Barack Obama's long awaited visit to Mexico met expectations. The logistics of the meeting, which were the responsibility of the Mexican President's office, the Mexican Federal Police and the United States Secret Service, were impeccable. Even though some people complained of the inconvenience of closed streets and the 30 minute closure of the airport, such problems were offset by the success of the meeting. There was anticipation as to whether the meeting would address difficult issues that have been on the bilateral agenda for the last 12 years: immigration, public security, drug trafficking and weapon trafficking. The most influential newspapers in the United States, including the Washington Post, the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times, published abundant information provided by U.S. security agencies in anticipation of complications with the agenda. This followed information in several published articles that the administration of President Peña Nieto was not providing the same cooperation as the prior administration. The biggest surprise was that there were no complaints or mention as to the thorny issues of this relationship; instead, such issues were notably cast aside in order to make way for other issues that Mexicans expected to be discussed. President Obama stated that public safety is a concern for Mexico, that the economy can play a crucial role in the fight against drug trafficking, and that the prosperity of Mexicans will help to combat crime. In addition, President Obama's interest in creating a strong commercial alliance with Mexico in order to compete with Asia was noteworthy, given that such an alliance could put the United States' global supremacy to the test. The bilateral relationship between the U.S. and Mexico is now stronger as a result of this meeting. Mexicans were captivated by Obama's charisma, even though they may not have believed everything he said.
