandated reviewprocess began. Even before Clinton's trip, the dillo have met about every six administration appeared to be months over the past few years, and officials say this meeting is intended simply to maintain good laying groundworkfora positive report while acknowledging that cocaine seizures by the Mexican police have dropped. “President Zedillo is clearly trying to establish a clean government and respectfor the rule of law,” Sandy Berger, the president’s national security adviser, relations. Soon after Air Force One was airborne, Clinton and first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton ap- peared in the press cabin of the planepassing outchocolate candy from a huge heart-shaped box. “Happy Valentine’s Day,” the presidentsaid. ‘Isn't this the biggest heart you ever saw in your life? This is a better kind of heart said. He said Mexico is confronting its problem of government corruption “with remarkable can- dor.” Mexican Elections Could Be elections, but he has been away Coming to Utah says Cuevas Ibarra. “But I have not followed Mexican politics for a while and right now I could not say who I would vote for.” Meantime, Americans may have to get used to the idea of Mexicanpoliticians doing whistlestop electioneering in the United States — campaignrallies, kissing babies and shaking hands, evenin Salt Lake City neighborhoods like @ Continued From A-1 when Mexico's Congress deleted a clause from the constitution re- quiring Mexicans to votein their homedistricts Mexico joins other countries, such as Britain, in granting dual nationality. Potential Mexican votersliving in the United States represent as much as 15 percent of the Mexi- can electorate. The Mexican Con- gress must decide whetherto approve any of the options in the report. If the vote is extended to Mexi- “This is a chance to choose the direction of Mexico's future,” they are going to take greater interest in Mexican elections when U.S. elections affect them more?” Rodriguez warnsof the dangers of not confusing cultural pride with national allegiance. “There is a loyalty to culture, and Mexicois seen as a cultural symbol,” Rodriguezsays. “But we And that, argue some observ- migrants do not need. The prospect of Mexicanpoliti- cos on U.S. soil frightens Rodolfo O. de la Garza, a professorof government at the University of Texas. De la Garzafearsthat the politicking will unleasha nativist fury in the United States directed not onlyat immigrantsbutalso Americans of Mexican descent. But some contend that de la presidential race — one of the most competitive in Mexican his- Garza and others havenothing to worry about. The study reports that 83 percent of Mexicansliving north of Crities of the Mexican political system sayit is about time. Mexican immigrants send home dine University. “Do you think RosePark. can nationals living abroad, Mexican politicians possibly could have to deal with millions of new and unpredictable voters who might participate in the 2000 say they could sparelittle time to register or to cast ballots. “Mexican-Americans are underrepresented in elections in the United States,” says Gregory Rodriguez, a researcher at the Institute for Public Policy at Pepper- from home fora long time. ers, is exactly what Mexican im- the border want to help choose the Mexican president, but many AQ should not mistake that for political loyalty. Children of immigrants don’t necessarily have a very intimate tie to Mexico as a political entity. Besides, Mexican immigrants have their hands full with life in the United States. Ul- timately, you can only go toa PTA meeting in onecountry at a time.” Andthe realityis that not many people are applying to become dualnationals. La Opinion — Los Angeles’ largest Spanish-language daily newspaper — ran a banner headline in December: “Desinterés Por Doble Nacionalidad,”’ or “Lack of Interest in Dual Nation- ality.” About 50 other nations, includ- ing Colombia, Ireland, the Dominican Republic and the United States, allow absentee voting. Somecountries allow their dual citizens to vote both at home and abroad. But no country other than Mexicohas as manyof its ownliv ing as expatriates. The numbers are so large that there maybe morepotential Mex ican voters in Los Angeles County than in Guadalajara or Monterrey, the two largest Mexican cities after the nation’s capital, Mexico City. Yet relatively few — about 3,000 — have applied for dualnationality at the Mexican Consulate in Los Angeles In Utah, about 75 Mexican im migrants or their children have applied for the program. But those numbers may in. crease dramatically if the Mexican Congress extends the presi- dential vote to Mexicans living abroad. “Utah is a long way from my family,” says Cuevas Ibarra, a native of Mexico City. “But life thereis difficult. Thereis no work andit seemslike the only way to get ahead is to lead a dishonest life. Maybenow I can help change that.” as muchas $7 billion each year, but their economic power has not translated into political clout For years, opposition parties in Mexico havelobbied to allow ex- patriates in the United States to vote in Mexican elections. Many politicians trying to unseat members of the Party of the Institutional Revolution, or PRI, have looked north for support. Opposition leaders in Mexico have praised the report, which was commissioned by Mexico's Federal Electoral Institute, and hopethe election will end seven decades of PRI presidential rule. Conventional wisdom holds that Mexican voters north of the border will cast ballots for the opposition because many immigrants blame the PRI for the economic problems that forced them to leave. Not surprisingly, President Er- nesto Zedillo’s allies in PRI have criticized the program astoo costly. The reportestimates that orga- nizing a Mexican election in the United States would cost between $76 million and $356 million — MONDAVAONING! PHESTOAHPS WN¢ HOWEMEAUEDE: Fresh Family Size CHICKEN DINNER 47s Includes Your Choiceof: 8 Piece Honey Fried Chicken or Whole Roasted Chicken! Plus 1 1b, Potato Salad, Mac. Salad or Coleslaw! And 4 Freshly Baked Dinner Rolls MondayOnly sinch “3! Fresh Sent! Pies! the latter figure about equivalent to the nation’s annualanti-poverty budget. 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