Neither rupture nor cession of sovereignty before the US and Canada: AMLO

Emir Olivares and Nestor Jimenez

Newspaper La Jornada
Friday, July 29, 2022, p. 3

Given the recent consultations requested by the United States and Canada as part of the T-MEC due to Mexico’s energy policy, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador stated: Even in the case of the most important market in the world, if having access to it implies giving up sovereignty, we do not accept it. We are not going to hand over our independence to any foreign government. In addition, they are not right, even though they have many lambiscones, traitors, who applaud them in our country, they are not right.

And later he specified that there will be no break in that trade agreement. I advance that. And why won’t there be a breakup? Not only because we are right, but because it is not convenient for us, and it is not only Mexico, it is not convenient for the United States, it is no longer the time before.

During the morning yesterday, the president was questioned about this dispute as part of the treaty and if Mexico would abandon it in the event of an attempt to violate national sovereignty.

He stressed that none of the partners in the agreement would benefit from a rupture, and whoever closes borders would affect their own country due to the commercial integration that already exists.

A break “is what the conservatives who do very vulgar and vulgar journalism would like. Even (Felipe) Calderón took out a face wanting to ride in that circumstance saying: ‘A breach of the treaty would be very serious for Mexico’”.

The Chief Executive reported that he is considering sending a letter to his American counterpart, Joe Biden, to explain Mexico’s arguments, in which he pondered that based on the eighth chapter of the USMCA, Mexico’s stewardship in hydrocarbons is established.

“I’m sure President Biden doesn’t even know. I’m looking forward to sending him a letter to say, ‘Hey, what’s going on? Perhaps you are not informed because you have always told me, and I believe you, that our relationship will take place on an equal footing and that you respect our sovereignty. Who are the ones making these decisions? I ask you to help us clarify what it is about’. And I’m thinking about it and maybe I’m going to do it.”

He endorsed that he has a lot of respect for the US president and the government of that country and we act responsibly, so what the conservatives want is to tie up knives, they are very elementary, but this is not the case, this has to do with arguments.

He indicated that even in Mexico there are even auto parts plants for the US war industry. It is already an essential and convenient integration for the two peoples. It is no longer that I close the border and I am going to harm you; you close the border to me and you will harm yourself.

López Obrador recalled once again that the negotiation of the T-MEC was stopped for 15 days because he, being president-elect, did not agree with what the government of Enrique Peña had agreed to in the aforementioned chapter eight, and the exchanges they were resumed once the wording was changed to establish that Mexico maintain its energy sovereignty.

It took us a long time. And what was achieved? That they remove that chapter and that they leave with article eight, which we wrote, because, if it was not accepted, it would not have been dealt with, that is clear. And President (Donald) Trump was consulted and agreed to keep the text that we proposed, and now it turns out that it is not valid, if it is very clearly in the treaty and they start with, not even arguments, but legal justifications, that This is so because, technically, legally, the commitment does exist, because in the annexes, when in the body of the treaty, it is clear.

Hence, he insisted that Mexico is not violating the T-MEC for its energy policy.