Incoming Mexican President Andres Manual Lopez Obrador sent a warm letter to President Trump this week; praising Trump for putting American citizens “at the center” of his policies and proposing a “new relationship” with the United States.
The statement was sent to American delegates visiting Mexico City shortly after Obrador won the election with 53% of the vote, saying “It encourages me that we both know how to keep our pledges, and we have faced adversity successfully, we’ve managed to put our voters and citizens at the center, displace the establishment or the predominant regime.”
The letter was published in a major Mexican newspaper Monday “so that all Mexicans know our position on the new relationship we want” with their northern neighbors.
US-Mexican relations are at an all-time low following President Trump’s pledge to re-negotiate NAFTA and crackdown on illegal immigration to the US; two key campaign promises made throughout the 2016 election.
Read the full report at Yahoo News.
AMERICA FIRST: Trump SLAMS EU, Canada, Mexico with STEEL Tariffs
President Trump announced Thursday his plans to levy hefty tariffs on steel and aluminum on key US allies, including the European Union, Canada, and Mexico; making good on a signature campaign promise to help shield American-made products from foreign goods.
Despite the initial plan to exempt North American nations from the tariffs, the administration unveiled the new guidelines after failing to win specific trade deals with both Canada and Mexico.
Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said the new taxes will be a 25% surcharge on steel and 10% on aluminum; adding the tariffs could be removed in future talks while renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA.
“The European Union has already notified the World Trade Organization of plans to levy duties on $7.1 billion worth of U.S. exports in response, with the aim of collecting $1.6 billion in tariff revenue,” writes Politico.
“We continue to be quite willing and indeed eager to have further discussions,” Ross added.
BORDER CHAOS: DOJ Announces ‘ZERO TOLERANCE’ Policy at Mexico Border
The Department of Justice announced strict new guidelines at the United States’ southern border with Mexico Friday; unveiling its new ‘zero tolerance policy’ for all people caught trying to enter the country illegally.
According to Fox News, Attorney General Jeff Sessions detailed the new guidelines as a solution to the “unacceptable situation” occurring in border states throughout the US.
“The situation at our Southwest Border is unacceptable,” Attorney General Jeff Sessions said in a statement announcing the policy. “Congress has failed to pass effective legislation that serves the national interest — that closes dangerous loopholes and fully funds a wall along our southern border. ”
“As a result, a crisis has erupted at our Southwest Border that necessitates an escalated effort to prosecute those who choose to illegally cross our border,” he said.
The Attorney General’s comments come as the Border Patrol Agency reported a 203% increase in arrests compared to the same time last year; apprehending over 50,000 people attempting to enter the US illegally.