Canadian PM Trudeau Snubs Nafta Meeting With President Trump And Mexican President Obrador In Washington

Canada’s prime minister, Justin Trudeau, harvests broccoli at an Ottawa food bank farm last week. Photograph: Blair Gable/Reuters

The Guardian: Justin Trudeau snubs Nafta meeting with Trump in Washington

* Mexico’s president to meet Trump on Wednesday
* Canada PM had spoken of concern about US tariffs on metals

The Canadian prime minister, Justin Trudeau, has declined an invitation to visit the White House this week to celebrate a new North American free trade deal, amid worsening coronavirus figures in the US and lingering tensions with Donald Trump.

Mexico’s President Andrés Manuel López Obradoris due to meet Trump in Washington on Wednesday, and had urged Trudeau to attend the meeting.

But in a statement on Monday, Trudeau’s office said: “We wish the United States and Mexico well at Wednesday’s meeting. While there were recent discussions about the possible participation of Canada, the prime minister will be in Ottawa this week for scheduled cabinet meetings and the long-planned sitting of parliament.”

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More News On Canadian PM Trudeau Snubbing This Week's Nafta Meeting With President Trump And Mexican President Obrador In Washington

Trudeau won't travel to Washington to mark start of renegotiated NAFTA deal -- CBC News
Trudeau spurns Trump summit with Mexican president -- Reuters
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to skip Trump trade meeting amid tariff threat, coronavirus concerns -- USA Today
Trudeau will not attend USMCA celebration in Washington -- Politico
Mexico president says Trudeau not meeting him in Washington -- AP
Canada’s Trudeau won’t attend Washington summit with US & Mexican presidents on new trade deal -- RT

Mexican President López Obrador Says El Chapo 'Had The Same Power' As Past Presidents

Mexico President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (pictured) criticized previous administrations during an online end-of-year address in which he asserted that Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzmán to enjoy the same power as a world leader

The Guardian: Mexico's Amlo says El Chapo 'had the same power' as past presidents

López Obrador took a blow at his predecessors while claiming Mexico’s era of corruption is ‘gone to the garbage dump of history’

Mexico’s president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, closed out 2019 with a parting shot at his predecessors, saying the imprisoned drug kingpin Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán Loera had once wielded the same power as the country’s president.

In a video message from the southern city of Palenque on Wednesday, López Obrador recounted his administration’s successes in its first year and highlighted its challenges foremost surging violence.

He claimed without offering any evidence that he had already done away with the high-level corruption that was rampant in previous governments, but said it was crucial to draw a bright line between criminal elements and authorities so that the two sides do not mingle as they had in the past.

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WNU Editor: This admission from the Mexican President is surprising no one.

More News On Mexican President López Obrador Admitting That El Chapo 'Had The Same Power' As Past Presidents

Mexico president says “El Chapo” had same power as president -- AP
Drug lord 'El Chapo' once held as much power as Mexican president: Lopez Obrador -- Reuters
El Chapo wielded the same power and influence as a Mexican PRESIDENT says country's leader -- Daily Mail

Is Mexican President López Obrador The Country's Strongst Presidnet In Decades?

Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador attends a news conference, at the National Palace in Mexico City, Mexico, May 21, 2019. REUTERS/Henry Romero

Mary Beth Sheridan, The Washington Post: Mexico has its strongest president in decades. Some say he's too strong.

SAN MIGUEL CANOA, Mexico - Elsewhere, Latin America is burning.

In other places - Chile, Colombia, Bolivia, Ecuador - presidents are besieged by demonstrators.

But when Mexico's leader rolled into this mountain town one recent Friday, the crowds were adoring. Peasants walked for miles to greet him. Angel Roldán Pérez, a 62-year-old farmer in a red baseball cap, had recently received a singular blessing: an agricultural grant of $84.

"It was the president," the farmer insisted. "He helped us. Before, they wouldn't give us the aid. There was a lot of corruption."

A year after taking office, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador looms larger than any Mexican president in decades - setting the nation's agenda with daily news conferences, reshaping the government with a drastic overhaul of the budget and introducing a raft of programs to help farmers, the elderly and students.

His approval ratings regularly top 60 percent, in a region where many leaders struggle to reach half that.

And yet, as the veteran leftist consolidates power, critics worry he is threatening some of Mexico's hard-won democratic gains. They say López Obrador is weakening institutions that safeguard human rights and clean elections and is exerting more control over funding to the states.

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WNU Editor: If he is so strong, why can't he do something about the criminal insurgency by the drug cartels? Mexico is not a safe country for its citizens or visitors, and it has gotten even more dangerous in the past year. As for the economy, it has been stagnant for the entire year .... Mexico’s economy has not been this weak relative to the US since the ‘Tequila crisis’ in the 1990s (CNBC). In fact, it is now in a recession .... Mexico entered recession in early 2019, dealing blow to president (Reuters). But I have been told that Mexicans are giving him the benefit of the doubt for now, and they are applauding his social programs and personal austerity. Considering how much the political establishment has messed up Mexico in the past two decades, I can understand why many in Mexico are hoping the best from Mexican President López Obrador. In their minds he cannot do worse.

Mexico Facing A New Record For Homicides And A Sluggish Economy

Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Mexico’s president, speaks during a news conference at the National Palace in Mexico City. Photo: Bloomberg

Bloomberg: Mexico’s Record-Setting Homicides, Slugglish Economy Test AMLO

(Bloomberg) -- Mexico’s homicides in August show the nation remains on pace to break last year’s record, while a national poll showed President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador’s approval falling as the economy teeters on the brink of a technical recession.

Murders rose 3.3% in the first eight months of the year to 23,063 from 22,316 last year, according to government data released Friday. The August toll rose to 2,966 from 2,954 in the same month a year ago. The uptick is unsettling investors already uncertain about an economy now estimated by the central bank to grow 0.2%-0.7% this year, down from 0.8%-1.8% previously.

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WNU Editor: President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador is fast approaching his first anniversary as President of Mexico, and he is not succeeding on the two issues that he vowed he was going to solve .... lowering Mexico's homicide/crime rate, and improving the economy. I give him two more years to produce positive results, or he will be facing some serious backlash.

Mexico's President Says A Spy Camera Was Found In His Office

Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Mexico’s president, speaks during a news conference at the National Palace in Mexico City. Photo: Bloomberg

SCMP/Reuters: ‘They’ve been recording us’: Mexican President Lopez Obrador says as hidden camera found in National Palace offices

* Lopez Obrador said the device had been found in a room used for meetings but has not given details on who had placed it there

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Thursday unseen forces were spying on him and his cabinet, revealing that a “sophisticated camera” had been discovered at the presidential offices in central Mexico City.

During a regular daily news briefing, in which he usually expounds on everything from history and economics to culture, Lopez Obrador said the device had been found in a room used for meetings in the National Palace, his headquarters.

“Just imagine, they’ve been recording us in a meeting room, here in the Palace,” the president said as he reflected on the importance of free speech and transparency.

Lopez Obrador, who did not provide details on the camera or how it came to be there, said he had no secrets.

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Update: Mexican president says spy camera found in office (AFP)

WNU Editor: Before being elected President he accused the intelligence services of spying on him. I would not be surprised if he is suspecting them.

Mexican President Obrador Wants To Disband The Nation's Army

Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador attends a news conference at the National Palace in Mexico City, Mexico June 10, 2019. REUTERS/Gustavo Graf/File Photo

Reuters: Mexican president says he would like to disband the nation's army

MEXICO CITY, July 1 (Reuters) - Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Monday he would like to disband the army and put national security in the hands of the new National Guard militarized police force, though he recognized the proposal was unlikely to happen.

In an interview with Mexican newspaper La Jornada, the leftist president said he favored guaranteeing the nation's security through the National Guard, which he formally inaugurated on Sunday.

"If were up to me, I would get rid of the army and turn it into the National Guard, declare that Mexico is a pacifist country that does not need a military and that the defense of the nation, if necessary, would be done by all," he said.

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Update: Mexican president supports declaring Mexico a 'pacifist country' by abolishing the army (Washington Examiner)

WNU Editor: The Mexican President wants to expand the National Guard .... Mexico deploys new National Guard to stem violent crime (ABC News/AP).

Update #2: Mexican President Obrador's poll numbers are down, but still very good with an approval number of 66% .... One year from election, Mexicans give government poor marks on key issues: poll (Reuters).

The Mexican 'Honeymoon' With President Obrador Continues

Mexico's presidential candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador of the Movement for National Renewal (MORENA) party takes part in an event at the Wilson Center in Washington, U.S. September 5, 2017. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

Euronews/Reuters: Mexico president's approval rating at 78 percent after three months - poll

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador's approval rating stands at 78 percent, an opinion poll showed on Monday, adding to evidence that the veteran leftist has started his term with a strong popular mandate.

The figure in newspaper El Financiero was down from the 86 percent rating published in a poll on Feb. 7. But it was a percentage point higher than the newspaper's first gauge of his popularity after assuming the presidency on Dec. 1.

Lopez Obrador, a former Mexico City mayor, won election by a landslide last July, pledging to end corruption, reduce violence, fight inequality and boost economic growth.

Since taking office, he has launched a crackdown on rampant fuel theft, rolled out welfare programs and vowed to inject $3.9 billion into ailing state oil company Pemex.

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WNU Editor: These numbers are now only going to go down.

Mexico Swears In Andrés Manuel López Obrador As President

CNN: Mexico swears in new leftist president

Mexico swore in leftist leader Andrés Manuel López Obrador, known as AMLO, Saturday before a crowd that included world leaders and a strong majority in both houses of Congress.

López Obrador won a landslide victory in the July 1 presidential election and began his his six-year term promising to carry out a strong fight against corruption, insisting that the issue has been Mexico's worst nightmare.

"Nothing has harmed Mexico more that the dishonesty of the rulers," he said.

During his swearing-in, López Obrador reaffirmed his intentions to sell Mexico's official presidential plane and to not live in the presidential palace. He said he will receive 40% of his presidential salary. In an extraordinary move, López Obrador also announced his intention to promote a recall referendum during his administration, adding the promise that he "will never seek reelection."
Mexico's new President, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, delivers a speech at the inauguration ceremony at the Congress of the Union in Mexico City on Saturday.

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More News On Andrés Manuel López Obrador Being Sworn In As President

Mexico gets leftist leader after decades of technocrat -- ABC News/AP
Leftist Lopez Obrador sworn in as Mexico president -- France 24
Mexico new president vows to end 'rapacious' elite in first speech -- Reuters
After inauguration, Mexico’s new government heads to Washington for migration talks -- Washington Post
When Mexico's new president hits the ground running, he'll smack into Trump -- Dallas News
What The Inauguration Of Mexico's New President Might Mean For Mexico-U.S. Relations -- Carrie Kahn, NPR

Mexican President-Elect Lopez Obrador Will Be Presenting A Plan To Begin Negotiations To End The Drug Cartel War

Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador addressed supporters after polls closed [Edgard Garrido/Reuters]

Reuters: Incoming Mexican president to seek negotiated peace in drug war

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexican President-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Friday will present a plan for a negotiated peace including reduced jail time as the country reels from a militarized drug war that has produced tens of thousands of deaths over the past 12 years.

The concept of “transitional justice” is part of the incoming government’s integral security strategy, Olga Sanchez, Lopez Obrador’s proposed interior minister, told Reuters in an interview.

Transitional justice typically involves leniency for those who admit guilt, truth commissions to investigate atrocities and the granting of reparations for some victims.

“Not only will it be amnesty, it will be a law to reduce jail time,” Sanchez said.

“We will propose decriminalization, create truth commissions, we will attack the causes of poverty, we will give scholarships to the youth and we will work in the field to get them out of the drug situation.”

Lopez Obrador, a leftist who handily won the presidency on Sunday, wants to rewrite the rules of the drug war, suggesting a negotiated peace and amnesty for some of the very people currently targeted by security forces.

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WNU Editor: Its an ambitious plan, and I can only pray that it will work.

Mexico President-Elect López Obrador Rejects Bodyguards

Mexico’s president-elect, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, addresses the media. Photograph: Edgard Garrido/Reuters

The Guardian: Mexico president-elect rejects bodyguards: 'The citizens will protect me'

Leftist Amlo has also refused to live in ornate presidential residence and pledged to cut his own salary

He has just been elected commander-in-chief of a nation mired in an intractable drug conflict that has claimed more than 200,000 lives in little more than a decade.

But on Tuesday, Mexico’s incoming president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, claimed he would waive the right to close protection in a bid to stay close to the people.

“I don’t want bodyguards, which means the citizens will take care of me and protect me,” López Obrador, or Amlo, as he is best known, told reporters as he called on Mexico’s incumbent president, Enrique Peña Nieto, to discuss the transition.

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WNU Editor: Let us see how long this lasts.

Andrés Manuel López Obrador's Mexico Election Win -- News Updates July 2, 2018

BBC: Mexico election: López Obrador vows profound change after win

Left-wing candidate Andrés Manuel López Obrador has claimed victory in Mexico's presidential election, saying "profound change" is coming.

The ex-Mexico City mayor, known by his initials Amlo, is projected to win about 53%. His rivals have conceded in a crushing defeat for the main parties.

Mr López Obrador's key pledge has been to tackle the "evil" of corruption.

He has also been highly critical of President Donald Trump and ties with the US will now be closely watched.

Relations with Washington have been hugely strained, with Mr Trump strongly criticising Mexico over trade and migration. Mr Trump has sent a tweet of congratulations.

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More News On Andrés Manuel López Obrador's Mexico Election Win

Mexico election: López Obrador vows to fight corruption -- BBC
Mexico election: Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador wins presidential vote -- DW
Mexico election: Leftist outsider set to become next president after landslide win -- ABC News Online
López Obrador wins landslide victory in Mexican presidential race -- UPI
Mexico election: historic landslide victory for leftist Amlo -- The Guardian
Mexico backs left-wing 'messiah' Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador in historic presidential election -- FOX News
Mexico election: Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador claims victory -- Al Jazeera
Mexico’s victor reaches out to Trump, seeks NAFTA deal -- AP
Exclusive: Mexico's Lopez Obrador to pursue pension reform, fiscal prudence -- Reuters
Mexico's new president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador is the result of political upheaval -- Benjamin Sveen, ABC News Online
AMLO's election a turning point in Mexico's history -- Claudia Herrera-Pahl, DW
Mexico: Who is Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador? -- Al Jazeera

Mexican Presidential Candidate Obrador Wants To Grant Amnesty To Criminals To End The Drug War

Mexico's presidential candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador of the Movement for National Renewal (MORENA) party takes part in an event at the Wilson Center in Washington, U.S. September 5, 2017. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

Luis Gómez Romero, Business Insider/The Conversation: A Mexican presidential candidate wants to pardon criminals to end the drug war

* Mexican presidential candidate Andrés Manuel López Obrador has suggested he would grant amnesty to members of organized crime groups and corrupt politicians in a bid to end the country's drug war.
* Crime levels in Mexico are extremely high. 234,966 cartel-related deaths have taken place since President Felipe Calderón's severe crack down on the drug trade in 2006.
* Mexican voters are currently dissatisfied with the state of the country and want a radically different approach, giving López the lead in the run up to the election.

With over 29,000 murders, 2017 was the deadliest year in Mexico since modern record-keeping began. Nearly two-thirds of Mexicans say crime and violence are the biggest problems facing their country.

A main cause of the bloodshed, studies show, is the Mexican government's violent crackdown on drug trafficking. Launched in 2006 under President Felipe Calderón, this military assault on cartels has left 234,966 people dead in 11 years.

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WNU Editor: Here is an easy prediction. Drug traffickers who make billions in the drug trade are not going to be impressed with this "amnesty offer".