In Mexico’s Defense

The cancellation of Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto’s visit to the U.S., initially scheduled for Jan. 28, is the only logical response to the aggression President Trump is demonstrating against Nieto’s country and people, who have been systematically accused of being thieves and criminals.

Many believed Trump’s electoral rhetoric would fade into the background once he entered the White House and, as occurs in politics, a new process would begin of a compromise between campaign promises and the limits reality imposes on government actions.

Some of them, like Peña Nieto, ignored the numerous signs that Trump was not a normal candidate and instead chose to pursue a kind and pacifying vision. That’s what he did, to his demerit, when he met with then-candidate Trump at his official Los Pinos residence in August in an incomprehensible and unfortunate visit that did not achieve his intended goal of getting Trump to give up or explain his intentions.

It has taken not even a week since the inauguration of the new U.S. president to confirm Trump’s desire to immediately and staggeringly put into action the core of his promises related to what is euphemistically called immigration and border control, but which actually protects a racist, xenophobic agenda, of which Mexico is the first victim.

The construction of a wall that completely separates Mexico and the United States, in addition to the expectation that Mexicans will pay for it, the threat of punitive taxes on Mexican exports, the pressure on U.S. companies to divest from Mexico and the threat of deportations of Mexican citizens settled in the U.S., constitute total aggression against Mexico.

Trump has begun his presidency by saying he wants to commit to making America great again. Many times he has humiliated his weaker, poorer neighbors and threatened them with a series of actions that, without a doubt, would cause great difficulties for Mexicans.

Fortunately, Mexicans are not alone. The mayors of many important U.S. cities, supported by millions of good Americans, have expressed their intention to not take part in the politics of Trump’s deportations, even if it means being deprived of federal funding.

Even if it wanted to, Mexico would not be able to defend itself against Trump’s aggression, the dynamic path of which is marked by the worst political and corporate bullying. Why then is there no loud, clear voice from, above all, Europe and the Ibero-American community in defense of Mexico? Because, if those regional meetings and summits that unite us with Mexico aren’t useful for clear solidarity with this country, we must ask ourselves, what are they good for?