According to The Washington Post, in Mexico, frustration with Trump grows as relations reach a ‘defining moment’.
When Secretary of State Mike Pompeo appeared with his counterpart from Mexico this week in Washington, there were smiles and mutual reassurances, with Pompeo insisting that the two countries are “neighbors, allies and friends.”
Behind the scenes, Mexico’s relationship with the United States is more about grimaces, anxiety and signs of severe strain.
Buffeted by harsh criticism from President Trump, and facing a presidential election that could bring a more confrontational leader to power, the Mexican government has found itself in an unusually tight bind.
In one sign of its mounting frustration, the Mexican government over the past month has canceled meetings with American counterparts, including a cross-border coordination session to fight drug trafficking and an annual military exchange, according to current and former U.S. and Mexican officials.
The steps were taken last month after Trump called for the deployment of National Guard troops to the border and sharply criticized Mexico for not doing more to stop a caravan of migrants from moving toward the United States. Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto also has issued an unusual order to review all bilateral relations with the United States, a process that is underway amid a high-stakes renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement.