Mexico's President Andrés Manuel López Obrador. Photo: Marco Ugarte/AP Photo.
By Svetlana Ekimenko – Aug 18, 2024
A diplomatic row is escalating between Mexico and the United States as part of a general pivot of the Latin American country away from Washington’s overbearing influence.
Outgoing President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has accused the US of sponsoring opposition NGOs through USAID programs.
Obrador said his Foreign Ministry had sent a diplomatic notice in protest at the funding of groups such as Mexicans Against Corruption and Impunity (MCCI), while he would personally write to US President Joe Biden about it.
The US government has sent nearly $5 million to MCCI since 2018, with private donors including the Rockefeller and Ford foundations, Mexico’s Financial Crimes Unit (UIF) said.
The US Agency for International Development (USAID), established by former President John F. Kennedy during the height of the Cold War, has long been controversial as a tool for to extend US influence under the cover of humanitarian aid. The agency has backed media, activist and political forces abroad to promote Washington’s favored policies and support operations in countries targeted for regime change — so-called “color revolutions” like in Ukraine in 2004 and 2014.
But reported attempts by the US to influence the outcome of the elections in Mexico through its NGOs appear to have failed. President-elect Claudia Sheinbaum – who will be sworn in on October 1 – has vowed to continue the policies of her predecessor.
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The current row comes as part of a general pivot away from the US driven by Obrador, also known by his initials AMLO.
The leader of the left-wing MORENA political party has repeatedly doubled-down on assurances that he will not tolerate Mexico being subservient to the US.
Last year Obrador rebuked “irresponsible” calls from some in the US Congress for military action against drug cartels. “We are not going to permit any foreign government to intervene in our territory,” he said.
Mexico’s president refused to grant the Pentagon permission to track a stray Chinese balloon through Mexican airspace using UIS military aircraft and surveillance drones last year. The US shot down the balloon, claiming it was on a spying mission for Beijing, despite China insisting it was a civilian craft conducting scientific research.
Obrador also accused the US Department of Defense of spying and vowed to restrict the exchange of military information after Mexico-related intelligence documents were leaked along with dozens of armed forces files last year.
AMLO conditioned helping Biden with his southern border migrant crisis on lifting sanctions on Cuba and Venezuela – both of which are Mexico’s trading partners.
Mexico has sought to slash imports of genetically-modified US corn in favor of boosting local production, sparking a trade dispute.
Together with other major Latin American countries, Mexico pushed back on efforts by the US and EU to diplomatically isolate Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro after he was re-elected for a third term in office.
Mexico has refused to be drawn into supporting NATO’s proxy war in Ukraine, and declined to impose economic sanctions on Russia.
Trade volume between Russia and Mexico increased by 9.8 percent in the first four months of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023, amounting to $759.99 million.
