The latest thorn in the delicate relations between Mexico and the United States now points to the Mexican consular network on the other side of the border. The president, Claudia Sheinbaum, has defended the diplomatic work of the offices one day after it was revealed that Marco Rubio ordered a review of 53 delegations and is even considering the closure of some of them, according to CBS News, for allegedly trying to influence the midterm elections this November. “The idea that Mexican consulates engage in politics in the United States is completely false,” Sheinbaum stated at a moment of diplomatic balancing with her northern neighbor.
Read more The Supreme Court rules that the heart attack of a teleworker at her home was a work accident
The president has assured that she does not yet have official information about this supposed review of the consulates that has been made public through the media. However, she has stated that the political intentions of the accusations are categorically false. “We have in our constitution the self-determination of peoples and just as we defend the self-determination of a people in the world, well also in the United States, their self-determination. We have no reason to influence the politics of the United States from Mexico,” she concluded. Additionally, she defended the work of the diplomatic network on U.S. soil with visas, legal support for Mexicans, and protection in a foreign country. “What do we do? Well, we defend Mexicans who live there because it is our responsibility and we express opinions regarding the situation that concerns both countries or some global situation, but they are not doing politics in the United States, much less,” she added.
The government’s stance is the same as that defended by the Secretariat of Foreign Affairs (SRE) since the MAGA (Make America Great Again) attacks began, led by writer and consultant Peter Schweizer, who accuses the use of immigrants “as a weapon” promoting foreign interference in the political environment of the United States. “The Mexican government blatantly interferes in our internal politics, collaborating with U.S. political advisors to turn migrants, both legal and illegal, within the country into a political force they can use for their own benefit,” the far-right author claimed. “There is nothing political in consular work, only the commitment to ensure that people’s rights are respected,” the SRE responded.
Read more Chess analysis | Erdogmus, 14, slips against Carlsen in their first slow game
Nevertheless, the accusations from MAGA and Schweizer have resonated within the U.S. Department of State. An official from this department told CBS that the review of the Mexican consulates is part of the effort to “align U.S. foreign policy with Trump’s priorities.” This was supported by Dylan Johnson, Under Secretary of State for Global Public Affairs, to the same television network. “The Department of State constantly reviews all aspects of foreign relations to ensure they align with the president’s America First policy agenda,” he assured. The review of the Mexican diplomatic offices deepens the already tense bilateral relations, which are overloaded by accusations of links to drug trafficking involving the governor of Sinaloa, Rubén Rocha, and nine other senior officials from the attorney general’s office and security. As well as the crisis triggered by the presence of CIA agents in Chihuahua, the negotiations over the TMEC review, and the pressure regarding the World Cup co-hosted by both countries.
Read more Barcelona libraries call a strike: “We are far from reaching an agreement”
