International
The US ambassador says goodbye to Mexico without regretting “anything” despite bilateral tension
The US ambassador to Mexico, Ken Salazar, said goodbye on Monday with a last message in which he assured that he “does not regret anything”, amid bilateral tensions over Washington’s criticism of judicial reform and the production of fentanyl in the country.
“I don’t regret anything. I’m leaving better, feeling that we have a strong and good job, which should be carried out between the two countries more frequently,” he said at a final press conference before leaving the position of ambassador, which he held since 2021 when Democratic President Joe Biden appointed him.
“In more than three years and more than 120 visits, I toured the 32 states of Mexico (…) Our countries have lived a historical cooperation consolidating North America as the main economic power,” he stressed.
The president-elect of the United States, the Republican Donald Trump, who will take office on January 20, has announced as his candidate for ambassador of the country to Mexico the retired colonel Ronald Johnson, a position for which he must be approved by the US Senate.
Salazar, 69, began his stay in Mexico showing great closeness to President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (2018-2024), but over time the relationship became tense until he ended with direct criticism of the Mexican government’s security policy and the judicial reform that the popular election of judges seeks.
The ambassador commented on the controversy surrounding fentanyl, causing a public health crisis due to a wave of overdose deaths in the United States, and that Washington considers to be produced in Mexico and China, so he has redoubled the calls to these countries to fight its production.
“I know what happens, that there is fentanyl in Mexico and I also know that it is produced here,” he said.
However, he indicated that it is “a debate, which occurs or does not occur, does not lead us where we have to go” and called on the Mexican government to maintain collaboration with the United States on this matter.
After Salazar’s departure, the business manager, Mark Johnson, is in charge of the US embassy in Mexico.
Regarding the proposals for mass deportations and tightening of Trump’s immigration policies, the outgoing ambassador acknowledged that there will be “changes” and “fear” among the migrant population in the United States.
It is estimated that about half of the 11 million undocumented people in the United States are Mexicans.
Last week, the president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, proposed that this month there be a meeting between the foreign ministers of Latin America to address the challenges of migration before Trump’s arrival at the White House.
Sheinbaum, who has said she is prepared to receive the deported Mexicans, has reiterated “the insistence on the United States that repatriation be made to the different countries of origin,” instead of expelling them all to Mexico.
Central America
Argentina Falls to Lowest Rating in Global Workers’ Rights Index Under Milei Administration
Argentina and Panama have joined Ecuador among the world’s 10 worst countries for workers’ rights, according to a report released Monday by the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC).
The three Latin American nations appear alongside Belarus, Egypt, Eswatini, Myanmar, Nigeria, Tunisia and Turkey in the latest edition of the Global Rights Index, which evaluates the protection of labor rights around the world.
According to the ITUC, Argentina entered the list this year after being downgraded to Category 5, marking its second consecutive year of declining ratings.
“Argentina joins the list of the 10 worst countries for workers this year after falling to Category 5, following a second consecutive year of deterioration in its rating,” the organization stated.
The report argues that working conditions and the environment for trade unions have become increasingly restrictive under the administration of President Javier Milei.
“Conditions for workers and trade unions have become increasingly repressive and hostile under the far-right government of President Javier Milei,” the study said.
The ITUC also highlighted Argentina’s implementation of an anti-blockade protocol aimed at maintaining public order during road blockades. According to the report, the measure authorizes what it describes as the indiscriminate use of police force.
The organization noted that Argentina’s rating has worsened for a second consecutive year, placing the country in Category 5, the lowest level assigned in the index and the worst rating Argentina has ever received.
“This represents an abrupt and unprecedented decline from Category 3 to Category 5 in just two years,” the report stated.
Category 5 includes countries where workers’ rights are considered “not guaranteed.” According to the ITUC, the downgrade reflects a shift from recurring labor rights violations to a situation in which workers are no longer assured basic protections.
The annual index assesses issues such as freedom of association, collective bargaining rights, the right to strike and legal protections for workers and trade unions.
The report’s findings place renewed international attention on labor conditions in several countries, particularly in Latin America, where Argentina, Panama and Ecuador now rank among the most challenging environments for workers’ rights.
International
OAS Election Mission to Monitor Claims of Political Interference by Colombia’s President
The Electoral Observation Mission of the Organization of American States (OAS) has pledged to follow up on allegations regarding the alleged involvement of Colombian President Gustavo Petro in political campaigning ahead of Sunday’s presidential election.
The announcement was made by presidential candidate Claudia López after a meeting with the head of the OAS Electoral Observation Mission, former Dominican Republic President Leonel Fernández.
According to a statement released by López’s campaign, the OAS mission listened to the concerns raised by the candidate and committed to monitoring the complaints she has submitted to both national and international organizations.
The mission also reiterated its commitment to overseeing the electoral process to help ensure that the will of Colombian voters is respected throughout the election.
“We have turned to international forums and technical observation missions to warn that Colombian democracy cannot be left at the mercy of fear or undue pressure,” López, the former mayor of Bogotá, said following the meeting.
López has repeatedly expressed concerns about what she describes as political interference in the electoral process and has called on national and international institutions to closely monitor the conduct of the campaign.
The OAS observation mission is one of several international bodies deployed to Colombia to monitor the presidential election, which is taking place amid heightened political tensions and intense competition among candidates from across the ideological spectrum.
The election is expected to be closely watched both domestically and internationally as Colombians choose whether to continue with the country’s first left-wing administration or shift toward a new political direction.
International
Colombia Votes in Pivotal Election as Left Seeks to Retain Power
Colombians headed to the polls on Sunday in a crucial presidential election that will determine whether the country continues under its first left-wing government in modern history or shifts back toward the political right.
The election campaign has been marked by deep political divisions, with armed violence and economic concerns emerging as the dominant issues for voters.
A total of 11 candidates remain in the race following the withdrawal of three presidential tickets. The central question is which candidate will advance to a likely runoff election alongside ruling-party senator Iván Cepeda, who has led opinion polls for months with his platform of “democratic revolution” but is not expected to secure enough votes to win outright in the first round.
On the right, Senator Paloma Valencia of the Democratic Center party, the political movement founded by former President Álvaro Uribe, has lost momentum as support has grown for far-right attorney Abelardo de la Espriella. Known as “The Tiger,” De la Espriella has campaigned on a tough-on-crime agenda targeting criminal organizations and guerrilla groups, drawing comparisons to the security policies of Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele.
Political analyst Sandra Borda, a professor at the University of the Andes, argues that Colombia is experiencing not simply greater polarization but a broader political landscape.
“The 2016 peace agreement with the FARC opened significant space for the left. Inevitably, it also created opportunities for the right,” Borda told CNN. The political scientist, who ran for the Senate in 2022 with the New Liberalism movement, believes the current election presents a more challenging environment for the left than four years ago.
According to Borda, left-wing candidates can no longer campaign solely as agents of change who have never had the opportunity to govern or who remained untouched by traditional politics.
“They can no longer make that argument. They have already governed and are no longer immune from criticism associated with political power,” she said.
The election is being closely watched across Latin America as voters weigh the record of the outgoing administration against promises of change from candidates across the political spectrum.
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