Media captionCCTV captures the moment hundreds of migrants cross into the US
Mexico's president has insisted his government will not be provoked, after President Donald Trump announced escalating tariffs on all goods unless Mexico curbed illegal migration.
Mr Trump's latest statement came a day after US border authorities in El Paso, Texas, detained a group of more than 1,000 migrants - the largest single group agents had ever encountered.
White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said on Friday that Mexico could have done more to stop the group - and others - as they travelled through the country.
"They could have easily broken up this group, arrested them or sent them back home, and they didn't do anything," she told reporters.
"We're asking Mexico to enforce their own laws to help stop the people coming in from Central America."
Image copyrightAFPImage captionThe migrants caught on Wednesday came from Guatemala, Honduras or El Salvador and included entire families, agents said
In tweets later on Friday, President Trump said the tariffs were also to encourage Mexico to "take back" the country from drugs cartels.
In order not to pay Tariffs, if they start rising, companies will leave Mexico, which has taken 30% of our Auto Industry, and come back home to the USA. Mexico must take back their country from the drug lords and cartels. The Tariff is about stopping drugs as well as illegals!
The president said he had ordered his foreign minister to travel to Washington on Friday.
"I want to insist that we are not going to fall into any provocations, that we are going to act prudently with respect to the authorities of the United States [and] with respect to President Donald Trump," he said.
In a letter to his US counterpart, Mr López Obrador said Mexico was complying with its responsibility to avoid "as far as possible and without violating human rights, the passage [of migrants] through our country".
"President Trump: Social problems are not resolved with tariffs or coercive measures," he added.
"With all due respect, although you have the sovereign right to express this, the slogan 'United States [America] First' is a fallacy because, until the end of time, and even over and above national frontiers, universal justice and fraternity will prevail."
Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard later announced on Twitter that he would lead a delegation to Washington, adding: "The treatment of Mexico is unfair and does not make economic sense to anyone."
How has US business reacted?
The US Chamber of Commerce, which represents three million businesses in the US, condemned Mr Trump's plan. Chief policy officer Neil Bradley said the tariffs would "be paid by American families and businesses without doing a thing to solve the very real problems at the border".
The Business Roundtable, a US body made of chief executives of major US corporations, said it would be "a grave error" and urged Mr Trump to reconsider.
Media captionFive numbers that explain US border crisis
It warned that the move jeopardised the new US-Mexico-Canada trade deal to replace the North American Free Trade Agreement (Nafta).
The US president has long accused Mexico of not doing enough to stem the flow of people. Migrants, most of whom say they are fleeing violence in Central American countries, travel through Mexico on their way to the US, where they hope to claim asylum.
Mexico has taken advantage of the United States for decades. Because of the Dems, our Immigration Laws are BAD. Mexico makes a FORTUNE from the U.S., have for decades, they can easily fix this problem. Time for them to finally do what must be done!
The president also took aim at his Democratic opponents, accusing them of a "total dereliction of duty" over border security.
The Democratic-controlled House of Representatives is taking legal action to halt the Trump administration's efforts to build a border wall, saying it would be a waste of funds and would not stop illegal immigration.
What will the tariffs affect?
Mexico was the second largest supplier of goods to the US last year, with imports totalling $352bn (£275bn), according to Goldman Sachs.
It is known for agricultural products like avocados and tequila, but the country is also a major manufacturing hub and home to many US companies.
The country produces hundreds of thousands of cars every month, and is also home to technology and aerospace companies. It is one of the G20 economies.
US firms Ford, General Motors, John Deere, IBM and Coca-Cola all operate in Mexico, as well as thousands of other multinationals.
On Friday, the three main US financial markets opened almost 1.5% down, with General Motors falling 5%.
The president's statement comes amid a trade war with China.
After complaining for years about the US trade deficit with China, Mr Trump imposed tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars worth of goods coming from the country.
BBC News , Pidgin Waka go wetin de inside Plenti seshon Home Nigeria Africa World Video Sport Entertainment Most popular Chief of Army Staff Attahiru Ibrahim burial: Funeral for COAS and six senior officers wey die for plane crash as e dey hapun 22 May 2021 WIA DIS FOTO COME FROM, NIGERIA PRESIDENCY Wetin we call dis foto, Di late Lt Gen Attahiru Dem go lay di remains of Nigeria late Chief of Army Staff Lt Gen Ibrahim Attahiru to rest on Saturday. Lt Gen Attahiru die for military plane crash, togeda with 10 oda officers including di crew on dia way to Kaduna from Abuja, on Friday, 21, May, 2021. Di burial proceedings of di late Attahiru and 6 oda senior officers wey lost dia lives inside di air crash for Kaduna happun on Saturday, 22 May 21 in accordance wit Muslim rites. Nigeria military confirm death of Chief of Army Staff How Buhari, Atiku, Obaseki, odas react to death of di Chief of Army Staff Wetin we call dis foto, Wife of di late Chief of Army Staff (in black) arrive di Grand
AFP
REUTERS
'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20xlink%3Ahref='data%3Aimage/jpeg;base64,/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAQAAAQABAAD/2wBDABALDA4MChAODQ4SERATGCgaGBYWGDEjJR0oOjM9PDkzODdASFxOQERXRTc4UG1RV19iZ2hnPk1xeXBkeFxlZ2P/2wBDARESEhgVGC8aGi9jQjhCY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2P/wAARCAAFAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFQABAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAX/xAAhEAACAQIGAwAAAAAAAAAAAAABAgADEQQFBhIhMRQi0f/EABUBAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAME/8QAGREAAgMBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAhEAAQMS/9oADAMBAAIRAxEAPwCVmuMapXwb1AXJ9LMeluCAOOOzLa6fyp1DeIBuF7b2+xEpyGklEIy7uf/Z'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Comments
Post a Comment