Many people believe there is an immigration “crisis” occurring on our southern border. However, most of these people aren’t looking at the root cause, they’re just looking at ways to mitigate the influx using walls or more security. I haven’t heard many people talk about the reasons Mexicans might be impelled to come over here, and certainly no one offer solutions to the root cause.

Well Mexico’s leftist Presidential candidate has talked about it. Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador knows that America’s economic policies do not favor Mexican citizens, and wants to look closely at NAFTA. He sympathizes with the 50% of Mexicans that live in poverty. Meanwhile, the right-wing candidate (Felipe Calderón) is fine with Mexico’s economic future being in the hands of Washington D.C., thus maintaining the status quo. Since 2000, when right-leaning Vincente Fox took office, migration of Mexican citizens to the U.S. increased by 25%.

The election was held last Sunday, and first reports indicated that the conservative Felipe Calderón won the election even though exit polls showed Lopez ahead by a slight margin, but today The Nation is reporting that it might be in dispute: Disputed Election Raises Tensions in Mexico. If by some miracle Lopez can end up being Mexico’s newest president, it might just be the best thing for both Mexico and the U.S.