MEXICO CITY, Nov. 11 — Respect for sovereignty and cooperation free from subordination “are non-negotiable” tenets of Mexico’s relations with the United States, regardless of who leads in Washington, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Tuesday.
There were no signs of a potential shift in ties with Washington, and existing cooperation agreements between the two governments remain in effect, Sheinbaum told a press conference at the National Palace.
She said that U.S. President Donald Trump and the heads of U.S. government agencies, including the Northern Command, are well aware of Mexico’s stance on sovereignty, territorial integrity, mutual trust and security cooperation.
“This is clearly understood by everyone,” Sheinbaum said. “We will not yield because this is a matter of principle.”
Asked about the U.S. government’s use of the term “narco-terrorism” to refer to criminal organizations, Sheinbaum said: “We do not agree with the label of terrorism, because from Mexico’s perspective, terrorism is defined differently.”
Classifying organized crime as terrorism cannot be used as an excuse to infringe on Mexico’s sovereignty with interventionist measures, she said.
In response to Washington’s broader use of the term terrorism, Mexican lawmakers have amended the Constitution to establish limits on any potential foreign interference, she noted.
Any U.S. activity in Mexico must take place within a framework of “collaboration without subordination,” she said.(Namibia Daily News / Xinhua)
