By Marlyn Montilla
05 Jun 2024, 15:41 PM EDT
The president of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, held a phone call with his United States counterpart, Joe Biden, in which he reaffirmed that the strategic collaboration between both countries will continue, on issues such as migration, key to the bilateral agenda.
“In migration matters, they agreed to continue the close collaboration between both countries in order to manage migratory flows in the region and increase actions to address the structural causes of migration in Latin America and the Caribbean,” indicated the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Foreign Affairs (SRE, Foreign Ministry) of Mexico in a statement.
Biden called López Obrador to talk about the new executive order that limits asylum requests at the common border, one of the US president’s toughest immigration measures.
The diplomatic representation indicated that the conversation was “fraternal and friendly.”
He noted that President Biden expressed his recognition to Mexico for the democratic and peaceful election day last Sunday, in which the Mexican people elected the first female president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, as future president.
Biden also highlighted that he has issued presidential permits to build three new border bridges and has authorized the start of construction on the US side of the Otay Mesa II border crossing.
In turn, López Obrador acknowledged that Biden “will go down in history as the president who does not build walls, but bridges.”
Both leaders agreed that a Mexican delegation will travel to Washington this week to inform US officials and businessmen about the Interoceanic Corridor of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec (CIIT) and the existing investment opportunities.
In addition, we will seek to discuss opportunities to expand the CIIT to Guatemala. This representation will be headed by the Mexican Foreign Minister, Alicia Bárcena, and the head of the Secretary of the Navy, Rafael Ojeda.
Biden’s order, announced after the victory of the official candidate Claudia Sheinbaum in the Mexican presidential elections, will allow limiting asylum applications and carrying out expedited deportations when a certain number of arrests of people who crossed the border irregularly is exceeded.
The White House reported in a statement that both leaders committed in the call to “maintain their strong cooperation” until López Obrador’s term ends, on October 1, the date on which Sheinbaum will assume power, and to “guarantee a relationship “stable and productive bilateral” during the transition of powers.
Previously, during his morning press conference, López Obrador reported that he planned to speak by phone with Biden about the new executive order that restricts asylum at the border.
Biden announced the measure five months before the presidential elections in the United States, where migration is the priority of voters and the Democrat will compete against former president Donald Trump, who pressures the Government with his anti-immigration rhetoric.
The next US president will have Sheinbaum as his counterpart in Mexico, who won with a promise to defend the country’s sovereignty no matter who reaches the White House, but planned to maintain López Obrador’s immigration policy.
Keep reading:
- Changes at the US border: what the measures taken by Joe Biden mean
- Biden order to limit asylum resembles Trump policies, activists say
- Three keys to Joe Biden’s new border plan before the presidential elections