Mexicans' Opinions on the Drones

I'd be interested to see what polls demonstrate about the Mexican public's views of American drones. I've thus far seen none, but I imagine some will come bounding into view over the next week. Previous polls give you reason to suspect both widespread approval and overwhelming condemnation. For instance, just last week, 70 percent of Mexicans expressed disapproval of American agents carrying weapons on Mexican soil. (A plurality --49 percent-- also labeled Calderón's dealings with the US as excellent or good, though that number has been dropping.) Yet the key issue seems to be the weapons rather than the mere presence of Americans; a year ago, 63 percent told the same pollster that they approved of American agents operating on Mexican soil for security tasks. And, for what it's worth, in 2004, an investigation by CIDE and a number of other groups found that 63 percent of Mexicans expressed approval of the presence of American agents in Mexican ports of entry to prevent the arrival of terrorists.