Former Mexican President Vicente Fox spoke about immigration, the current president of Mexico and the war in Ukraine during an appearance at the University of the Incarnate Word on Wednesday.
Fox, who served as the leader of Mexico from 2000 to 2006, called for immigration law reform, something he believes he and President George W. Bush were just days away from reaching agreement on. Then came the 9/11 terror attacks that eclipsed their efforts.
Fox suggested laws on the influx of immigrants be relaxed when the U.S. economy is growing. He said dreamers should be allowed to stay in the U.S. to be educated and make contributions to the U.S.
The 62nd President of Mexico also called for the democratic removal of Mexican President Lopez Obrador for his inability to curb violence, calling him a "bad guy" and "lousy president."
"When you have violence, you need to do something about it, especially when you're Mexico's president. A president's first obligation is to bring in peace into communities and the nation," Fox said to applause and cheers from some students.
Fox also praised Ukraine's President for his leadership in the fight against Russia and called Russian President Vladimir Putin "the devil."
"You know bad leaders, evil leaders are very successful in hiding evil," he said, referring to Putin.
Fox called on NATO to do more to support Ukraine in its battle against Russia.
He also told the crowd after his speech that he spent 10 days in a hospital in Mexico after coming down with COVID-19. He said he had lost 25 pounds during his battle against the illness.
Fox signed a collaborative educational agreement between Centro Fox and UIW to promote study abroad, certification, and research sharing. His comments also kicked off the new "Leaders of the Americas" speaker series.
