No vision of Mexico in the world

Despite the complexity of current world politics and the fact that Mexico is going through a particularly complicated phase in its international relationships – where Donald Trump is the main disruptor – the international agenda has been left out of the campaigns of the candidates running for President of the Republic. This not only shows a worrying insularity but also an indifference towards the rest of the world – unacceptable for those aspiring to lead this country.

In something which at least speaks of a political short-sightedness, the four presidential candidates base their foreign policies only in the relationship with the United States, as if there were no other countries beyond our neighbor and Mexico didn't have important bonds with other nations. Their initiatives go from rethinking our ties with the U.S. and awaiting the result of the NAFTA negotiations after the election, to focusing on the domestic market to no longer depend on the U.S.

Curious enough, candidates show little variance in their positions in this regard. Their view of the world hasn't been a space of contrast, unlike the education reform, drug trafficking, security, or corruption.

All foreign policies must be based on the goals every country has, arising from an international context, as well as on the increase of expansions and trade to boost economic growth and consolidate the country as a defender of any given cause. The matter here is, naturally, that first of all we need these goals, then we have to project them – in accordance with internal politics and forecasts – otherwise, we'll find ourselves drifting away.

Topics such as climate change , ocean pollution, terrorism, tackling hunger and poverty, immigration, and organized crime, among others, demand the urgent attention of all countries. In this context, Mexico could become the leader in some of these subjects.

Without a doubt, foreign policies don't determine the preferences of the electorate. However, due to the extraordinary conditions in our international environment – particularly the economic and social difficulties Mexico could face due to a possible disagreement with the U.S. over NAFTA – it's desirable and vital that candidates begin to get involved in the truly important matters of today's world politics so they can devise some proposals and share their perspectives.

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