In a recent interview aired on Sunday, Mexico’s President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador reiterated his stance that the notion of building a wall along the US-Mexico border, as advocated by Republican Donald Trump, is impractical.
Lopez Obrador emphasized that significant changes in US foreign policy are necessary to address illegal migration effectively.
Responding to questions on whether Trump, if re-elected in November, would follow through on his promise to build the wall, Lopez Obrador firmly stated, “no,” asserting that such a strategy “doesn’t work.”
Lopez Obrador recalled a previous conversation with Trump during his presidency, where he pointed out the ineffectiveness of walls in deterring smugglers who had managed to dig tunnels underneath existing barriers.
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He recounted Trump’s reaction to this observation, noting that the former US president responded with laughter, acknowledging the challenge of the situation.
The Mexican president’s remarks regarding Trump and Joe Biden come amidst renewed focus on illegal immigration as a contentious issue in the upcoming US political contest.
Trump and the Republican party have criticized Biden over surges in migrant numbers at the southern border, while Biden faces internal pressure within his own party regarding immigration policy negotiations.
Lopez Obrador disclosed that he aided in temporarily reducing undocumented migrant flows into the United States earlier this year at Biden’s request.
He attributed this success partly to Mexico’s increased vigilance along its southern border and collaboration with Central American leaders.
However, he emphasized that this approach offers only a short-term solution and called for addressing the root causes driving migration from the region.
Proposing sweeping reforms, Lopez Obrador suggested that the US should allocate significant funds annually to alleviate poverty in Latin America, ease sanctions on governments in Venezuela and Cuba, and grant legal status to millions of Mexicans residing in the United States.
Without such comprehensive changes, he warned that the migrant flow would persist.
Responding to Republican calls for emergency border closures, Lopez Obrador highlighted the economic interdependence between the two countries, emphasizing the role of Mexican and US factories in supplying goods to consumers on both sides of the border.
The interview also touched on domestic issues, including a recent scandal involving the president’s disclosure of a reporter’s personal phone number.
Lopez Obrador defended his actions, stating that he intended to refute false accusations of connections to drug traffickers, emphasizing the seriousness of such slanderous allegations.
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