Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum delivered a rebuke to Donald Trump on Wednesday, September 23, addressing statements the U.S. president made a day earlier at the United Nations General Assembly regarding Mexico and drug trafficking. Responding during her daily morning press conference, Sheinbaum said:
“I could say, ‘It is very difficult to live next to a country that has such a high level of illicit drug consumption.’ Or I could say, ‘It is very difficult to live next to a country with so much arms production’ but I am not going to say it.”
Trump Calls Mexico the “Epicenter” of Cartel Violence
The exchange follows Trump’s address before the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, in which he labeled Mexico “the epicenter of cartel violence” and called it “unacceptable” for the United States to share nearly 2,000 miles of border with a country under cartel influence, urging Mexico to regain control of its sovereign territory.
However, during the same speech, he stressed that he has a “very good relationship” with the Mexican government and claim that both countries have made progress in combating the cartels.
Sheinbaum Responds While Avoiding Direct Confrontation
Sheinbaum noted that news coverage had largely fixated on Trump’s criticisms while overlooking his broader remarks, which acknowledged the good binational relation between both countries.
“I am not going to say it because we have a good relationship with President Trump and the United States government,” Sheinbaum clarified, emphasizing that bilateral security cooperation remains intact and that both nations “are moving forward together.”
