Mexico: Down with the United States!

Lawmakers want to delete the form "United States" from country's official name

President Fox's conservative party put forward a proposal to change the official name of the country "United States of Mexico" to the more nationalistic Mexico. National Action Party's - PAN - legislators aim to introduce this modification by the time Mexican relations with their Northern neighbors are far from enjoying good health.

Indeed, there are three main issues in which Latin and Saxons partners in NAFTA block faced strong differences. The first one is the war on Iraq. President Vicente Fox said yesterday in Germany that his country did not believe in the use of force. "Mexico is committed to the international system granting the UN Security Council the responsibility to maintain peace in the world", said Fox. Therefore, his Government undoubtedly adopted as own Russian, German and French position on the conflict.

Furthermore, authorities keep on pledging Texas Governor to commute capital punishment of more than 50 Mexican in the Southern US State. Texan officials have not heard pledges and Vicente Fox himself had to intervene into the matter.

The third but not last problem is the legal status of Mexican trucks in US territory. This is a long-running conflict in which US authorities prohibited neighbor carriers to cross the bilateral border. Washington alleges health reasons not to allow Mexican vehicles in US territory. Therefore, one may ask what kind of free trade agreement is NAFTA if free trade is forbidden.

With the above in mind, Mexican proposal to change country's official name sounds more suggestive. Mexicans are very nationalistic and to some locals it is an unpleasant reminder of the powerful northern neighbor that took half of Mexico's land in the 1847-48 war.

Maybe, they do not want to hear anymore the joke that says country's name is "United States, Mexico Branch". This is PAN's congressional leader, Felip Calderon, aim: "This would be a way to identify with our Mexican nationality, not some other country's".

Surely, Pancho Villa and Emiliano Zapata would support this proposal. If the Congress passes it, they will shout from heaven: "Viva Mexico, cabrones" (Long live Mexico, bastards).

Hernan Etchaleco PRAVDA.Ru Argentina

Photo: Emiliano Zapata, simbol of Mexican Revolutionaries. He challenged US authorities until his death in 1919.