U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris is closing out her first foreign trip today with a visit to Mexico. She met with the Mexican President, a key ally in the Biden administration’s efforts to curb the spike in migration at the U.S. border. And from Guatemala, the Vice President pledged to provide support to Guatemalan prosecutors in anti-corruption efforts.
Having made diplomatic rounds in her first foreign trip, Vice President Kamala Harris is closing out her first international trip today with a meeting with Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, a key but complicated ally in the U.S.’ efforts to curb the spike in migration at the U.S. border.
While Lopez Obrador said in a previous virtual meeting with Harris that the U.S. can count on Mexico to help address the issue of irregular migration, the Mexican President has in the past blamed President Joe Biden for the increase in migration at the border. But despite Trump being hell-bent on expelling migrants from the U.S., the Mexican President was friendlier with him.
Early last month, Obrador also accused the U.S. of violating Mexico’s sovereignty for giving money to non-governmental organisations that were critical of his government.
Harris has also sought to strengthen diplomatic relations with the Mexican President. She has held multiple phone calls and a virtual bilateral meeting with him. Some other Central American countries, like Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras, have done likewise. And many believe time will tell if her efforts will bear fruit for either nation.
The meeting follows Harris’ visit to Guatemala, where she met with the Central American country’s President, Alejandro Giammattei.
Faced with the familiar spectre of a spike in illegal migration at the U.S. border, the Vice President delivered this message to those considering making the trip.
Kamala Harris:
Do not come. We, as one of our priorities, will discourage illegal migration.
However, Harris and the Guatemalan President appeared to have been at odds with each other during the joint news conference in Guatemala. While Harris stressed that one of the U.S.’ top priorities is to support anti-corruption efforts, Giammattei pushed back on reporters’ questions about corruption accusations against him and insisted Guatemala’s judiciary was independent from political influence.
The two leaders will witness the signing ceremony of a memorandum of understanding that is expected to establish greater co-operation between the two nations on development programmes in Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras. The two leaders will also discuss vaccine sharing, the economic and security relationship between the two nations, and dealing with the root causes of migration to other countries in the region.
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