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Topics: Donald Trump, Drugs, Mexico, Politics, US News, World News
Poppy Bilderbeck
Topics: Donald Trump, Drugs, Mexico, Politics, US News, World News
Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum has revealed Donald Trump's 'proposition' to 'help' the country with drug trafficking and why she firmly said 'no'.
With Donald Trump having signed an executive order to rename the Gulf of Mexico alongside having unleashed tariffs on the country too as part of his bid to 'hold [certain countries] accountable for their promises to halt the flood of poisonous drugs into the US', it's fair to say relations between the President of the US and Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum have been tense.
However, on April 16, the pair had a 45-minute phone conversation which Sheinbaum described as 'very positive' despite Trump's suggestion to send over US armed forces to help battle Mexican drug gangs.
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On May 3, Sheinbaum spoke at a university event near the capital and reflected on her call with Trump.
She said: "In one of the calls, Trump said, 'How can we help you fight drug trafficking? I propose that the US Army come in to help you'.
"And you know what I told him? 'No, President Trump, the territory is sacrosanct, sovereignty is sacrosanct, sovereignty is not for sale, sovereignty is loved and defended'."
Doubling down on the response, Sheinbaum continued: "We will never accept the presence of the United States military in our territory."
She resolved: "We can work together, but you in your territory and us in ours."
And later that day, White House National Security Council spokesperson James Hewitt addressed the call, too.
Hewitt said Sheinbaum and Trump have been working together 'to achieve the most secure southwest border in history'.
However, he added: "Dangerous Foreign Terrorist Organizations, however, continue to threaten our shared security and the drugs and crime they spread threaten American communities across the country.
"The President has been crystal clear that Mexico must do more do combat these gangs and cartels and the United States stands ready to assist and expand the already close cooperation between our two countries."
Elsewhere in the phone call, the pair discussed ongoing trade issues.
Sheinbaum took to Twitter on May 1 to write: "I had a very positive conversation with President Trump; we agreed that the Secretaries of Finance and Treasury, as well as Economy and Commerce, will continue working in the coming days on alternatives to improve our trade balance and advance on pending issues for the benefit of both countries."
While no specific agreement had been made, the Mexican president resolved, as quoted by France24: "The important thing is that we're working on it, and there's a desire on the part of the US government and ours to reach even better trade agreements."