Obama has been criticized during the 2012 campaign for inaction over Mexico's drug war and for failing to pass comprehensive immigration reform. In 2009, hopes were still high that the new president would bring big changes to America's tense southen border. "The Obama visit is a chance to cement new cooperation," Mexican Attorney General Eduardo Medina Mora said at the time.
Above, Obama speaks with Mexican President Felipe Calderón during a reception and dinner at the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City on April 16, 2009, during his 24-hour visit.
JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images
