Mexico’s president, Claudia Sheinbaum, urged the United States not to use Mexico as part of its election campaign, following recent statements by Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, on the presence and territorial control of drug trafficking organizations in Mexican territory. During his morning press conference, Sheinbaum considered the signs of hundreds of U.S. officials to occur in a context marked by the November midterm elections in the United States.
“I consider it part of the U.S. election campaign. They have elections in November and as we have said, they don’t use Mexico in their campaign. The United States has its problems. So Mexico should not be used as part of the election campaign,” he said. The president responded to Rubio, who during a visit to Ecuador assured that there are “territories, extensive territories in Mexico, which are not governed by the State, are controlled by the drug trafficking organizations.”
The statements of the U.S. official add to similar criticism of President Donald Trump, who has pointed out on various occasions the presence of criminal groups in Mexico as one of the main security problems for the United States.
How is it??? “Do not use Mexico as part of their campaign”: @Claudiashein responded to the criticism of #US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (@SecRubio), who questioned #Mexico’s results against organized crime. https://t.co/LeAB2cVFPQ pic.twitter.com/bsjns1yrld
Sheinbaum rejected that Mexico should become an argument within the U.S. political dispute and argued that both countries should focus on their own electoral processes.
“Mexico is no one’s piñata, Mexico is respected. We do not interfere in their choices,” he said. She also defended the results of her government’s security strategy and noted the reduction in deliberate homicides as one of the indicators of progress against organized crime.
At the same time, he called on Washington to strengthen actions against drug use and illegal arms trafficking to Mexico. He noted that the Mexican government remains willing to cooperate with the United States on security and to reduce the crime associated with drug trafficking. Sheinbaum insisted that the bilateral relationship should beined under criteria of respect and coordination. “We coordinate, without subordinating,” he said, noting that Mexican sovereignty is not subject to negotiation.
She said her government will maintain a “cold-headed” position to avoid provocations and preserve cooperation with Washington, which she considered an important “political responsibility” for both countries. The exchange takes place as Mexico and the United States maintain a bilateral agenda marked by border security, drug trafficking and trade negotiations, matters that are also part of the U.S. political debate ahead of the November elections.
