Biden and Sheinbaum reaffirm the “solid” relationship between the US and Mexico when meeting in Brazil

President Joe Biden speaks as other G20 leaders listen during the G20 Summit at the Museum of Modern Art in Rio de Janeiro, Monday, Nov. 18, 2024.

The presidents of the US, Joe Biden, and Claudia Sheinbaum, of Mexico, reaffirmed the “solid” bilateral relationship. Following the election of Donald Trump as president, both heads of state confirm their cooperation on issues such as migration and security.

The leaders of the United States, Joe Biden, and Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, endorsed the close relationship that their nations have on various geopolitical issues, within the framework of the G20 Leaders Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

“The two leaders stressed the importance of maintaining cooperation on migration, security and the fight against the scourge of transnational criminal violence and economic issues, taking advantage of the strong bilateral partnership between the United States and Mexico,” it indicates. a reading of the meeting between both of them on Monday, shared by the White House.

Biden took advantage of the meeting to congratulate the first president, who has just assumed power in the neighboring country on October 1.

The Mexican president shared on her X account a photo of her meeting with Biden, where, she said, they talked about “the good relationship that exists and should exist between Mexico and the United States.”

However, relations between the US and Mexico are going through a moment of criticism from the Biden administration at the end of its mandate, in reference to the security strategy followed by the outgoing Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO), as shown last week. passed the ambassador in Mexico City, Ken Salazar.

“The strategy of 'hugs, not bullets' did not work,” said Salazar, referring to the AMLO slogan. Salazar maintained a cordial relationship with him until a few months ago, when the situation became tense, according to what he gathered. The Associated Press.

Sheinbaum maintains the defense of this strategy of avoiding direct confrontation with the cartels, although recent confrontations suggest that the armed forces are a little more willing to open fire.

“Mexico deserves to live without fear,” said the diplomat in a press conference in a harsher tone than usual, when there are just over two months left until the government in the United States changes towards the new presidency of Republican Donald Trump. “To talk (about) that there is no problem is to deny reality,” he declared. “There is a very big problem.”

Hours later, Mexico “expressed its surprise at the messages issued” by Salazar in a diplomatic note sent to the United States embassy, ​​the Foreign Ministry reported in a statement.

A difficult second stage with Trump

It will not be easy for Sheinbaum to face the return of Republican Donald Trump to the White House, having Mexico as the high point of his fight against illegal immigration.

Trump has been harsh in his words against both the Biden-Harris administration and his Mexican neighbor, blaming the influx of high numbers of immigrants on an open border policy and pointing to the more than 100,000 Americans killed by fentanyl overdoses as part of of evil to eradicate, according to analysts.

Trump has emphasized his promise of mass deportations from day 1 of his new mandate that can not only represent a humanitarian challenge for the Mexican government, but also a very severe blow to its economy because the remittances that Mexicans receive from their relatives in the United States are one of the country's main sources of income.

“Claudia is more ideological than López Obrador, so the problem is that I see her potentially responding to Trump's policies, whether in terms of organized crime, immigration or tariffs, with a much more nationalist and patriotic vision,” said Arturo. Sarukhán, former ambassador of Mexico to the United States from 2007 to 2013.

Sheinbaum was one of the first world leaders to speak to Trump to congratulate him after his victory.

During the call on Thursday, the day after Trump's victory, the American left two clues about what the future of relations could be like: making his priorities clear, by bringing up “the issue of the border” but without going into more details. ; and sent greetings to López Obrador, mentor of the current president, whose speech and promises Sheinbaum has endorsed and who some believe will maintain power in the shadows.

(VOA Washington reporter Jeff Seldin contributed to this report. Some information came from The Associated Press)