Los Cabos, Mexico Hosting G-20 Summit Amid Growing Violence
Los Cabos, Mexico is hosting President Obama and the G-20 summit this week, as fears of violence throughout the country have escalated in recent months. The G-20 members are meeting to discuss the violence in the region as well as how to bolster the European economy in light of the falling euro.
"Even though we don't expect to reach specific agreements on Europe, I want to see language and promises which are much more oriented to a new, stronger Europe, a Europe of the 21st century," Mexican President Felipe Calderon told news agencies.
Right now the European debt crisis is in free-fall, causing effects around the world. If the members of the G-20 summit agree, loans totaling at least $430 billion would be given to the countries most devastated by the crisis.
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"I estimate that it could be a bigger capitalization than the preliminary agreement reached in Washington, which will be finalized here," Calderon explained, "but I don't want to speculate how much."
According to CBS News, violence throughout Los Cabos has escalated as the country prepared to host the G-20 summit. On Thursday, Victor Baez's body was found, and authorities believe it is the eighth body of a reporter killed in Veracruz alone. Drug cartels have increased in power and violence over the past few years, and officials are calling on President Obama to do more to help end the bloodshed.
"We have seen since the start of Calderon's administration an increasing closeness between the U.S. and Mexico on security," Latin America Studies fellow Shannon O'Neil told CBS. "There has been a sea of change in the amount of cooperation. There is a good chance Mexico can bring down this violence, but there are a lot of pieces that have to come together."
The Mexican government estimates that over 45,000 people have been killed due to drug violence since 2006, and the number continues to rise every day. President Obama will be in Los Cabos today and tomorrow, but there is no word on whether he will directly address the violence plaguing the country.
