International

Biden in Mexico for talks on migrants, drugs

Photo: Jim Watwon / AFP

January 9th | By AFP | Daniel Rook |

A regional migration and drug smuggling crisis is expected to dominate talks between US President Joe Biden and his Mexican counterpart Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Monday.

Biden arrived in Mexico City late Sunday after a politically charged stop at the southern US border — his first since taking office.

He will meet Monday and Tuesday with Lopez Obrador and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau one-on-one and also together in what is dubbed the “Three Amigos” summit.

While trade and environmental issues are also on the table, Biden has put a surge in irregular migration and dangerous drug trafficking front and center of his trip, his first to Mexico as president.

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“Our problems at the border didn’t arise overnight,” Biden tweeted after his arrival.

“And they won’t be solved overnight. But, we can come together to fix this broken system. We can secure the border and fix the immigration process to be orderly, fair, safe, and humane.”

Lopez Obrador, who joined Biden in his armored limousine for the journey from the airport, called for increased investment in the region so that people are less likely to flee their countries.

“Opportunities must be guaranteed to citizens, to workers of all countries in their places of origin,” he told reporters.

‘Where are our rights?’

On his way to Mexico, Biden stopped for several hours in El Paso, Texas, a city at the heart of the troubled border.

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He met with US officials at the Bridge of the Americas crossing, watching a demonstration of the latest border enforcement technology, as well as a customs sniffer dog.

He later got out of his motorcade to inspect a section of the tall fencing that snakes between El Paso and its twin city Juarez on the Mexican side.

“They need a lot of resources. We’re going to get it for them,” Biden told reporters after his visit to the customs post.

Just ahead of Biden’s arrival in Mexico, a line of migrants, some with children in their arms, were deported from El Paso to Ciudad Juarez, according to an AFP reporter at the scene.

Venezuelan Jose David Melendez told AFP that he had been apprehended by border guards at a church where he was taking refuge.

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“The police officers from the border patrol came and hit us, made us run, pointed guns at us, pointed at children with firearms. Where are our human rights?” the 25-year-old said.

Biden is under political pressure in the face of spiraling illegal border crossings and applications for asylum.

Adding to the crisis has been a surge in cross-border smuggling of the highly addictive and often deadly narcotic fentanyl.

Biden’s visit sought to respond to Republican accusations that he has been ignoring the situation.

On Thursday Biden announced an expansion of powers to expel people showing up at the border without clearance.

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At the same time, a legal, strictly enforced pathway will be created for up to 30,000 migrants a month from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela.

The quota will be restricted to those who already have a US sponsor, while anyone attempting to cross the border illegally will be expelled in coordination with Mexico.

Human rights groups harshly criticized this as closing the door on desperate people, but the Biden administration says its actions will essentially kill the market for human smuggling networks, while encouraging legitimate arrivals.

Cartel violence

In 2021, the United States and Mexico announced a revamp of their fight against drug trafficking to address the root causes of migration, encourage economic development and bolster curbs against cross-border arms smuggling.

Mexico is plagued by cartel-related bloodshed that has seen more than 340,000 people murdered since the government deployed the military in the war on drugs in 2006.

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Days before Biden’s visit, Mexican security forces captured a son of notorious drug kingpin Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, who is serving a life sentence at a US prison.

The United States had offered a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to Ovidio Guzman’s arrest, accusing him of being a key player in the Sinaloa cartel founded by his father.

Climate change and cooperation in clean energy technologies will also be on the summit agenda, with Mexico hoping to benefit from Washington’s efforts to reduce its reliance on Asia-based manufacturers.

Related Topics:Biden EEUU México migrants

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International

Marco Rubio warns Cuba could be Trump administration’s next target

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio did not rule out that Cuba’s communist government could become the next target of the Trump administration, just one day after the arrest of Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro.

In an interview on Meet the Press, Rubio issued a warning to Havana, stating that Cuban authorities are “in a lot of trouble.”

“Is the Cuban government the next target of the Trump administration?” journalist Kristen Welker asked.
“Well, the Cuban government is a major problem. Yes,” Rubio replied.
“So that’s a yes?” Welker pressed.
“I think they’re in a lot of trouble, yes,” the Secretary of State added.

In a separate appearance, Rubio—who is the son of Cuban immigrants—claimed that Venezuela’s intelligence services were “full of Cubans” and said the island nation had effectively taken control of Venezuela.

“In some cases, one of the biggest challenges Venezuelans face is having to declare their independence from Cuba,” Rubio said from President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club. “They basically tried to colonize the country from a security standpoint. So yes, if I were living in Havana and part of the government, I would at least be worried.”

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During a press conference on Saturday, President Trump himself said the United States seeks to be surrounded by “good neighbors.”

“It’s very similar in the sense that we want to help the people of Cuba, but we also want to help those who are forced to leave and live in this country,” Trump said. He also described the island as a “nation in decline” that is “not doing very well right now.”

The Cuban government has not yet responded to Rubio’s remarks. However, as a staunch ally of Maduro’s regime, Cuban authorities strongly condemned recent explosions and U.S. operations in Caracas.

“All nations in the region must remain alert, as the threat looms over everyone. In Cuba, our determination to fight is firm and unbreakable. The decision is one and only one: Homeland or Death,” Cuban officials said in a statement.

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International

Trump signals possible expansion of U.S. regional policy beyond Venezuela

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that Cuba could become a subject of discussion as part of a broader regional policy, highlighting the possibility that Washington may expand its focus beyond Venezuela amid rising tensions in Latin America.

The remarks suggest that the White House is considering a recalibration of its strategy toward the region, in a context shaped by recent actions and warnings related to political stability and hemispheric security.

International

World leaders react to U.S. attacks on Venezuela, sparking global divide

The following are international reactions to the U.S. attacks carried out on Saturday against Venezuela:

Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs

China said it was “deeply shocked” and strongly condemned the use of force by the United States against a sovereign country, as well as the use of force against the president of that nation.

“China firmly opposes this hegemonic behavior by the United States, which seriously violates international law, infringes upon Venezuela’s sovereignty, and threatens peace and security in Latin America and the Caribbean,” the ministry said. It urged Washington to comply with international law and the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter, and to cease actions that violate the sovereignty and security of other countries.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot

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Barrot stated that the military operation that led to the capture of Nicolás Maduro violates the principle of non-use of force, which underpins international law. He stressed that no lasting political solution can be imposed from outside and that only sovereign peoples can decide their own future.

Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Russia said the United States had committed an act of armed aggression against Venezuela, describing the move as deeply troubling and condemnable.

“The pretexts used to justify such actions are unfounded,” the ministry said, adding that ideological animosity had prevailed over pragmatism and the willingness to build relations based on trust and predictability.

Moscow emphasized the need to prevent further escalation and to focus on resolving the crisis through dialogue. It reiterated that Latin America should remain a zone of peace, as declared in 2014, and that Venezuela must be guaranteed the right to determine its own destiny without external — especially military — interference.

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Russia also said it supports calls by Venezuelan authorities and Latin American leaders for an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council.

United Nations

UN spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said Secretary-General António Guterres continues to stress the importance of full respect for international law, including the UN Charter. He added that the secretary-general is deeply concerned that international legal norms were not respected.

Government of Argentina and President Javier Milei

Argentine President Javier Milei, a close regional ally of Donald Trump, posted on X: “FREEDOM MOVES FORWARD. LONG LIVE FREEDOM, DAMN IT,” alongside a video showing him at a summit describing Maduro as a threat to the region and supporting the pressure exerted by Trump on Caracas.

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In a statement, the Argentine government praised “the decision and determination shown by the President of the United States and his administration in the recent actions taken in Venezuela that led to the capture of the dictator Nicolás Maduro, leader of the Cartel of the Suns.”

Argentina said it hopes these developments represent a decisive step forward in the fight against narcoterrorism in the region.

Mexican Foreign Ministry

Mexico strongly condemned and rejected the unilateral military actions carried out in recent hours by U.S. armed forces against targets in Venezuelan territory, calling them a clear violation of Article 2 of the United Nations Charter.

The Mexican government reiterated that dialogue and negotiation are the only legitimate and effective means to resolve disputes and reaffirmed its willingness to support any effort aimed at facilitating dialogue, mediation, or accompaniment to preserve regional peace and prevent confrontation.