President Joe Biden assures that the relationship with his Mexican counterpart Andrés Manuel López Obrador is "strong and productive" despite the headlines that appear in the media.
By Cesar Reyes | La Opinion | JUL. 12, 2022 | Photo by Nicholas Kamm for AFP/Getty
The president of the United States, Joe Biden, received his Mexican counterpart, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, in the Oval room of the White House, where they agreed to work in a coordinated way between the two nations.
In a speech that lasted about half an hour, the Mexican president asked his U.S. counterpart to "regulate now" the situation of migrants living in the United States.
"It is essential, I say it sincerely and respectfully, to regularize now and give certainty to migrants who have been working honestly for several years and contribute to the development of this great nation," López Obrador said.
"I know that your adversaries, the conservatives, are going to shout in the sky, but without a daring program of development and well-being, it will not be possible to solve the problems or get the support of the people," he said.
López Obrador expressed the need to "order the migratory flow and allow the arrival in the United States of workers, technicians and professionals from the different disciplines, Mexican and Central American, with temporary work visas," as part of his proposal announced a few days ago.
"The purpose is to have the workforce that will demand the plan proposed by you and approved by Congress to allocate more than one trillion dollars for the construction of infrastructure works," he said.
The Mexican president told Biden that the way out of the problems faced by both nations is not in conservatism but in transformation.
"In the face of the crisis, the way out is not in conservatism but in transformation, acting with courage, transforming, not maintaining the status quo," he said.
The head of the Mexican executive said he had confidence in Joe Biden because he always respects Mexico's sovereignty and expressed his support and solidarity with the U.S. president.
"For our part, we act in good faith and with all transparency, because there should be no selfishness between neighboring peoples and friends, in addition, integration does not mean hegemony or subjugation," he said.
"And we trust you, President Biden because you respect our sovereignty, we are willing to continue working with you for the benefit of our peoples, always count on our support and our solidarity," he said.
During the meeting, the Mexican president compared the cost of gasoline in the United States and Mexico and pointed out that it is a cheaper dollar per gallon in his country.
He later suggested that Joe Biden suspend tariffs and certain regulations, in order to benefit consumers. "So that we can lower prices for consumers in our two countries," he suggested.
For his part, President Joe Biden said that the relationship between the two presidents is "strong and productive," despite the news that sometimes appears in the press.
"Despite the exaggerated headlines we see sometimes, you and I have a strong and productive relationship," Biden said during the first minutes of the meeting with López Obrador.
Joe Biden also defended his policy of seeing Mexico as "an equal partner." "Our nations share close ties ... and are united through our values and our history," he said.
The U.S. president stressed that both countries "are going to address migration problems together" and recalled that, like the United States, Mexico "has become a main destination for migrants."
"My Administration is leading the way to create job opportunities through legal channels" for migrants, said Biden, who said that his government set "a record" last year with the issuance of 300,000 H2 visas to Mexicans, which are temporary to work in non-agricultural jobs.
Prior to the meeting with Joe Biden, the Mexican president was received by the vice president of the United States, Kamala Harris, at the residence located at the Naval Observatory.
Kamala Harris said that it was "a great pleasure" to welcome Andrés Manuel López Obrador to her residence, with whom he has already been seen before both in Washington and Mexico City.
The U.S. vice president recalled that on her trip last year to Mexico she had "wonderful successes" with the president, with whom she spoke about the culture of the Latin American country and observed the paintings of the National Palace.
"I would like to welcome you and continue our relationship based on traditions and friendship," Harris concluded.
For his part, López Obrador said he was very happy to see Kamala Harris again, whom he described as a very intelligent and honest woman.
"I am very happy with this meeting with the vice president, Kamala Harris... She is our friend, intelligent, honest, to thank the American people because they have a vice president of the first order, we have always talked for the benefit of our peoples and our nations, thank you very much," López Obrador said.
After the meeting with Kamala Harris and Joe Biden, López Obrador will pay tribute to former President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1933-1945) and then participate in a ceremony in honor of Martin Luther King.
By Wednesday, July 13, before returning to Mexico, the head of the Mexican executive will have a meeting with Mexican and American businessmen where the presence is confirmed, among others, the tycoon Carlos Slim.
