WASHINGTON – A month after sneaking up on President Biden with refuse to attend A summit aimed at demonstrating American leadership, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador of Mexico joined Biden at the White House on Tuesday to forge the relationship the United States needs to slow migration. mass and strengthen economic ties.
The popularity of López Obrador’s mere presence alongside Mr. Biden shows how the already complicated relationship between the United States and Mexico has become awkward. Mr. López Obrador skipped Biden’s Summit of the Americas last month after criticizing the United States for not inviting Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua. He has also challenged the United States on energy policies, drug enforcement and the prosecution of Julian Assange.
The two leaders sought to reaffirm a partnership that they both agree is necessary to tackle global inflation amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, migration and an increase in fentanyl human trafficking. But Mr. López Obrador made it clear that tensions remained between the men.
The Mexican president, who rarely passes up an opportunity to poke fun at the Biden administration, at one point mentioned that Americans living along the border had traveled to Mexico to buy gas at lower prices amid soaring inflation.
“Despite our differences and in spite of grievances that are not really easily forgotten with time or with good wishes,” said López Obrador, many times “we have had coincidentally and we were able to work together as good friends and true allies. “
In about 30 minutes of responding to Biden’s brief opening remarks, López Obrador sometimes appeared to be lecturing on history rather than the policy framework, citing the partnership between the two nations under President Barack Obama. President Franklin D. Roosevelt and his New Deal Policy.
“We have a situation quite similar to our current situation,” he said. “And from those policies, we should draw good lessons.”
Mr. López Obrador also mentioned one of Biden’s biggest political vulnerabilities: high gas prices. After telling Mr. Biden that he hoped “Congress will approve or pass” the gas price reduction proposals, Mr. Biden responded, “It’s been down for 30 days in a row.”
The Mexican president also noted that Americans had crossed the border to buy gas, saying it was less than a dollar. He did not note that costs are lower in Mexico because the government subsidizes domestic gas prices with proceeds from the crude the country produces.
Biden’s aides insist the relationship between the two leaders is good. Despite not attending Mr Biden’s summit in June, Mexico backed a statement completed during the meeting pledging to work together to expand legal pathways for foreign workers, invest in protection border, tackle smuggling networks and tackle record-high illegal migration.
President Biden
With the midterm elections coming up, this is where President Biden stands.
“We see Mexico as an equal partner,” Biden said Tuesday in a speech that lasted less than 10 minutes, noting the need to strengthen the economy and approach migration up. north “as a common challenge in the hemisphere”.
Throughout his presidency, Mr. Biden has emphasized the need to work with Mexico and Central American countries to address the root causes of migration and stopping illegal border crossings is on the rise – a humanitarian crisis that has challenged his White House. In recent years, the majority of migrants crossing the border have been Mexicans, a change from much of the Obama and Trump administrations when Central Americans entered the United States in record numbers.
Mexico has agreed to buy up to 20,000 tons of infant formula from the United States to support families in rural and urban communities, as well as one million tons of fertilizer from the United States, according to a statement by the National Security Council. family. Biden also noted that López Obrador “also pushed” for visas for Central American migrants to work in Mexico.
Mr. Biden added that both the United States and Mexico will invest in up-to-date infrastructure along the border. Countries are working to improve technology along port entrances to better detect narcotics, as well as surveillance towers and sensors to help border agents track people crossing illegally. , according to a senior administration official. While the Trump administration has invested billions of dollars to build hundreds of miles of physical border walls, Biden has lobbied for investments in technology to prevent such border crossings.
Mr. Biden, take note death of 51 migrants who were found trapped in an abandoned truck in San Antonio, also said the two countries need to stop smugglers from encouraging migrants to cross the border. The authorities have started an anti-smuggling initiative with other countries, leading to about 3,000 arrests since April, he said.
“We need every country in the region to join us,” Biden said.
Mr. López Obrador cited the extension of temporary work visas to Mexicans and Central Americans as one of the most effective ways to encourage legal immigration. During last month’s summit, Mexico pledged to provide temporary work to at least 15,000 Guatemalans, while the United States said it would give $65 million in grants to agricultural employers who hire farmers from Central American countries.
Andrew Selee, president of the Migration Policy Institute, a think tank in Washington, praised the effort but said implementation would most likely take time.
“It’s been slow because they need employers who want to hire in Central America and they need to make it easy for them to process visas,” he said.
Mr. Selee said the two leaders were probably more focused on addressing migration and economic woes affecting both of their countries, rather than López Obrador’s absence from the summit. top.
In some ways, Mr. López Obrador’s relationship with Mr. Biden is more complicated than his relationship with former President Donald J. Trump, who threatened to impose tariffs on Mexico before turning it into a country. important ally for its border policies.
Despite Mr. López Obrador’s efforts to establish himself as an advocate for migrants, he also agreed to abide by U.S. policies that empower U.S. border agents to quickly bring in migrants. back to Mexico. In return, Mr. Trump mainly refrained from pressing him on domestic matters.
Mr. Biden has returned to a broader approach, one in which the United States pursues its national interest while emphasizing the need to fight corruption and ensure the protection of human rights. However, he also depends on Mexico to stem migration, giving Mr. López Obrador considerable leverage. For much of this year, the administration continued to rely on restrictive Trump-era policies that depended on cooperation with Mexico.
Tensions between the leaders have existed since Mr. Biden’s election, when Mr. López Obrador initially refused to recognize his victory. The Mexican president has also pursued energy policies that jeopardize US investment in the sector, prompting the Office of the US Trade Representative in March to express “serious concern about the deteriorating trajectory of the US economy”. energy policies of Mexico”.
In recent weeks, Mr. López Obrador has continued to attack the administration, criticizing the US government for making espionage charges against Mr. Assange. British Government Approving the extradition of Mr. Assange to the United States last month.
Mr. López Obrador vowed to “start a campaign to take down the Statue of Liberty” if Mr. Assange is “sentenced to the maximum penalty” in the United States.
“There should be no selfishness between nations, peoples are neighbors and friends,” Mr. López Obrador said at the end of his speech. “President Biden,” he added, “we trust you because you respect our sovereignty.”
Mr. Biden responded by noting that his counterpart had “a lot of important things to say.”
“We agree with the impulse of what you are saying. “We need to work closer together.”
Natalie Kitroeff Reporting contributions from Mexico City.
