Trump and Sheinbaum talk
Nov. 28, 2024
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and U.S. president-elect Donald Trump agree they had a positive phone conversation yesterday — but gave diametrically opposed versions of the conclusions they reached. (Financial Times, Associated Press, New York Times, BBC)
Trump said Sheinbaum “agreed to stop migration through Mexico” and that this was “effectively closing our southern border.” Sheinbaum said she communicated that Mexico is already stopping migration towards the U.S. and that “Mexico’s position is not to close borders but to build bridges between governments and between peoples.”
Sheinbaum clarified, on social media, that she had explained Mexico's current "comprehensive strategy" on migration. "Thanks to this, migrants and caravans are attended to before they reach the border.” (AFP)
The chat yesterday comes after Trump threatened to slap tariffs on Mexico — in violation of the free trade US-Mexico-Canada Agreement. Sheinbaum had said Mexico would retaliate with tariffs of its own and that escalation would be detrimental to all involved. (See Wednesday’s post.)
Trump’s transition team did not respond to CNN’s inquiries regarding whether he still intended to hit Mexico with a 25% tariff when he takes office. Sheinbaum told reporters that she and Trump didn’t broach the subject and dismissed the possibility of a tariff war, in her daily news conference. (Animal Político, Washington Post, Associated Press)
Regional Relations
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel downplayed the potential impact of the incoming U.S. government, saying a Trump administration means more of the same for Cuba, reports Reuters.
Colombia
ACLED outlines a paradox in Colombia: President Gustavo Petro’s Total Peace plan reduced violence, but permitted armed groups to strengthen. “Although Petro has not been able to reach any lasting agreement yet, his eagerness to engage with armed groups instead of waging an all-out war against them helped rein in the levels of violence in the country,” particularly by reducing violent events between security forces and armed groups.
El Salvador
El Salvador President Nayib Bukele called his nation’s landmark ban on metals mining “absurd,” saying he is in favor of gold mining. The statements mean the 7-year-old ban could be in the offing, as Bukele holds a wide majority in El Salvador’s legislature, reports the Associated Press.
Brazil
A Brazilian Congressional committee approved a bill on Wednesday that would ban abortion in Brazil in all cases including the limited cases currently allowed such as fetal deformation, rape or when the mother's health is in danger, reports Reuters.
Birth defects in Brazil’s Pará state, where illegal miners use mercury, resemble those of mercury poisoning in Japan, reports the Guardian.
Finance Minister Fernando Haddad sought to calm the market following a meltdown over the announcement of a reform that would increase income tax exemptions, reports Reuters.
Nonetheless, Brazil’s currency fell to a record low today, reports the Financial Times.
Ecuador
“A recent massacre inside Ecuador’s largest and most violent prison is an ominous sign that the country’s multiple criminal organizations are atomizing at a rapid pace as the government’s hardline security crackdown stalls,” reports InSight Crime.
Bolivia
Bolivia’s highest court approved the extradition to the United States of a former anti-narcotics chief on charges of conspiring to smuggle cocaine into the U.S. The decision to cooperate is a rarity, the two country’s have had strained relations for decades, notes the Associated Press.
Bolivia’s monthslong fuel “crisis has created a sense that the country is coming undone, disrupting economic activity and everyday life for millions of people, hurting commerce and farm production and sending food prices soaring,” reports Associated Press.
Critter Corner
“A rare pudu fawn was born in a biopark in Argentina earlier this month, giving scientists and conservationists a unique chance to study and collect data on the tiny enigmatic deer,” reports Reuters.