New From the Americas Program:A Pressing Case for NAFTA Review and Renegotiation By Laura Carlsen

The Three Amigos Summit tells the Canadian Story: Creative Destruction or Simply Self-Destruction?-Stephen Clarkson-

Greg Anderson and Christopher Sands, The Gazette

Barbara Yaffe, Vancouver Sun

Obama's Arrival Sets North American Integration Adrift -- Jeff Davis, Embassy-- (Excerpt) U.S. President Barack Obama officially takes his place as one of the so-called Three Amigos during the North American leaders' summit in Mexico this weekend. Yet he will be joining a trilateral alliance that has been in a state of virtual hibernation since his predecessor, George W.

Following summits in Montebello and New Orleans, Guadalajara is preparing to play host to the Three Amigos this weekend,  the first time such a meeting has been hosted on Mexican soil since the summit in Cancun in 2006. It will also mark the first time that Presidents Calderón and Obama and Prime Minister Harper have met on a trilateral basis, and a full rotation of leaders. The inaugural meeting of the Three Amigos under the auspices of the Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP)  featured Presidents Fox and Bush and Prime Minister Harper.

Jeff Davis, Embassy

In an age of international terrorism and illegal immigration, a well-functioning border is vital for homeland security. For the United States and Canada, however, it is also vital for national prosperity, for each is the other's largest trading partner, and much of that trade is in intermediate goods that support the bi-national production of finished products, most notably autos. Roughly 400,000 individuals cross the border every day, many with deadlines for delivering cargo or reporting to work.

The 15 year debate over NAFTA has not ended. There still remain externalities and problems that have yet to be debated. However, opposition from both the left and right of the political spectrum remain entrenched in old debates. From the left, last year's Democratic primary race especially shed new light on the labor and environmental debates surrounding the treaty. From the right, Lou Dobbs has led the charge against continental integration and a North American Community. The state of North American integration must be re-evaluated. Where do we go from here?