Program Overview

• Hosts: Deborah Amos
• Length: 51 minutes
• Original Airdate: Oct 2009

"Stand by, there will be the giant sucking sound, if we are dumb enough to have this jammed down our throats!" – Ross Perot in 1992

While Ross Perot’s prophecy of doom didn’t come true, NAFTA did change the economic terrain of North America. After decades of economic protectionism, Mexico opened its doors to American business and investment. Now when America’s booming, Mexico cashes in. But when the US is in the red, Mexico is passing the hat – and that puts the breaks on America’s recovery. It still doesn’t stop the flow of drugs, guns and money fueling the cross-border illegal economy. What happens South of the Rio Grande doesn’t stay South of the Rio Grande.

Segment 1: Deborah Amos examines the ties that bind the Mexican and US economies by exploring the connection between two cities—Puebla, Mexico and New York City. Listen to this segment.

With Julian Abed, Puebla’s representative for Hewlett-Packard; Manuel Castro, Director of the Northeast office of Poblano Migrant Affairs; Gordon Hanson, Director of the Center on Pacific Economies at UC San Diego; Father Jorge Galicia Amesqua; Joel Magallan, Executive Director of the Tepeyac Association; Andrew Selee, Director of the Mexico Institute at the Woodrow Wilson Center; Demetrius Papademetriou, President of the Migration Policy Institute; and Francisco Rivera, of Boneterra RYT.

Segment 2: America Abroad traces the history of US-Mexico economic relations. Listen to this segment.

With John Coatsworth, Dean of the School of International and Public Affairs and Professor of International and Public Affairs and of History at Columbia University.

Segment 3: Deborah Amos looks back at the passage of the historic trade agreement between Mexico, the US and Canada—NAFTA. Listen to this segment.

With Ambassador Carla Hills, US Trade Representative from 1989 to 1993; James Jones, former Ambassador to Mexico; and Jaime Serra Puche, former Mexican Minister of Trade and Industry.

Segment 4: Monica Villavicencio travels to the Juarez-El Paso border to shed light on the circle of drugs and money flowing back and forth across the border. Listen to this segment.

Guests include Gustavo Tavera, Owner of Chivas Palace, an El Paso clothing shop; Bill Molaski, Port Director for El Paso-US Customs & Border Protection; Tony Payan, Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Texas at El Paso; Jonathan Winer, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for International Narcotics Matters in the Clinton Administration; and Andrew Selee, Director of the Woodrow Wilson Center's Mexico Institute.

From NAFTA to Narcotics / Executive Producer: Aaron Lobel / AAM Producers: Monica Bushman, Sean Carberry, Matt Ozug, Monica Villavicencio and Chris Williams / Interns: Colleen Castle, Isabella Schwiermann and Annika Witzel / Photo Credit: Nathan Gibbs