Mexico's image in the world is often connected to death and violence in its drug wars. Daily reports of beheadings and gruesome torture dominate stories about this North American country.
Starting Monday, Mexico will play host at its picturesque Baja California resort Los Cabos to leaders of the G20 global political elite.
President Felipe Calderon wants to present his country as a reliable, emerging economy with a role to play on the world stage.
On July 1, Mexican voters will select a new president as Calderon's six-year term ends. Favoured to succeed is Enrique Pena
Nieto from the opposition Institutional Revolutionary Party, whose 70-year rule of Mexico was ended by voters in 2000.
The eurozone's spiraling financial crisis is expected to dominate
the G20 meetings, which will include US President Barack Obama,
China's President Hu Jintao, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and
French President Francois Hollande.
The opportunity of playing host to such top leaders offers Mexico
the chance to remind the world of its role in the fight against
global warming, both as a skilled negotiator as host of the 2010
climate summit in Cancun and through its own reduction of greenhouse
gasses.
Mexico also wants to urge Europe to take a stronger hand in
solving the debt crisis that threatens to slow down the global
economy even more than its current sluggish pace.
Stephan Sberro, an economist and political scientist at the Mexico
Autonomous Institute of Technology, sees the country's main benefit
from the G20 summit as improving of its international image.
"The country can show that despite the violence, it's capable of
organizing conferences like this and of attracting tourists," he told
dpa. "And Mexico can also demonstrate its identity as an emerging,
growing economic power."
The drug war with more than 50,000 deaths during Calderon's
presidency puts a shadow over the country's international image and
overpowers its successes in attracting foreign investments in the car
and aerospace industries.
After surviving the global economic crisis of 2008-09, Mexico's
economy grew 3.9 percent in 2011. The projection for this year is 3.6 percent, according to the International Monetary Fund.
Mexico was second only to Brazil in the region for attracting foreign investment, worth $19 billion in 2011.
"One thing separates us fundamentally from the Brazilians: Often, we Mexicans - politicians and intellectuals as well as journalists - specialize in letting off steam about the negative things in our
country. And then the whole world takes up the theme," Calderon said.
"In contrast, I have never heard a Brazilian talking negatively about Brazil. Everything that I hear out of Brazil is wonderful.
Everything is samba and happiness."
Foreign Minister Patricia Espinosa said the G20 summit offers recognition for "the active and constructive role" of Mexico and for its mediating role on the world stage.
Sberro emphasized that Mexico was chosen to host even though it is not a member of the influential BRICS group.
"Neither Brazil or Russia, India or China, or South Africa, has ever played host to such a meeting," he said.
Given the debt crisis in Europe, Sberro said he does not believe that emerging economies will play a major role in Los Cabos.
"But it's a success for Mexican diplomacy. That strategy has
succeeded in presenting Mexico as bridge between North and South as
well as a recognized, reliable and strategic partner," he said.
