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.
International
Macron meets Machado, stresses need for democratic transition in Venezuela
Emmanuel Macron met on Monday at the Élysée Palace with Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, where they discussed the importance of advancing a democratic transition in Venezuela.
In a message shared on social media, Macron highlighted Machado’s commitment to freedom and stressed the need to achieve a transition that is peaceful and respects the will of the Venezuelan people.
“I received María Corina Machado, Nobel Peace Prize laureate. Together, we discussed her commitment to freedom and the importance of achieving a democratic, peaceful transition in Venezuela that respects the will of its people,” he wrote.
For her part, Machado expressed her “deep gratitude” to Macron and to France for their support of democracy and freedom in Venezuela.
“We have gone through a long and painful journey, and we are now very close to freedom. Venezuela will become a nation of free and equal men and women—prosperous, safe, and united,” she said.
International
Trump says Iran seeks new talks after failed negotiations in Pakistan
Donald Trump said on Monday that Iran has reached out to United States to resume negotiations, following the collapse of recent talks held in Islamabad.
“We’ve been contacted by the other side,” Trump told reporters, adding that Iran is eager to reach a deal “at all costs.” Speaking from the Oval Office, he reiterated that his main objective is to prevent the Islamic Republic from acquiring nuclear weapons and warned that he will not allow Iran to “blackmail” the international community.
After negotiations between Washington and Tehran ended without agreement on Sunday, Trump announced that the U.S. would move to block the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for global oil trade.
The waterway had already been disrupted by Iran in response to a U.S. and Israeli offensive launched on February 28, causing significant shocks to the global economy.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump further warned that any Iranian vessel attempting to bypass the U.S. naval blockade in the strait would be “eliminated immediately.”
The renewed tensions have pushed oil prices higher, while global stock markets have reacted negatively to the lack of an agreement in Islamabad.
International
Trump orders U.S. control of Strait of Hormuz after failed Iran talks
U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that the United States will take control of the Strait of Hormuz“effective immediately,” following the collapse of negotiations with Iran held in Islamabad.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said he had ordered the U.S. Navy to block vessels attempting to enter or exit the strategic waterway, a key route for global energy trade.
“The meeting went well, agreement was reached on most points, but the only really important one — nuclear weapons — was not approved,” Trump said, referring to the talks with Iranian representatives.
The president also stated that he had instructed authorities to intercept ships in international waters that had paid tolls to Iran to transit the strait, calling such payments “illegal.” He further accused Tehran of hindering an agreement by deploying mines in the area, describing the move as “international extortion.”
Trump added that the United States will undertake efforts to clear mines from the strait and expressed confidence that a future agreement ensuring free navigation could eventually be reached.
The announcement came after Vice President JD Vance and special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner briefed the president on the outcome of the negotiations, considered the highest-level contacts between the two countries since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
While Trump acknowledged that enough progress had been made to maintain a temporary truce, he criticized Iran for remaining unwilling to abandon its nuclear ambitions, calling its position “very inflexible” on the central issue.
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