Mexico’s President, Claudia Sheinbaum, dismissed the idea of strengthening Mexico’s southern border with Guatemala following her meeting with Kristi Noem, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security.
Instead, she proposed creating a “development pole” between Guatemala and Mexico to address migration causes. “I suggested (to the U.S. official) that the best way, not to fortify, but to address migration at the southern border is to develop a joint development area in the region,” Sheinbaum said.
She highlighted that her administration is working with Guatemala’s government to extend the Interoceanic Train project to that country and generate economic opportunities to halt migrant exodus.
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Regarding the possibility of sharing biometric information with the U.S., Sheinbaum acknowledged it was discussed in the meeting but clarified that Mexico lacks a unified biometric identification system.
“We do not have those biometric data to then work, collaborate and analyze the request made by the U.S. government, and insofar as possible, coordinate and share information for the security of Mexicans,” she said during her morning press conference on April 1st.
She confirmed that only the customs agreement signed in 2022 under former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador was ratified. This agreement includes cargo inspections and information exchange for security purposes.
The president reiterated her government’s stance on cooperation with the U.S., emphasizing principles of “shared responsibility, mutual trust, coordination, respect for sovereignty, and cooperation without subordination.”
On drug trafficking, Sheinbaum reiterated the need for shared responsibility and stated that the U.S. should intensify efforts to control weapon trafficking and reduce drug consumption on its territory.
She also mentioned that Mexico maintains operations with 10,000 National Guard elements to prevent drug trafficking towards the north, with seizures increasing thanks to these joint efforts.
