Mexican President-Elect And President Trump Agree That Economic Development Can Stem Illegal Migration

Mexico's President-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador speaks during a rally as part of a tour to thank supporters for his victory in the July 1 election, in Mexico City, Mexico September 29, 2018. Picture taken September 29. 2018. REUTERS/Henry Romero

Reuters: Mexican president-elect, Trump agree economic development can stem illegal migration

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexican President-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said he and U.S. President Donald Trump spoke by telephone on Wednesday about boosting economic development in Mexico and Central America in order to stem illegal migration.

The phone call came after Mexico, the United States and Canada agreed on a new trilateral trade deal late Sunday, which Lopez Obrador hailed as a “good accord” that would create economic certainty and encourage investment.

The two leaders also discussed “a next step,” agreeing on investment among Mexico, Canada and the United States to aid development in Central America and Mexico to tackle “the migration phenomenon,” said Lopez Obrador, who takes office on Dec. 1.

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WNU Editor: Both Mexican President-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and U.S. President Donald Trump are 100% right .... economic development will stem illegal migration. To boost economic activity in Mexico, Mexican President-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador will need to impose strict law and order policies by reforming the courts and professionalizing the police forces, be merciless in changing the culture of corruption that permeates that country, and implement policies that encourage entrepreneurs and small business. Mexican President-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador was given a huge mandate for change .... I can only hope that he delivers.

Mexican President-Elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador Says He Will Not Fight With U.S. President Donald Trump

US President Donald Trump and Mexican President-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador

AFP: Mexico president-elect says will not fight with Trump

Mexico City (AFP) - Mexican president-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said he does not want to fight with US President Donald Trump on immigration.

Trump's hardline approach on the subject has ramped up tensions and riled Mexicans, who he previously claimed would pay for the construction of a wall between the two countries.

But the leftist Lopez Obrador told reporters in the border state of Sonora on Saturday that angry exchanges were not the answer.

"We are not going to fight with the US government, we are not going to fight with President Donald Trump," he said.

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WNU Editor:  They may both be different men .... but they are confronting many of the same problems. I am confident that they will be able to work together for the simple reason being it is in the interest of both parties to cooperate.

U.S. And Mexico Reach An Agreement On NAFTA. Canada Left Out (For Now)

Reuters: U.S., Mexico reach NAFTA deal, turn up pressure on Canada

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States and Mexico agreed on Monday to overhaul the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), putting pressure on Canada to agree to new terms on auto trade and dispute settlement rules to remain part of the three-nation pact.

Auto stocks soared and the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq rallied to record highs on the expectation that Canada would sign onto the deal and ease the economic uncertainty caused by U.S. President Donald Trump’s repeated threats to ditch the 1994 accord.

Details of gains and concessions in the deal were only starting to emerge on Monday. Trump threatened he still could put tariffs on Canadian-made cars if Canada did not join its neighbors and warned he expected concessions on Canada’s dairy protections.

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WNU Editor: Both Mexico and the U.S. got what they wanted. Mexico's agricultural sector can still export goods to the U.S. duty free .... a big win for Mexico that now protects millions of jobs, and the U.S. got what it wants, lessening the wage advantage that Mexico has on goods being manufacture in Mexico destined to U.S. markets, and stopping other countries from using Mexico as a transit point to ship goods to the U.S.. As for Canada .... in my opinion Canada has been betrayed by Mexico after they had promised that they would not come to an agreement with the U.S. without Ottawa's participation.

Update: Sadly (from a Canadian perspective), this is correct .... Justin from Canada Painted His Country Into a Lose/Lose Trade Corner – More Details of U.S-Mexico Deal… (The Last Refuge). More details on the U.S. - Mexico agreement are here .... 'A big day for trade': U.S., Mexico reach deal to replace NAFTA (Financial Post).

More News On The U.S. And Mexico Reaching An Agreement On NAFTA

US and Mexico tentatively set to replace NAFTA with new deal -- AP
US, Mexico finalize trade pact; Canada to rejoin talks Tuesday -- AFP
Trump announces agreement with Mexico on NAFTA overhaul -- The Hill
Trump announces US-Mexico trade deal, setting stage for Nafta overhaul -- The Guardian
Donald Trump announces trade deal with Mexico, says he will ditch Nafta name -- SCMP/Bloomberg
US and Mexico agree on NAFTA revamp, Canada 'encouraged' -- DW
Trump announces 'incredible' trade deal with Mexico -- BBC
Donald Trump terminating NAFTA trade deal, negotiating with Canada -- ABC News Online
US, Mexico reach NAFTA deal as attention turns to Canada -- Al Jazeera

A Reset In U.S. - Mexico Relations?

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, right, with Mexico’s president-elect, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin in Mexico City on Friday.CreditCarlos Jasso/Reuters

New York Times: Trump taunts protesters at Scottish golf course

MEXICO CITY — Secretary of State Mike Pompeo led a high-level cabinet delegation to Mexico City on Friday to gauge how Mexico’s president-elect intends to reset the fractious relationship between the two countries.

The president-elect, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, a leftist who has pledged to fight corruption and tackle Mexico’s entrenched poverty, was ready for the delegation. He handed Mr. Pompeo a series of proposals on trade, development, security and migration — the issues that are at the heart of the relationship and the source of much of the friction.

Despite the tensions, which have grown under President Trump, Marcelo Ebrard, who will be the next foreign minister, said that he had “reasonable optimism” that Mexico would find “bases for understanding” to improve the relationship.

“The foundation for understanding is development and mutual respect,” Mr. Ebrard said, adding that the transition team would provide more details on the proposals once Mr. Trump responded, perhaps as early as next week.

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WNU Editor: The number one issue that is separating both countries is illegal immigration. The second being the low wages that Mexican workers are being paid that undermines U.S. workers who cannot compete, as well as environmental and other regulations that are far less stringent in Mexico than in the U.S.. The flow of drugs into the U.S. is the next issue, and how to address the crisis that is enveloping countries like Venezuela and Nicaragua are next.

More News On US Secretary of State Pompeo's Trip To Mexico

Pompeo meets next Mexican president, says Trump wants better ties -- Reuters
Amid protests, Pompeo and other U.S. officials visit Mexico's next president -- Washington Post
Pompeo travels to Mexico to reset relations with president-elect -- CNN
Mexico's president presses Pompeo on reuniting migrant families -- The Hill
AMLO’s Top Cop Backtracks on New Border Police Force in Mexico -- Bloomberg
Trump's A-team goes south of the border for full-court press: Pompeo, Nielsen, Mnuchin AND Jared Kushner visit with Mexico's president-elect to talk trade and border security -- Daily Mail

New Mexican Leader To Invite President Trump To Inauguration

Reuters: Mexican leader to invite Trump to inauguration, signals shift on Venezuela

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico’s President-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Thursday he would invite U.S. President Donald Trump to his Dec. 1 inauguration, as the leftist signaled a potential shift in Mexican policy toward Venezuela.

Lopez Obrador, who won election by a landslide on Sunday, said he would invite Trump, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and other heads of state to his swearing in.

“An invitation will be sent to Donald Trump. We are neighboring countries, we have economic and trade relations, a bond of friendship,” Lopez Obrador told a news conference.

Relations between the two men will be under close scrutiny to see whether they can move past tensions over migration, the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and Trump’s demand that Mexico pay for a border wall.

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WNU editor: Immigration and trade are the two issues that are going to seperate both countries .... Mexico implements retaliatory tariffs on US agricultural products (The Hill).

More News And Analysis On Current U.S - Mexico Relations

Mexico’s president-elect thanks Trump for 'very respectful' tweet -- Politico
Why Mexico’s New President Is Playing Nice With Trump -- Duncan Wood, Politico
AMLO Isn’t Mexico’s Trump – Nor Is He Trump’s Natural Enemy -- Jonah Shepp, NYMag
What Mexico’s next president means for Trump -- Arturo Sarukhan, Brookings

Mexican President-Elect López Obrador To Defy President Trump On Immigration

A group of recently deported immigrants stand near the double steel fence that separates San Diego and Tijuana at the border in Tijuana, December 10, 2011. REUTERS/Jorge Duenes

Luis Gómez Romero, The Conversation: Mexico’s next president likely to defy Trump on immigration

United States President Donald Trump has long blamed Mexico for the flow of Central Americans seeking to enter the United States’ southern border.

Migrants just cross Mexico like they’re “walking through Central Park,” Trump once claimed.

In truth, Mexico is aggressive in enforcing U.S. immigration policy. In 2014 President Enrique Peña Nieto implemented a robust deterrence effort, the Southern Border Program, to deter migration across Mexico’s border with Guatemala.

Between 2014 and 2015, Mexican deportations of Central Americans traveling to the U.S. – primarily Guatemalans, Hondurans and Salvadorans – more than doubled, from 78,733 in 2013 to 176,726 in 2015. During the same period, U.S. border agents detained half as many Central American migrants at the border.

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WNU editor: Every Mexican President  has defied U.S. rules and regulations on immigration, and I expect Mexican President-Elect López Obrador will act the same way. The difference now is that a U.S. President has made a commitment to stop it.

With The Impending Election Of Andrés Manuel López Obrador As Mexico's President, Relations With The U.S. Are Going To Be Put The Test

Mexico presidential candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador of the National Regeneration Movement (MORENA), gives a speech as he presents his manifesto in Mexico City, Mexico, November 20, 2017. REUTERS/Henry Romero

Richard Miles, CSIS: As Mexico Moves to Political Left, American Relationship Put to Test

On July 1, Mexicans are poised to elect a seasoned left winger as their new president. Under any other U.S. administration, his election would pose a challenge for American interests. But with a White House with Donald Trump at the helm, the “better than it looks” bilateral relationship may be about to drastically change for the worse.

Leading in the polls by more than 20 points, Andrés Manuel López Obrador has pledged to bring an end to endemic corruption and violence, the two most critical issues in the campaign. Known colloquially as “Amlo,” the former mayor of Mexico City and twice-failed presidential candidate stands in stark contrast to the polished establishment candidates of the Institutional Revolutionary Party and the National Action Party, the only two parties to have held the presidency in Mexico’s modern history.

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WNU Editor: What do I expect from A President Andrés Manuel López Obrador. For one .... the energy sector will be one of many industries where state control/nationalization will occur. NAFTA will be on shaky ground .... if not dead. And for those U.S. industries who have invested heavily in Mexico .... you can take this to the bank .... they are going to regret making their investments in Mexico. In regards to crime .... I do not know if Andrés Manuel López Obrador will stem corruption and the violence that is plaguing Mexico. Releasing criminals as he has proposed is not my solution to stemming this violence .... if anything I will see these released criminals going to war with those who have taken their place when they were jail. And in regards to foreign relations .... I can see a President Andrés Manuel López Obrador staying quiet when looking at countries like Venezuela .... even though the mayhem and the suffering of its people will only get worse. And as for the U.S. - Mexico border .... a President Andrés Manuel López Obrador will give the ammunition that proponents of the wall will use to convince Congress to fund and build the wall.

Mexican Senators Want Their Government To Consider Ending Security And Immigration Cooperation With The U.S.

Donald Trump with a sign supporting his plan to build a wall between the US and Mexico. Johnathan Drake/Reuters

Business Insider: Mexican officials are ready to stop helping the US fight terrorism and drug trafficking to get back at Trump

* Mexican senators have asked their government to consider ending security and immigration cooperation with the US.
* The call comes in response to Trump's now-rescinded policy of separating immigrant families at the border.
* It is not the first time Mexican officials have made such a proposal.

Mexican legislators this week proposed ending cooperation with the US on immigration, counterterrorism, and fighting organized crime "as long as President Donald Trump does not act with the respect that migrants deserve."

The proposal was made on Wednesday by the Mexican Congress' Permanent Commission, which meets while Congress is in recess, and asks the executive branch to "consider the possibility of withdrawing from any bilateral cooperation scheme" with the US on those issues.

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WNU Editor: If the Mexican government goes down this road .... it will only guarantee the building of a wall on the U.S. border in a very short period of time.

Mexico Presidential Frontrunner Vows To Respond To President Trump's Tweets

Leftist politician Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador is the front runner in Mexico's July 1 presidential election (AFP Photo/ALFREDO ESTRELLA)

AFP: Mexico presidential frontrunner vows to hit back at Trump tweets

Mexico City (AFP) - The fiery leftist leading the race for Mexican president, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, vowed Friday to hit back at US President Donald Trump if he insults Mexico on Twitter.

"If he makes an offensive tweet, I'm going to take responsibility for answering him," said Lopez Obrador, a former Mexico City mayor who has a double-digit lead in most opinion polls heading into the July 1 election.

"I think (Trump) is going to understand he has to get himself under control, that he can't go around offending the Mexican people. We don't want confrontations with him, but we are going to ask him to respect us," he said at a campaign rally in the town of Huajuapan, in the southern state of Oaxaca.

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WNU Editor: He will have bigger problems being President (if he is elected) than responding to tweets from President Trump.

Mexico's Leading Presidential Candidate Blames Country's Corruption For Trump's Negative View

Leftist front-runner Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador of the National Regeneration Movement (MORENA) greets supporters during his campaign rally in Cuautitlan Izcalli, Mexico, April 13, 2018. REUTERS/Henry Romero

Reuters: Mexico election front-runner blames country's graft for Trump's negative view

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico’s left-wing presidential front-runner said on Sunday that corrupt governments in the country were to blame for U.S. President Donald Trump’s bad impression of Mexicans, promising to change Trump’s perception if elected.

Speaking from the tourist destination of Rosarito in the Baja California peninsula, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said Trump’s bad experiences investing in Mexico were the reason for his negative view of the country.

“He invested here in Rosarito and also in Cozumel, Quintana Roo, and because of Mexico’s corrupt governments he had to leave,” Lopez Obrador said. “That’s why he got a bad impression of our country.”

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WNU Editor: This is a fresh of breath air from Mexico .... an acknowledgement that maybe the country's internal problems are to blame for why bilateral relations with the U.S. are difficult.

Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto Scraps Plans To Visit The White House After 'Testy' Phone Call With President Trump

U.S. President Donald Trump meets Mexico's President Enrique Pena Nieto during the their bilateral meeting at the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany July 7, 2017. Reuters/Carlos Barria

The Hill: Mexico's Peña Nieto scraps plan to visit White House following call with Trump on border wall: report

Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto has reportedly scrapped his plans to visit the White House after a contentious call with President Trump discussing his proposed border wall.

U.S. and Mexican officials familiar with the call told The Washington Post that Peña Nieto and Trump reached an impasse while discussing the wall. Peña Nieto reportedly asked Trump to publicly affirm Mexico’s stance that it will not pay for the wall, but Trump refused to cave.

A Mexican official told the paper that Trump “lost his temper” during the 50-minute call. U.S. officials said that Trump was “exasperated” and “frustrated” because he thought Peña Nieto’s expectation was unreasonable, according to the Post.

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WNU Editor: That must have been one "testy" phone call.

More News On Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto Scrapping Plans To Visit The White House

After testy call with Trump over border wall, Mexico's president shelves White House visit -- Chicago Tribune/Washington Post
WH official: Peña Nieto calls off visit to White House after confrontational call with Trump -- CNN
Mexico's president called off a White House visit after Trump refused to say publicly that Mexico won't pay for the border wall -- Business Insider
Mexican president cancels White House visit after heated call with Trump: Report -- Washington Examiner

U.S. Issues Highest Travel Warning For Five Mexican States

BBC: US issues highest travel warning for five Mexican states

The US state department has warned tourists to "completely avoid" five states in Mexico because of rampant crime levels and gang activity.

Colima, Guerrero, Michoacán, Sinaloa and Tamaulipas have all been classified as a level-four risk, the highest in the scale.

That puts them at the same levels as conflict-ridden countries such as Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria.

Preliminary figures suggest that Mexico had a record number of murders in 2017.

Previously, the year with the most homicides had been 2011, when more than 27,000 people were killed according to official figures.

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More News On The U.S. Issuing Highest Travel Warning For Five Mexican States

Mexico travel warning: U.S. urges citizens to avoid 5 Mexican states -- USA Today
US slaps highest-level 'do not travel' warning on five Mexican states -- FOX News
Americans are warned not to travel to five Mexican states which are as dangerous as Syria, Afghanistan and North Korea, according to the State Department -- Daily Mail
US 'do not travel' advisory puts five Mexican states on same level as Syria -- The Guardian

Mexico Is Waging A Sewage War Against the U.S.

San Diego Union Tribune: Calls mount for investigation into massive Tijuana River sewage spill

Lawmakers, regulators and environmental groups in San Diego County are calling on federal officials to investigate a massive sewage spill in the Tijuana River that some people believe Mexico may have intentionally caused and then refused to explain much about it.

Mexican authorities have yet to give a full accounting of how, without advance notice, an estimated 143 million gallons of effluent spewed into the river during 17 days that ended on Feb. 23. The pollution flowed into South County and has continued to contaminate beaches as far north as Coronado. Signs posted along that entire stretch of coastline urge people to stay out of the water because toxins in the sewage can sicken or kill swimmers.

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WNU Editor: People are getting pissed-off .... Mexico's sewage warfare (Monica Showalter, American Interest). Personally .... I can never understand Mexico. From wanting its citizens to leave (and not wanting them to come back) .... to how they manage their economy/political system/and social systems .... it has always been the same story with Mexico. But the environment .... or how they have mismanaged (and are still mismanaging) their environment .... is what has always caught my eye. When you leave the clean environment of their tourist hot spots .... no words can describe how messed up everything is. That is why I am not surprised by the above San Diego Union Tribune story .... but what is making me laugh is that these U.S. officials are surprised that Mexico actually went ahead and this. Duhhhh!!!! ... visit Mexico more often.

U.S. And Mexican Governments Blast AP's Report That President Trump Threatened To Send U.S. Troops Into Mexico

U.S. Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and Mexico's President Enrique Pena Nieto arrive for a press conference at the Los Pinos residence in Mexico City, Mexico, August 31, 2016. REUTERS/Henry Romero

Washington Times: Mexico, U.S. both say Associated Press misreported Trump-Nieto phone call

White House says wire service wrongly claimed new president had threatened to invade Mexico.

Mexico said Wednesday that the Associated Press’ account of a call Friday between President Trump and his Mexican counterpart is inaccurate.

“The assertions that you make about said conversation do not correspond to the reality of it,” the Mexican government said in a statement on the wire service’s reporting.

“The tone was constructive,” according to a statement from Mexico’s foreign relations department, “and it was agreed by the presidents to continue working and that the teams will continue to meet frequently to construct an agreement that is positive for Mexico and for the United States.”

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WNU Editor: The AP report is here .... Trump to Mexico: Take care of 'bad hombres' or U.S. might (AP). Even though the White House and the Mexican President's office are calling this AP report fake news .... Mexican government says Trump never threatened to send troops to Mexico (L.A. Times) .... also .... WH denies report that Trump threatened Mexican president over 'bad hombres' (The Hill). It is too late .... the coverage of this fake story is now world wide (see below).

Report: In a 'humiliating' and 'threatening' tone, Trump lambasted Mexico's president during a phone call -- Business Insider
'Bad hombres': reports claim Trump spoke of sending troops to Mexico -- The Guardian
Trump Tells Mexican President Perhaps He’ll Send Troops to Mexico to Take Care of “Bad Hombres” -- Slate
An explosive new story about Trump’s talks with Peña Nieto shows how fraught US-Mexico relations are now -- Quartz

Former Mexican Secretary of Foreign Affairs Wants To Combat President Trump By “Unleashing Drug Cartels”

WNU Editor: This is just one more reason why the border will need to be secured. Hat tip to SHTFplan.com for this story.

Mexico's Richest Man Steps In To Help Mexico Negotiate With President Trump

CNBC: Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim says a united Mexico will help the government negotiate with Trump

Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim said a united country could help the government negotiate with President Donald Trump.

Mexico needs to negotiate from a position of strength, Slim said in a Friday news conference. Slim, who gained a $50 billion fortune owning mobile network America Movil, argued the clash between Trump and Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto has brought Mexico together. Slim urged political parties in the country to unite behind Peña Nieto.

While he called Trump a great negotiator, Slim said Friday that Mexico should not be scared of him or assume things will go badly.

On Thursday, the Mexican president canceled a scheduled meeting with Trump following a Twitter feud over the U.S. president's executive orders related to immigration. The situation of undocumented Mexicans in the U.S. remains a priority for the government, Slim said Friday.

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WNU Editor: Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim has a better understanding on what President Trump is doing than most media pundits/sources .... that what President Trump is actually doing is laying the groundwork for a negotiation. Not surprisingly .... Carlos Slim is now getting support from U.S. businessmen who also share this view. As for the future .... my prediction still holds. Within a year an equitable and fair trade agreement will be reached .... but that wall is still going up, and Mexico will be paying for it but not directly.

President Trump And President Enrique Peña Nieto Spoke By Phone Friday Morning

Washington Post: President Trump and Mexican president speak by phone amid crisis in relations

MEXICO CITY — Amid one of the worst crises in U.S.-Mexico relations in years, President Trump and President Enrique Peña Nieto spoke by phone Friday morning, according to an official in the Mexican president’s office.

A White House official confirmed the conversation, saying the call took place about 9:30 a.m. Eastern time.

The call came a day after Peña Nieto canceled a planned trip to Washington, following Trump’s insistence that Mexico pay for a U.S. wall across the border. The official did not elaborate on the content of the call, which was first reported by the Associated Press.

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Update #1: Trump, Mexican President Peña Nieto have phone call (AP)
Update #2: Donald Trump and Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto hold phone call over border wall dispute (The Independent)

WNU Editor: They will work out their differences. But in President Trump's mind the impact is already being felt .... no U.S. companies are going to announce new projects in Mexico until this is sorted out. As for the wall .... it is going to be built.

White House Press Secretary: Border Wall Will Be Funded By 20 Percent Import Tax On Mexican Goods

White House spokesman Sean Spicer holds a press briefing at the White House in Washington January 23, 2017. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

Washington Post: White House press secretary says border wall will be funded by 20 percent import tax on Mexican goods

MEXICO CITY--President Enrique Peña Nieto on Thursday called off a trip to Washington, after President Trump launched his plan to construct a border wall and insisted he would stick Mexico with the bill. The incident opened one of the most serious rifts in memory between the United States and its southern neighbor.

Trump spokesman Sean Spicer added a stunning new detail about the proposed wall project later Thursday, saying that Trump intended to pay for it by imposing a 20-percent tax on all imports from Mexico.

Peña Nieto had been scheduled to meet with Trump on Tuesday to discuss immigration, trade and drug-war cooperation. He called off the visit after Trump tweeted that it would be “better to cancel the upcoming meeting” if Mexico was unwilling to pay for the wall.

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WNU Editor: Right now .... every American CEO who has a plant in Mexico is now calling their law-maker voicing their protests. Will these protests have an impact .... no .... with the exception of a few politicians, no one in Washington will say publicly that they support "saving" Mexican jobs, and because of the optics no one is going to publicly oppose "directly" President Trump on this issue. In hindsight .... I have to wonder if the Trump White House set up Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto for today's events .... because what has happened today has the appearance of being planned and formulated .... starting early this morning .... President Trump Plays 'Hardball' With Mexico. My prediction .... Mexico will negotiate a trade deal with the U.S. in the coming months .... and yes .... there will be a formula where they will be paying for the wall .... albeit indirectly.

Mexico's President Enrique Peña Nieto Has Cancelled His Upcoming Meeting With President Trump

Mexico's President Enrique Pena Nieto in Mexico City, November 9, 2016. (Reuters)

NBC: Mexico’s President to Trump: ‘I Will Not Attend’ Scheduled Meeting

Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto has scrapped an upcoming meeting with President Donald Trump in the wake of fiery back-and-forth over which nation will pay for a border wall between the two nations.

"This morning we informed the White House that I will not attend the business meeting scheduled for next Tuesday with the @POTUS," Nieto tweeted.

Trump tweeted earlier Thursday that if Mexico refuses to pay for the wall it might be best to scrap their upcoming meeting.

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Update #1: Mexican president cancels visit to Washington as tensions with Trump administration intensify (Washington Post).
Update #2: Mexico president cancels U.S. visit after Trump wall comments (Reuters).

WNU Editor: This is just one more nail in the NAFTA agreement. With relations now going south .... will a company now want to invest in Mexico. I say not.

President Trump Plays 'Hardball' With Mexico

Reuters: Trump: Mexico should cancel meeting if it won't pay for wall

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday his Mexican counterpart, Enrique Pena Nieto, should cancel his scheduled visit to Washington if Mexico refuses to pay for a wall he has ordered constructed along the border.

"The U.S. has a 60 billion dollar trade deficit with Mexico. It has been a one-sided deal from the beginning of NAFTA with massive numbers... of jobs and companies lost. If Mexico is unwilling to pay for the badly needed wall, then it would be better to cancel the upcoming meeting," Trump said on Twitter.

His message could undo a planned summit next week during which the two leaders were expected to address a relationship frayed by the new U.S. president's determination to build a wall along their shared border and to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement.

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WNU Editor: I always found Mexico's position on immigration strange. They want their citizens to migrate to the U.S. .... but Mexico itself has some of the strictest immigration laws in the world. As for Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto .... he is already under intense public pressure from raising gas prices a few weeks ago .... and his poll numbers are in the teens. This border issue does divert some attention from him, but his options on what he can do are incredibly limited. As for NAFTA .... this is so true .... Canadian Official On NAFTA Renegotiation: "Mexico Is In A Terrible, Terrible Position. We Are Not" (Zero Hedge).

More News On President Trump Playing 'Hardball' With Mexico

After Mexico balks at funding border wall, Trump suggests skipping next week's meeting -- L.A. Times
Trump to Mexican president: Better to cancel our meeting -- CNN
Trump warns Mexico: Pay for the wall or cancel the meeting -- Politico
Trump: No meeting with Peña Nieto if Mexico won't pay for wall -- FOX News
Trump Says He May Cancel Meeting With Mexican President -- New York Times
Trump: It'd be better to cancel meeting if Mexico won't pay for wall -- The Hill
Trump threatens to cancel a planned meeting with Mexican President Peña Nieto -- Washington Post
Pena Nieto Tells Trump Mexico "Will Not Pay For Any Wall", Demands Respect -- Zero Hedge