The relation between U.S. ambassador Ken Salazar and Mexico has been strained throughout 2024, especially as cartel violence has reached a fever pitch leading to almost 10 thousand Mexicans being displaced. Back in September, then-President Andrés Manuel López Obrador claimed that the U.S. was partly to blame for the ongoing cartel turf wars in Sinaloa, saying the country played a role in the capture of drug lord "El Mayo" Zambada in late July, an operation that he labeled as "totally illegal."
Salazar responded days later, saying that "what is being seen in Sinaloa is not the fault of the United States," adding that the country cannot be held responsible for "the massacres that we see in different places." The country also denied playing a role in the incident. The back-and-forth resurfaced in late October, with Salazar rejecting claims that the U.S. had not been forthcoming with information about Zambada's arrest, offering a timeline of high-level communications between the two governments instead.
On Wednesday, Salazar lashed out against Mexico, providing his most unfiltered comments to date and labeling the country's security policy "a failure" and claiming the country "closed the doors" on security cooperation. "The reality is that at the moment Mexico is not safe," Salazar said during a press conference at his residence in Mexico City, reported by Reuters.
Salazar remarked that López Obrador's "hugs not bullets" policy failed to address escalating violence and crime, leading to increased cartel-related violence in recent months, particularly in Sinaloa. Failed communication between both countries was partially to blame, he said. "Unfortunately this coordination has failed in the last year, in great part because the previous president did not want to receive help from the United States," said Salazar.
In that regard, the U.S. ambassador cited López Obrador's decision to drop out of a U.S.-funded program to donate money to train and equip Mexican police, saying that "it was rejected for ideological problems," as The San Diego Union Tribune explains.
Salazar went on to say that ongoing violence "is a very serious problem in Mexico and saying there is no problem, blaming someone else, blaming the United States, obviously is not (the solution)."
Salazar's criticism also extended to the current administration of President Claudia Sheinbaum, López Obrador's successor, who has pledged to continue his approach despite rising violence. While Sheinbaum has shown some increased readiness to deploy armed forces, her administration appears set to continue López Obrador's policies. Salazar expressed hope that Sheinbaum would prioritize public security in her administration.
Mexico's Foreign Relations Ministry responded with a diplomatic note expressing "surprise" at Salazar's comments.
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