Fox cancels Commencement speech
By SCOTT BRODFUEHRER
Assistant News Editor
Two months after Notre Dame announced Mexican President Vicente Fox would be the principal speaker at Sunday's Commencement exercises, Fox became the first speaker in recent history to cancel his speaking appointment. In late April, Mexican embassy officials told the University Fox would be unable to speak due to political circumstances in Mexico.
According to Joan Bradley, officer assistant to University President Father Edward Malloy, the Chicago Consul General and the Mexican Ambassador to the United States informed Malloy that Fox would be unable to speak. Fox also called Malloy personally to apologize for being unable to speak and said he hoped that he would be able to speak in the future.
Fox, a candidate from the National Action Party (PAN), took office Dec. 1, 2000, to end the 71-year rule of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), which still has a small majority in Mexico's Congress. On April 9, the Mexican Senate prohibited Fox from making a scheduled visit to the United States and Canada, using for the first time its power to control the President's travel in a 71-41 vote along party lines. PRI senators have said that Fox is spending more time on trips to seek foreign investment than working on domestic issues.
Officials have speculated that Fox canceled his speech at Notre Dame because he would not be granted permission to travel to the United States.
Albert LeMay, a Kellogg Institute Fellow, outlined three reasons for the Congress' frustration with both the United States and Fox. LeMay said Mexicans are frustrated with the United States because President Bush made Mexico and Latin America a high priority before the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Now that U.S. attention has been diverted to the war on terrorism, Afghanistan and the Middle East, Mexicans feel neglected.
"A great deal was promised but has not been delivered. The Mexicans feel slighted by the fact that the United States has not paid too much attention to them," said LeMay.
LeMay also said that there are increasing tensions between Cuba and Mexico. Cuba and Mexico have traditionally been strong allies, but two events have strained that relationship. On Feb. 27, during a visit to Cuba, Mexico's Foreign Minister Jorge Castañeda, who is backed by Fox, reportedly said that the gates of the Mexican embassy were "open to all Cuban citizens." Following that comment, a number of Cubans stormed the embassy, seeking political asylum in an action that angered the Cuban government and members of the PRI.
In March, a United Nations meeting was held in Monterrey, Mexico, and LeMay said prior to the conference Fox held a private phone call with Cuban leader Fidel Castro. During that conversation, Fox said Castro should not spend too much time in Mexico and told him not to complain about Bush. After one day at the conference, Castro left, saying that the Mexicans were not very welcoming. In late April, Castro released a tape of the conversation, embarrassing Fox.
LeMay said these incidents, combined with problems with Uruguay, have added to the conflict between Fox and the rival PRI congress, which is using the country's domestic problems to ensure Fox does not travel to other North American nations.
"There is no question that Mexico has domestic problems. What the Congress is saying is that `we need you here to deal with these problems.' While the decision is certainly politically motivated, these votes serve as a wake-up call to tell Fox that he has to pay attention to domestic issues," said LeMay.
According to University spokesman Dennis Moore, Fox was scheduled to speak at Notre Dame immediately after traveling May 14–18 on a European tour.
"[Fox] was to come here directly from Spain, an official state visit, which is why we thought we would have been in good shape. We don't know what made the United States leg of that trip untenable," said Moore.
Officials from the Mexican Embassy in Washington, D.C., did not return phone calls seeking comment on Fox's cancellation.
All News Stories for Friday, May 17, 2002
