MEXICO. In his first trip south of the border as president, Joe Biden will try to achieve what his predecessors failed to do: force Mexico to finally limit the flow of drugs.
Biden’s first full day in Mexico City will include a welcome ceremony and a bilateral meeting with Mexican President Andres Manuel López Obrador at the North American Leaders’ Summit.
The agenda of the meeting includes many issues, from migrant issues to supply chains and climate change. Biggest topic: stop the flow of fentanyl into the United States.
“We hope and expect that President Biden will be able to walk out of the meetings over the next few days and be able to tell you that he believes he has a commitment to work more closely on the fentanyl issue,” the White House national security adviser said. . Jake Sullivan told reporters on Monday.
Every president since Ronald Reagan has asked his Mexican counterpart for help in the war on drugs. First it was marijuana. Then cocaine, crack and heroin.
Now it’s fentanyl, the leading cause of death for Americans under 45.
Last
- Bienvenido a Ciudad de México: Biden will attend a welcoming ceremony with López Obrador at the National Palace, where the President of Mexico lives.
- Intimate limousine ride: Sullivan told reporters that Biden drove with Lopez Obrador from the airport back to the city.
- Mirror of Brazil January 6: Supporters of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro stormed the Congress, the Supreme Court and the presidential palace on Sunday. The recent attack may have come at a meeting between Biden, who denounced the actions, and López Obrador, who welcomed Brazil’s newly inaugurated leftist President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
- Ahead of the bilateral meeting, Biden, Lopez Obrador and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau released a joint statement saying they “support Brazil as it defends its democratic institutions.” “Our governments support the free will of the people of Brazil,” the leaders added.
Best Takeaways
While Biden has faced some hitches and snubs from López Obrador over the past year, the two leaders will need to work together to address key issues facing both countries: migration, drugs and guns.
The traditional relationship between the two countries has taken a back seat under the Trump administration, with former President Donald Trump frequently criticizing Mexico and threatening sanctions to help curb migration to the United States.
The bilateral meeting between Biden and López Obrador signals a return to more traditional relations between the two countries.
“This trip is a good opportunity for President Biden to deepen his personal engagement with President Lopez Obrador and Prime Minister Trudeau,” Sullivan said.
What they’re saying
- Sullivan said Biden looks forward to sharing his experience at the US-Mexico border, which he visited on Sunday in El Paso, in terms of migration as well as fentanyl issues facing the United States.
- Biden will “talk to him about ways for more effective U.S.-Mexico cooperation, more comprehensive deployment of technology, greater cooperation between Mexican and U.S. law enforcement officials, not just at the border, but at every step of the federal border.” supply chain,” Sullivan said.
Want to know more? Here’s what you missed.
North American Leaders Summit:Biden, who visited Mexico, will reveal the increase in deaths from fentanyl and record the crossing of the border by migrants
Fentanyl killed 70,000 people in the US:With Biden in Mexico, can neighbors work together to stop the flow?
The Court disputes:As Biden searches for answers to the migrant crisis, his politics are increasingly linked to the courts.
From the El Paso border:Biden faces pleas for help in the migrant crisis as he visits El Paso on his first trip to the border
In Mexico, the son of a famous drug lord was arrested:Arrest of El Chapo’s son Ovidio Guzmán throws Mexico into chaos ahead of Biden visit
US immigration cost:The cost of immigrating to the US can become more expensive. Here’s what you need to know.
Connect with Rebecca Morin on Twitter @RebeccaMorin_
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