Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) sent a letter to the presumptive Republican nominee, Donald Trump, warning him that shutting down the border should he win the November elections would cause a "rebellion" on both sides.
AMLO, who has called Trump a "friend," said that while he understands the comments are made in the context of an electoral campaign, it is "important to point out to you that our economic integration is so broad and extended that making such a decision would be equivalent to calling for a rebellion on both sides sides of the border given the damage it would cause to the people, industries and trade."
He also recalled that, last year, Mexican migrants contributed $325,000 million to the economy, with $63,000 million sent back to the country as remittances. "That is, they send 18.5% back and leave 81.5% of their income in the U.S. Moreover, he recently said he thinks Trump is not "being properly informed about the migratory issue and also about the importance of maintaining economic integration among the U.S., Mexico and Canada."
The letter comes as Trump intensifies his campaign ahead of the November elections, with immigration enforcement as one of his main talking points. The former president has claimed there is a migrant "invasion" and vowed to carry out the "largest deportation operation" in American history.
Recent comments by Trump also prompted a response from Mexican President-elect Claudia Sheinbaum, after he appeared to mock Marcelo Ebrard, a high-ranking official from the current government and who is set to be her Economy Minister once she takes office.
Trump's statements took place last Saturday during a rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan. There, he recalled conversations he had with the López Obrador administration regarding immigration when he was president.
"We were very tough on Mexico when I was building the wall," he began. "I said, you have to give us 28,000 soldiers, and they laughed at me." Trump said that prompted him to threaten with imposing tariffs on Mexican goods entering the United States.
That, Trump said, prompted Mexico to make a U-turn. "The gentleman representing the president then said 'I would like to discuss this with the president," to which the Republican claimed he said: "You have five minutes because I have to go, I have something much more important to do."
"He came back and said, Mr. President, we would love to give you soldiers to protect your wall free of charge, of course," Trump said. "They gave us everything, I got everything from Mexico," he added.
The statements prompted a response from President-elect Sheinbaum, who took to X to defend Ebrard, whom she beat in the party's primaries and is set to be her future Economy Minister.
"I regret former President Trump's rude language and certainly disagree with his opinion of Marcelo Ebrard. To me, he is one of the best public servants in Mexico, and he will be a great Secretary of Economy of our country, which no one should forget is free and sovereign," she said. Ebrard, on his end, thanked Sheinbaum and said he will "defend Mexico's interests with dignity and strength."
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