AMLO, BIDEN, AND TRUDEAU MEET IN MEXICO CITY

The leaders of North America’s three most prominent nations convened in Mexico City this week to discuss a host of issues ranging from migration to trade. Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, commonly known by his acronym “AMLO,” welcomed US President Joe Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to the Mexican capital as events such as the worsening migration crisis at the Us-mexico border and the ongoing battle against violent drug cartels remain at the top of the news.

The three leaders began the summit by condemning this past weekend’s attack on Brazil’s government buildings by supporters of ousted Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who is currently being treated at a Florida hospital.

“Canada, Mexico, and the United States condemn the January 8 attacks on Brazil’s democracy and on the peaceful transfer of power,” AMLO, Biden and Trudeau said in a joint statement. “We stand with Brazil as it safeguards its democratic institutions…our governments support the free will of the people of Brazil. We look forward to working with President Lula on delivering for our countries, the Western Hemisphere, and beyond.”

Closer to home, the arrest of Sinaloa cartel leader Ovidio Guzmán López, son of the notorious drug lord known as “El Chapo,” reinforced the fact that cartel violence in Mexico and widespread addiction to dangerous drugs in the US remains a problem with no easy solutions.

Looking for areas of common interest and agreement, the White House announced on Tuesday – the first full day of the trilateral summit – that

North America’s three powerhouse economies will work together to achieve semiconductor independence by “Organizing the first-ever trilateral semiconductor forum with industry to adapt government policies and increase investment in semiconductor supply chains across North America. Participation will include senior industry representatives and cabinet level participation from the United States, Mexico, and Canada in early 2023.”

The US, Canada, and Mexico are also focusing on ways to reduce greenhouse emissions and encourage clean energy production throughout the region. The White House said this includes “Committing to reduce methane emissions from the solid waste and wastewater sector by at least 15% by 2030” and committing “to conserve 30 percent of the world’s land and ocean area by 2030 and to advance Indigenous-led conservation.”

Biden and Lopez Obrador spoke on the eve of the summit, praising 200 years of bilateral relations and touting accomplishments made since 2020. Barely mentioned in that news conference was an issue that plagues both men, the continuing migration crisis manifested by tens of thousands of asylum seekers gathered along the southern US border. Both Biden and AMLO have alternately eased and ratcheted up migration restrictions, resulting in policies that are confusing, and many feel, inherently dangerous.

Due to extensive work done by the advance teams of all three countries, it is guaranteed that a lot of positive developments will be seen as a result of the summit, but it is equally clear that the biggest and most troubling issues seem to be here to stay. (La Semana)