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Those who worry that the NAFTA  Security and Prosperity Partnership is a plot to create an anti-democratic North American Union may or may not be reassured by recent comments from Maureen Meyer, a Mexico expert at the Washington Office on Latin America. Ms. Meyer was responding to questions about the Obama-Calderon-Harper summit at Guadalajara, Mexico this Sunday and Monday, August 9—10:

“The summit – a part of the three nations’ Security and Prosperity Partnership – was established five years ago by leaders who are no longer in office,” Ms. Meyer said. She went on: “The agenda is largely set by business interests currently, but Obama, Calderon and Harper may want to bring more citizen and legislative voices into the process.”

One key Canadian objective this year at Guadalajara is to win some relief from “Buy America” policies at the US state and local government level, that violate the spirit of the North American Free Trade Agreement. But, cynics in Washington report, don’t hold your breath too long.

Meanwhile, Mexican President Felipe Calderon is still deeply disturbed by Ottawa’s recent decision to impose visas on all Mexican nationals entering Canada, in response to dramatically escalating refugee claims from Mexico: “Things are so bad that [Mexican] public opinion would hardly sour further if Mr. Harper stood up on Sunday and insulted national icon Salma Hayek.”

Yet “Prime Minister Stephen Harper has no plans to reverse the government’s decision to impose visas.” He may even think this will prove a popular decision inside Canada if there actually is another federal election this fall.

The White House has also just announced that “President Obama will meet with Prime Minister Harper at the White House on Wednesday, September 16,” to discuss “a broad range of bilateral, hemispheric, and global issues.” This could help out if there is a Canadian election this fall too. Mr. Obama is still almost certainly more popular in Canada than Mr. Harper himself.