Within the weeks main as much as the inauguration of Donald J. Trump has repeatedly promised to hold out the most important deportations in US historical past and to militarize the border, while his transition team rejected requests from regional leaders to fulfill in regards to the results of his promised actions.
He has made nations like Mexico the goal of his assaults, claiming migrants are flooding america with fentanyl and threatening to impose devastating tariffs. He additionally targeted on Panama, repeatedly saying the nation had allowed China to take management, forcing america to step in and take again the Panama Canal.
As Mr. Trump was inaugurated in Washington on Monday, the standard congratulatory messages had been additionally accompanied by a few of the Latin American leaders who sharply departed from the standard diplomatic norms.
“There isn’t a cause for Mexico to maintain its head down or really feel lower than. We’re an excellent nation, a cultural powerhouse,” President Claudia Scheinbaum mentioned throughout her every day morning information convention. “Our relationship with america will likely be equal.
She additionally sought to reassure unauthorized Mexicans dwelling in america who may be deported. “Mexicans are crucial to the U.S. financial system, and the Trump administration is aware of it,” Ms. Sheinbaum mentioned. “To our fellow women and men: You aren’t alone and should stay calm.”
Mexico has the most important variety of undocumented immigrants in america, with about 4 million Mexicans living there without permission since 2022in accordance with the Pew Analysis Heart.
Mexican International Minister Juan Ramon de la Fuente additionally mentioned Monday that Mexico wouldn’t help an anticipated transfer to revive the coverage referred to as Keep in Mexico, which underneath Trump’s first presidency pressured migrants searching for asylum to attend in Mexico till the timing of their immigration court docket hearings. The coverage was a boon to drug cartel members who focused asylum seekers to extort, kidnap and rape them, say human rights groups.
“Sure, they’ll do it; it’s their proper,” Mr. de la Fuente mentioned of america. However whereas he conceded that “some agreements” might be reached, he identified that Mexico has no authorized obligation to course of migrants’ asylum claims in america.
Hours later, in a message on social media, Ms. Scheinbaum greetings Mr. Trump. “As neighbors and buying and selling companions, dialogue, respect and cooperation will all the time be the hallmark of our relationship,” she wrote.
However throughout a marathon session signing government orders, Mr Trump mentioned on Monday that he would imposed 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada on Feb. 1, accusing each nations, as they’ve up to now, of permitting undocumented immigrants and fentanyl into america. Ms. Sheinbaum and a few of her administration officers mentioned earlier Mexico will have to fight back on america with its personal tariffs.
Following Mr Trump’s inauguration, Honduran President Xiomara Castro, who warned earlier this month that it is able to kick the US army overseas if Mr Trump pursues mass deportations, restricted itself to sending a well mannered message welcoming him again to responsibility.
However the nation’s Deputy International Minister Tony Garcia mentioned in a phone interview Monday afternoon that his nation and a number of other of its neighbors don’t plan to just accept giant numbers of flights carrying deportees with out first negotiating the method with the incoming administration.
“They can’t be carried out unilaterally,” he mentioned of the mass deportations.
Mr Garcia mentioned that whereas there have been presently no plans to finish Honduras’ army settlement with america, which permits US operations from a serious army base, the Castro administration was nonetheless contemplating it as a possible possibility, so “they settle for us extra critically.”
The international ministers of a number of nations met final week to debate their response to the incoming Trump administration in Mexico Metropolis, together with Belize, Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico and Venezuela. In line with Mr. Garcia, the events agreed that they’d not “enable anybody to be forcibly deported. If a rustic says nobody can enter, no airplane can land.”
Honduras is estimated to have about 525,000 unauthorized immigrants dwelling in america, in accordance with the Pew Analysis Heart. Mr. Garcia mentioned it has obtained flights carrying greater than half 1,000,000 deportees from america over the previous decade. He mentioned the nation plans to proceed receiving such flights, however the two governments should first develop a plan.
“We help coordination,” he mentioned. “Not submission.”
His had been a few of the harshest phrases for the brand new president.
in Panama, target of Mr Trump’s latest criticismtogether with his false claims that China controls the Panama Canal and that america ought to take it again, President José Raúl Molino flatly rejected the president’s claims, which he repeated throughout his inaugural deal with.
“The canal is and can proceed to belong to Panama and its administration will proceed to be underneath Panamanian management,” Mr. Mulino said in a statement published on X.
Nevertheless, later within the day, the Panamanian comptroller’s workplace introduced that auditors had visited the county’s maritime authority to start an audit of the Panama Ports Firm, a subsidiary of Hutchison Ports Holding. The corporate is the primary port operator and foremost port concessionaire within the nation. It is usually a part of CK Hutchison Holdings, a Hong Kong-based conglomerate.
“The aim of this complete audit is to make sure the environment friendly and clear use of public assets,” the comptroller’s workplace mentioned. said.
To Mr. Trump inaugural speech – through which he mentioned he would “repel the disastrous invasion of our nation” – ceaselessly took intention on the area, as did most of the government orders he signed Monday evening.
However some leaders reaffirmed their intention to work with the brand new president and help his coverage objectives.
President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador, who has shut ties to Mr. Trump and his household, was invited to the inauguration however didn’t attend, Cindy Portal, a senior official at El Salvador’s international ministry, mentioned in a radio interview. As a substitute, the nation was represented by its ambassador to the US.
Ms. Portal didn’t point out any plans to once more reject deportations of Salvadorans, who additionally make up one of many largest teams of unauthorized immigrants within the nation. El Salvador had 750,000 unauthorized immigrants dwelling in america in 2022, in accordance with the Pew Analysis Heart.
As a substitute, Ms. Portal highlighted the Bukele administration’s ties to each Mr. Trump’s son and Marco Rubio, Mr. Trump’s secretary of state, which was confirmed Monday evening.
“The message we’re giving to Salvadorans as the federal government of El Salvador is to attend and never get forward of ourselves,” she mentioned. “President Trump was clear about bringing again the unhealthy guys they went to destroy.”
She mentioned that if Salvadorans haven’t dedicated a criminal offense in america, they don’t have anything to worry.
International locations within the area which were economically remoted by US sanctions have had blended responses to Mr Trump’s return to energy and the wave of orders. Nicaragua’s authorities remained silent whereas Venezuela’s inside minister wished Mr Trump “the very best”.
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel condemned the “fraudulent designation of Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism” in message on social media. “The results of the intense financial blockade measures imposed by Trump has been to impress shortages amongst our individuals and tremendously improve the circulation of migration from Cuba to america,” the assertion mentioned.
However in a twist, nations that had been shut buying and selling companions of america additionally noticed their economies threatened. As of late Monday, Mexican leaders had but to answer Mr. Trump’s tariff menace. However Canada’s finance minister, Dominic LeBlanc, did.
“Our nation is completely prepared to answer any of those situations,” Mr LeBlanc mentioned. “We nonetheless proceed to imagine that might be a mistake.”
Reporting contributed by Simon Romero, James Wagner and Yubelka Mendoza from Mexico Metropolis; Matina Stevies-Gridneff from Toronto; Genevieve Glatsky from Bogotá, Colombia; Mary Trini Zea from Panama Metropolis; Labrador Gabriel of San Salvador, El Salvador; and Joan Suazo from Tegucigalpa, Honduras.
