On September 3, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited Mexico, where he met with several Mexican officials, including President Claudia Sheinbaum. Days earlier, officials from both countries said the meeting would address issues such as security, tariffs, trade, sovereignty, illegal drug trafficking, and migration.
Sheinbaum posted on X: “During the cordial meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, we agreed on the cooperation program on border security and law enforcement, after several months of work. It is based on four pillars: reciprocity; respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity; shared and differentiated responsibility; and mutual trust.”
According to authorities, both countries pledged to combat illegal drug trafficking, but within their own borders, respecting each other’s sovereignty. Although the signing of a broad security agreement had been announced, Sheinbaum and Rubio simply reaffirmed the existing collaboration between their countries.
For his part, Rubio highlighted the cooperation between the two nations: “Through our joint collaboration with President Claudia Sheinbaum, the US and Mexico have strengthened border security, taken action to dismantle the cartels, made progress towards sharing water resources, and promoted new economic opportunities. Today we discussed these issues and the importance of resolving trade and non-trade barriers in line with [Trump’s] America First foreign policy.”
One of Trump’s major stated goals for his administration is to stop the influx of migrants and fentanyl from Mexican territory, even threatening Mexico with heavy economic sanctions, which have so far been avoided thanks to Sheinbaum’s pragmatic attitude. The flow of migrants to the United States from Mexico has fallen dramatically since then.
For its part, Mexico has requested that the entry of weapons from the United States be stopped, as it complicates Mexican security operations against drug trafficking groups.
Both sides agreed that relations between the two countries are stronger than ever. Rubio stated, “Never in the history of our country have we had the cooperation that we have right now.” Meanwhile, Mexican Foreign Minister Juan Ramón de la Fuente said that the understanding between the two nations “marks a path to continue taking steps in the right direction.”
A visit amid a US attack in the Caribbean Sea
Rubio’s visit came shortly after Trump announced the destruction of a boat allegedly carrying drugs that, according to US authorities, came from Venezuela. According to White House information, 11 people died in the attack. “Let this be a warning to anyone considering bringing drugs into the United States,” Trump said.
When De la Fuente was asked about the destruction of the boat, he stated that his country’s position adheres to the principles of Mexican foreign policy in Article 89 of the Constitution: “Respect for international law and the agreements and treaties that Mexico has signed on the matter.”
These actions are taking place within the context of increased US military presence in the Caribbean Sea in order, according to Washington, to stop drug trafficking allegedly originating in Venezuela, although several analysts have pointed out that the real objective is to pressure and even overthrow the government of Nicolás Maduro.
But Mexico also has reasons to fear the recent actions of the United States, as Trump has said that US forces will attack cartels that he considers to be threatening state security wherever they are, some of which are Mexican, which could imply an attack on Mexican territory.
Read More: PRI leader throws punches in Mexican Congress as opposition clamors for US military presence
In this regard, academic Rafael Fernández Castro said in an interview with NMás that the meeting was beneficial for Mexico: “What Sheinbaum’s government needs is to secure some kind of agreement to prevent a unilateral attack by Trump. So the meeting was very good. Now, no matter how much you tie Trump down [with an agreement], he can always violate an agreement, but I think it’s good news.”
For the moment, it appears that Sheinbaum has ensured a level of stability in terms of security at a time when geopolitical instability appears to be accelerating. How long this stability between the two North American giants will last is uncertain. What is certain is that political and military events in the Americas are changing, and in the past, such transformations have been precursors to volatile and often painful situations for Latin America.
Rubio will continue his brief tour in Quito, Ecuador, where he will meet with several Andean country officials, including right-wing President Daniel Noboa, who has positioned himself as one of Washington’s most staunch allies in foreign policy. In this way, Washington seeks to ensure a clear strategy in its new geopolitical projects in South America, which, for now, are centered on Venezuela.
The post In Rubio-Sheinbaum meeting, US agrees to restrict security enforcement to respective borders appeared first on Peoples Dispatch.
From Peoples Dispatch via this RSS feed