House Speaker Mike Johnson strongly criticized Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on March 25, offering suggestions to the United States on addressing the ongoing border crisis. Lopez Obrador reiterated his proposal for the White House to terminate the Cuban embargo, provide $20 billion annually to Latin American and Caribbean nations, offer citizenship to undocumented immigrants from Mexico, and lift sanctions on Venezuela.
Lopez Obrador asserted that implementing these actions would effectively address the southern border situation and address the migrant crisis. In reply, Johnson emphasized in a statement that entrusting the security of the Western Hemisphere to the left-wing regimes of Cuba and Venezuela would further destabilize the region and consequently exacerbate illegal immigration. Additionally, the House Speaker stated that granting widespread amnesty would fuel the expansion of human trafficking operations by Mexican cartels.
During an interview with CBS’ 60 Minutes, the Mexican president presented his contentious proposals while criticizing Johnson’s endeavors to revive the Remain in Mexico Policy, established and implemented during the Trump administration. In the course of the interview, Lopez Obrador was confronted with a video featuring Johnson from earlier this year, wherein he recounted a discussion with President Joe Biden regarding the policy.
While the president informed the House Speaker that the Mexican government was not inclined to revive it, Johnson recollected informing him that Mexico would comply with the directives of the United States.
Upon viewing the video, Lopez Obrador criticized Johnson, stating that his remarks were inaccurate and disrespectful. He emphasized that Mexico is a sovereign nation, not a colony or protectorate of any foreign power. While acknowledging the positive relationship between Mexico and the United States, Lopez Obrador asserted that it is not one of subservience. Conversely, in his statement, the House Speaker accused the Mexican president of being soft on cartels and advocated for the use of all available means by the United States to secure the border.
