University of Central Oklahoma
THEVISTA
TUESDAY September 24, 1996
The Student Voice Since 1903
U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Jim Jones speaks with students during a forum sponsored by the World Affairs Council Thursday afternoon. (Staff photo by Laurette Graham)
Ambassador to Mexico visits UCO By Lisa Tatum
Staff Writer
orruption, immigration and rebellion were only a few of the topics U.S. Ambassador to Mexico, James R. Jones,addressed during a forum sponsored by the World Affairs Council (WAC) Thursday afternoon. Students from UCO and the University of Oklahoma (OU) joined President Nigh, faculty, WAC members and other guests at the University Center for a presentation by Jones followed by a question and answer session. Jones, a former U.S. Congressman
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serving his fourth year as the nation's ambassador to Mexico, described it as a country that has grown educationally, economically and politically in recent years. "The Mexico of today versus the Mexico of yesterday is like night and day," he said. Noting the United States' contribution to Mexico's educational progress, Jones described a country where "no one 30 years ago had any education from the U.S." "Today," he added, "it's hard to find someone who hasn't." He credited successful commercial and business relationships between the U.S.
and Mexico to NAFTA (the North American Free Trade Agreement). Due to NAFTA, trade between the countries has increased from $85 billion in 1993 to an estimated $140 billion in 1996, he said. "It's hard to imagine, in the 10 years gone by, they have gone from a closed to an open, free trading market," he said. Jones called the U.S.'s role in helping Mexico's economic development a "winwin situation." "We'll have good markets and they'll have good markets," he said. Significant changes in Mexico's political system also drew comment from the ambassador.
"In less than a five-year period they have gone from an authoritarian system to a vigorous democracy," he said. He described Mexico as a country that has come from a corrupt law enforcement system to a country that elected an attorney general who fired one quarter of the police leadership. Jones responded to a question regarding recent allegations of corruption in the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) by acknowledging that "corruption exists, particularly when dealing with drugs." He went on to clarify that a DEA official has been accused of mismanaging V See AMBASSADOR, Page 5
INSIDE TODAY INI)EX Editorial
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Letters
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Sports
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Around Campus 19 Classifieds 20
SPORTS Senior Abell Kahuni and the CrossCountry team win the UCO/ Lake Arcadia Challenge over the weekend
ROGERS
0 alumnus I Rob Rogers, returns to UCO as distinguished former student. ,
HOMECOMING Six UCO students compete for the 1996 Homecoming crowns.
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