Mexican-American relations were never as tense in recent history as they are today. The new US President Donald Trump has threatened Mexico, among other things, with 25% tariffs in retaliation for migrants crossing the border—something which he has not done so yet. Trump’s harsh rhetoric and measures against neighboring Mexico might be backfiring, though. Consider this:

On Thursday, United Mexican States denied access to a US military plane, which could not land, thus frustrating Trump administration’s plans to deport migrants. The reasons remain unclear.

Last week, envoys from 10 American countries (Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela Cuba, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, and Belize) met in Mexico City and released a joint declaration, pledging “close communication” and, without naming the US, calling for respect of international law and a “humanist approach”.

This Thursday, Brazil’s President Lula da Silva and his Mexican counterpart, Claudia Sheinbaum, talked over the phone about the two countries regional and bilateral agenda. Lula invited Sheinbaum to pay a visit to Brazil and the two leaders talked about strengthening blocs such as the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC).

In the spirit of multi-alignment, the United Mexican States are clearly seeking to diversify partners: for example, to counter Trump’s tariff threats, Mexico and the European Union (EU) are reviving a stalled free trade deal. Interestingly, both parties are the target of Trump’s bullying pertaining to tariffs, and they are considering updating their 2000 deal, so that it also includes investment and services, among other things, besides........

© Blitz