MEXICO CITY — US Secretary of State Antony the blink, He visited Mexico this Wednesday in the hope of showing progress in the fight against unprecedentedly growing immigration, one of President Joe Biden’s main headaches to achieve re-election in 2024.
The visit of the head of American diplomacy, unusual in that it took place during Christmas week, was scheduled abruptly, at a time when the Republican Party pressures Biden to adopt measures against migration in exchange for his congressmen approving new aid for Ukraine.
“Mexico is making a lot of effort and that is what we are reporting” to the United States government, Mexican Foreign Minister Alicia Bárcena told the press at the end of the meeting, in which, she assured, the friendship was also “endorsed.” “between the two countries.
The official added that a statement from both governments will be issued with the commitments reached.
Around 10,000 migrants try to enter illegally through the southern border every day, almost double the number before the pandemic.
Closure of border crossings
Washington has closed some border crossings with Mexico to focus its efforts on the entry of migrants.
“The importance of reopening border crossings is a priority for us,” was another of the issues raised by the Mexican government at the meeting, added the chancellor.
The president of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, spoke by telephone last week about this issue with Biden, who agreed to send Blinken.
The Secretary of State landed in the Mexican capital alongside the Secretary of Homeland Security, Alejandro Mayorkas, and the White House immigration official, Liz Sherwood.
The elections in the USA
“We are helping a lot, we are going to continue doing it and we want to reach an agreement because also since there are elections in the United States, the immigration issue will be encouraged,” said the Mexican president this Wednesday prior to his meeting with US officials at the National Palace. .
State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller announced that the US delegation addressed with López Obrador the “urgent need for legal avenues and additional actions” regarding migration.
Mexico agreed with both Biden and his predecessor, Republican Donald Trump, to welcome, at least temporarily, migrants trying to enter the United States.
Trump, favorite for the Republican nomination to face Biden in the November 2024 presidential election, is campaigning with an anti-immigration message.
Financial aid to Ukraine
Republicans refuse to support a new financial aid package for Ukraine in Congress if measures are not taken to stop migration and secure the border.
The Biden administration has warned that without a deal, Ukraine will soon be left without the weapons needed to defend itself against the Russian invasion.
The Government’s proposal to convince Republicans includes increasing Border Patrol agents by 1,300.
“There is no magic wand”
Andrew Rudman, director of the Mexico Institute at the Wilson Center in Washington, believes that Blinken visited Mexico to seek an agreement with López Obrador to take measures, such as granting work permits, and thus keep migrants in Mexico.
“The Biden administration wants to show that it is doing everything possible” to stop migration, he said. “One of the challenges is that everyone wants a short-term solution to a long-term global problem,” but “there is no magic wand.”
A large part of the migrants come from Central America, although in recent months the number of Venezuelans and Haitians has increased, fleeing the poverty and violence that ravage their countries.
Caravan with thousands of migrants
A caravan of thousands of migrants left southern Mexico on Sunday due to the impossibility of obtaining a permit that would allow them to cross the country to reach the United States.
María Alicia Ulloa, a Honduran who is part of this caravan, asked US and Mexican officials meeting on Wednesday to find ways to help the migrants, since the situation in their countries of origin “is also critical.”
Ulloa expressed his fear that the two countries will tighten immigration measures, as this could cause him to return to his country, devastated by crime and unemployment.
Luis García Villagrán, an activist who has accompanied the caravans for years, said in a press conference that migrants are “bargaining currency” for the governments of both countries.
Source: With information from AFP
