Mexico to lobby against US border wall News
Mexico to lobby against US border wall

[JURIST] Mexican Foreign Minister Luis Derbez [profile] plans to travel to Washington on December 29 to meet with US Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick [official profile] to discuss a proposed 800-mile wall to be built along the US-Mexico border [JURIST report; NYT coverage]. The US House of Representatives passed [JURIST report] a controversial border security bill [text, PDF] earlier this month providing, among other things, for the construction of security fencing, lights and cameras along the Mexican border. The Mexican government has strongly opposed the measure, calling on Latin American countries to oppose the wall [ABC News report] and hiring a public relations firm [AP report] to improve the country's image in the US. Former Foreign Secretary and Finance Minister Jose Angel Gurria said, "I very strongly hope and actually believe [it] is not going to pass and is going to be modified by the Senate and produce something more reasonable and more balanced that takes into account the realities. Walls are not the solution, walls are not the answer. It is not going to work." The US Senate is expected to consider the bill in February. Reuters has more.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Laws of Burgos put into effect

The Spanish Crown put the Laws of Burgos into effect on December 27, 1512. These laws governed the relationship of Spanish settlers with the indigenous peoples of the Caribbean. The laws established the encomienda system of labor, promoted conversion to Catholicism, and safeguarded the indigenous peoples from physical abuse.  However, historians argue that the laws were ineffective at protecting the rights of the indigenous population. Learn more from the Library of Congress.

Prohibitionist Carrie Nation carried out her first public bar smashing

On December 27, 1900, militant Prohibitionist Carrie Nation carried out her first public smashing of a bar, at the Carey Hotel in Wichita, Kansas. Nation argued that destroying bars was an acceptable means of battling the liquor trade since the Kansas Constitution prohibited alcohol. Learn more about Carrie Nation.

World Bank created

On December 27, 1944, the World Bank was created during the United Nations Monetary and Financial Conference in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, USA. Learn more about the history of the World Bank.