Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum denies Donald Trump’s comments that he wants to “stop immigration” at the border

His statements were quickly denied by his interlocutor. After speaking with Claudia Sheinbaum, the American president-elect, Donald Trump, assured on Wednesday, November 27, that the Mexican president had agreed “stop immigration” illegally heading to the United States. What the latter refuted, remembering that Mexico’s position “It is not closing the borders”.

Evoking “a wonderful conversation with the new president of Mexico”Donald Trump wrote that M^me Sheinbaum had just“accept[er] end immigration through Mexico and into the United States, [en] thus closing our southern border”, yeson his Truth Social platform, following his telephone conversation. “Mexico will prevent people from traveling to our southern border, starting now”he continued in another message, ensuring that this would contribute “to largely put an end to the illegal invasion of the United States”.

But these statements were quickly denied by the Mexican president, on social network X. During the exchange with Trump, “I explained the global strategy that Mexico has followed to confront the migration phenomenon. (…) “We reiterate that Mexico’s position is not to close borders, but to build bridges between governments and between peoples.”wrote Claudia Sheinbaum.

Previously, the leftist leader had stated that she had a “excellent discussion” with the Republican on security and immigration matters. “We discussed the Mexican strategy regarding the migration phenomenon”he wrote in X, stating that he had told his interlocutor “that the caravans [de migrants] not reach the northern border [entre le pays et les Etats-Unis] because in Mexico they take care of them”.

Trade war threat

Donald Trump, who campaigned in 2016 promising to build a wall along the border with Mexico, repeated violent rhetoric towards migrants throughout the presidential campaign, accusing them of poisoning. “the blood” American, and promised to end what he describes as“invasion”.

This phone call also occurs a few days after the Republican platform threatened Mexico, Canada and China with a sharp increase in customs tariffs. The president-elect confirmed on Monday his desire to“impose 25% customs duties on ALL products entering the United States in Mexico and Canada”starting January 20, the day of his inauguration. “This tax will remain in place until drugs, especially fentanyl, and all illegal immigrants stop this invasion of our country!” »he added.

The Mexican currency, which fell to its lowest level in twenty-eight months on Tuesday in reaction to these announcements, recovered strongly on Wednesday. Caravans of migrants from several South and Central American countries cross Mexico to reach the United States by land.

Before this phone call, the Mexican president had warned her future American counterpart of the consequences of her shocking announcements: “President Trump, it is not through threats or tariffs that you are going to stop the phenomenon of immigration, nor drug consumption in the United States.”declared in a letter.

Claudia Sheinbaum had threatened the Republican with increasing Mexican customs tariffs on American products, deploring that this trade war threatens competitiveness, inflation and employment in North America. “I am sure there will be an agreement with the United States and President Trump”assured M.^me Sheinbaum.

Fight against fentanyl trafficking

USA “I would shoot you in the foot.” with the increase in customs tariffs of 25% on Mexican exports, estimated this Wednesday the Secretary of Economy of Mexico, Marcelo Ebrard. “The impact on companies would be enormous”He added to the press, estimating that 400,000 jobs would be threatened in the United States. Mexico, more than 83% of whose exports go to the United States, is a member of the North American Free Trade Agreement with the United States and Canada (T-MEC).

During her call, the Mexican president also said that she had spoken with her future counterpart about strengthening “collaboration on security issues” and a campaign carried out in Mexico “to prevent fentanyl consumption”. Donald Trump, for his part, mentioned a discussion about “What can be done to stop the flow of drugs into the United States, as well as the use of these drugs by Americans?”.

Fentanyl is a synthetic drug. “about 100 times more powerful than morphine and 50 times more powerful than heroin”according to the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). According to Washington, fentanyl, often produced in Mexico with chemical compounds coming especially from China, causes more than 70,000 overdose deaths each year on American soil.