Back in 2007, President George W. Bush and President Felipe Calderón got together and agreed to something called “Plan Merida.” The plan was a joint venture to fight organized crime or cartels. In short, the U.S. provided Mexico with weapons and technology to let the Mexicans do the fighting. It was like “Plan Colombia” but about Mexico.
President Trump is hitting a nerve south of the border, as we hear from President Sheinbaum:
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said she instructed the foreign ministry to strengthen communications with its U.S. counterpart after President Donald Trump’s threat to “start hitting land with regards to the cartels.”
Speaking during her daily press conference, Sheinbaum said she told Foreign Minister Juan Ramon de la Fuente to get in touch with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and, “should it be necessary” request a phone call with Trump.
In another passage of the conference, Sheinbaum said she spoke with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and told him Mexico has an understanding with Trump when it comes to security, but noted that the threats are part of “his way of communication.
Trump reiterated that he intends to order military actions in the country, telling Fox News that his administration is set to start “hitting land with regards to the cartels.”
“Cartels are running Mexico, it’s very sad to watch,” Trump said in an interview with Fox News.
A lot of Mexicans actually agree with Trump. They may not agree with U.S. intervention, but they want the Mexican government to do something, as the aforementioned Plan Merida did. What frustrates a lot of the Mexicans I’ve spoken to is that they see the problem brewing and an administration looking the other way.
For the record, I don’t see U.S. intervention as a wise option. This is not Venezuela, where you pick up a man and fly him out. A better card is to work with the Mexican military and let them do the fighting.
As I said, most Mexicans want action. They are living the consequences of so much lawlessness and getting killed. A conservative senator, Lilly Tellez, has appeared on U.S. TV calling for cooperation with President Trump. She is not a lone voice, because a lot of Mexican opposition legislators are saying the same thing.
Why is President Sheinbaum reluctant to joint President Trump and do something? I don’t know, and a lot of her countrymen don’t, either.
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