Ken Salazar leaves Mexico away from Sheinbaum and through the back door

Salazar arrived in September 2021 and, from his first minutes in Mexican territory, expressed his intention to work for the prosperity of both countries.

“I have come here to work with the people of Mexico and the United States to ensure a prosperous time ahead,” he said on September 11, 2021.

Soon, Salazar became close to then-president Andrés Manuel López Obrador. Once or twice a month, the ambassador visited the National Palace to meet with the head of the federal Executive to discuss issues on the bilateral agenda. There were no intermediaries. He entered and exited with confidence.

That closeness even caused discomfort in Joe Biden’s own administration. The diary The New York Times He published that there was concern about this, because the interests of the United States government could be put at risk.

“There is growing concern within the administration that, in the process of rapprochement, the ambassador has risked American interests and has not used the relationship to advance policies when Biden needs it most,” the newspaper reported on July 5, 2022.

Salazar’s job, he said, was to “avoid conflicts with a volatile Mexican leader who has the power to affect Biden’s political future by refusing to contain migration.”

But Salazar not only went to the National Palace for one-on-one meetings with López Obrador, he was also a frequent guest of the then president at celebrations, festivities, inaugurations of works and some events, especially in the south-southeast of the country.

The distance

But the honeymoon ended and the distance came. Topics like Energy Reform, Judicial Reform and the arrest of capo Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada They led to disagreements between Ken Salazar and the López Obrador government.

The United States ambassador in Mexico began to be more critical of the decisions of the Moreno administration and, in the National Palace, he did not like it.

One of those statements even suggested that the bilateral relationship was at risk: ”I believe, in my opinion, that the debate on the direct election of judges, as well as the fierce politics if the elections of judges are approved in 2025 and 2027, “threaten the historic commercial relationship we have built”Salazar said. Last August 22, the American official.

These differences caused the Mexican government to send a diplomatic note to the United States to express their disagreement with Ken Salazar’s statements, as happened with the Democratic politician’s criticism of the Energy Reform initiative, which caused López Obrador to make a “pause the relationship” with the ambassador.

“The relationship continues but I hope there is a ratification from them that they are going to be respectful of the independence of Mexico, of the sovereignty of our country. As long as there is not that and they continue with that policy, there is a pause with the embassy,” he said.

“Consequential” ambassador

For Carlos Ramírez, managing partner of Integralia Consultores, Ken Salazar was a “consistent” ambassador with López Obrador who was slow to react, despite the fact that reforms of the so-called “Plan C” affected some North American interests.

“Very late there was a reaction from Salazar in the sense that the reform of the Judiciary was very dangerous,” he commented.

For political scientist Verónica Ortiz-Ortega, the relationship between Ken Salazar and Andrés Manuel López Obrador was close, since the ambassador believed, she said, that his mission was to be as close to the former federal president to anticipate his movements in relation to the United States.

“He has been one of the most controversial ambassadors. Regarding his relationship with the Mexican government, Ken Salazar tried to approach López Obrador’s management with personal closeness; “He understood the idea of ​​being able to deal with a populist leader, but at the same time he expressed his desire to remain close and on good terms with the United States,” he said.