Biden, AMLO and Trudeau seek to ease tension over migration

Biden, who has faced continued political pressure over the increase in unauthorized migration from Latin America since he took office, arrived in Mexico on Sunday after a confrontation with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott in El Paso, Texas, during his first visit to the border as president.

Meanwhile, the summit agenda threatens to be overshadowed by events in Brazil, where supporters of defeated former President Jair Bolsonaro stormed the country’s capital on Sunday in riots reminiscent of the Jan. 6, 2021 storming of the US Capitol. Biden described the incident as “outrageous”; it is believed that Bolsonaro He has been in Florida since before the inauguration of his successor, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

The countries of North America have enjoyed a more cordial relationship under Biden than his predecessor, Donald Trump, who tried to renegotiate the continent’s free trade agreement on terms more favorable to the United States and never participated in what is colloquially known as the “three amigos summit.” Biden hosted López Obrador, known as AMLO, and Trudeau in November 2021.

But migration, Mexico’s energy policy and the growth of drug overdose deaths in the United States are sticking points.

US and Mexican officials said AMLO’s nationalist energy policy will not be a substantive part of the summit’s agenda. The United States and Canada are studying the possibility of requesting arbitration over AMLO’s policy that favors Mexico’s state-owned electricity company over private renewable energy companies.

Trudeau said in an interview with Reuters published on Friday that he and Biden will argue to AMLO that resolving the dispute would help attract more foreign investment to Mexico.

Biden Y AMLO They will focus their conversations onwindows of opportunity” more than in problems between the two countries, Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard said in an interview with local radio on Thursday, adding that Biden’s empathy for Mexico favors relations.

López Obrador seeks the support of Biden to secure development bank financing for an ambitious solar power project near the northern border, and also wants to partner with the US government in its effort to boost domestic semiconductor manufacturing.

The United States is increasingly concerned about the smuggling of fentanyl from Mexico. Overdose deaths in the United States have increased fivefold in the past two decades, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, driven largely by abuse of the synthetic opioid.

John Kirby, a spokesman for the White House National Security Council, said Friday that border authorities have seized 20,000 pounds of fentanyl since August.

Before the visit of Biden, Mexican authorities detained a son of drug trafficker Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán. His capture left 29 soldiers and cartel members dead, according to the government, but AMLO’s government can point to the arrest as a sign that he is cracking down on drug trafficking.

The US president also seeks greater cooperation with the Mexican authorities in border control.

Biden announced last week the expansion of a parole program that would allow more immigrants from Venezuela, Cuba, Haiti and Nicaragua to enter the country through applications submitted through a telephone application. But along with the new program, the United States will deny entry to more migrants from those countries who show up at the southwest border, returning them to Mexico. The AMLO government says it supports the plan.

The leaders are also expected to discuss the deteriorating security and humanitarian situation in Haiti. The United States is wary of unilateral intervention and has pushed for Canada to lead any effort. Canada has sent diplomatic teams to Haiti to assess options, such as a police training mission, but Trudeau has said any international involvement must first have the consensual support of Haitian political leaders.

Canada and the United States have also been in talks to resolve a dispute over Nexus, a program that allows fast passage of travelers through airports and border crossings. The two parties are getting closer to a deal, Bloomberg News reported on Friday.

Biden Y AMLO they will meet with their teams on Monday, before Trudeau joins them for dinner. The three leaders will hold their summit on Tuesday and Biden is scheduled to leave for Washington afterwards. Trudeau and AMLO will meet on Wednesday.