AMLO Suspends Relations With US and Canadian Embassies
Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador during his daily morning press conference on Tuesday, Aug. 27. Photo: Presidencia
By KELIN DILLON
On Tuesday, Aug. 27, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) announced a “pause” in Mexico’s relationship with the U.S. and Canadian Embassies in Mexico following U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar and Canadian Ambassador to Mexico Graeme Clark’s public criticism of the federal executive’s controversial judicial reform.
However, López Obrador made sure to note that the suspension of relations is only with Canada and the United States embassies in Mexico and not with the countries themselves.
“How are we going to allow the ambassador to speak like this? With all due respect, this is not a matter of dispute, nor of enmity,” said AMLO on Salazar’s statement. “How are we going to allow him to think that what we are doing is wrong? Now we are not going to tell him to leave the country, but we are going to read him the Mexican Constitution, it is like reading him the Riot Act.”
“I trust that there will be a ratification in the sense that they will be respectful of the sovereignty of our country, because as long as there is no such thing and they continue with this policy, there will be a pause,” continued the federal executive.
López Obrador also spoke out against Canada’s judicial reform criticism, characterizing Clark’s words as “embarrassing.”
“Yes, of course (there will also be a pause in relations with Canada), they also have to learn to respect Mexico’s sovereignty,” said AMLO. “It is no small thing. We are not going to give them advice there, or tell them what is right and what is wrong. We want them to be respectful and for there to be a reciprocal relationship in terms of respect for sovereignty.”
“We’d better wait for time to pass, but if there is no respect, while I’m here, we will not allow any violation of our sovereignty,” concluded López Obrador. “I’m going to leave office soon, there are 30 days left, but while I’m president I cannot allow the constitution to be violated.”