President Claudia Sheinbaum turned her gaze both to the north and to the south at her Wednesday morning press conference.
She responded to a question about the entry to the United States of relatives of Mexico’s most infamous criminal and acknowledged the death of a former Uruguayan president.
Sheinbaum also noted that the arrival of the United States’ new ambassador to Mexico is imminent.
Sheinbaum: US government has to say why family members of ‘El Chapo’ entered the US
A reporter asked the president whether it was a “contradiction” that the United States welcomed “certain persons” — 17 members of the family of convicted drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán Loera including his ex-wife — after the Trump administration designated six Mexican criminal organizations, including the Sinaloa Cartel, as foreign terrorist organizations.
First of all, the United States government “has to provide the information” about why the extended Guzmán family entered the U.S., Sheinbaum said.
“Why did they go in? We don’t have the official or public information that says why this family entered [the United States],” she said.
Sheinbaum subsequently highlighted that the United States has a policy of “not negotiating with terrorists,” a stance that is apparently being violated given that Ovidio Guzmán, one of the sons of “El Chapo” and a leader of the “Los Chapitos” faction of the Sinaloa Cartel, is negotiating a plea agreement with the United States government, according to his lawyer.
🗣️ “Tienen que informar”, señala la presidenta Claudia Sheinbaum sobre el ingreso de familiares de Ovidio Guzmán, hijo de “El Chapo”, a EU; aseguró que no tiene información oficial al respecto y recordó que hay investigaciones en curso sobre ese caso. pic.twitter.com/xvpg1QNDzo
— El Universal (@El_Universal_Mx) May 14, 2025
Crime journalist Luis Chaparro — who broke the news that 17 members of the extended Guzmán family crossed the Mexico-U.S. border and handed themselves over to the FBI last Friday — said that the entry of the family to the U.S. was “probably” linked to Ovidio Guzmán’s plea bargain negotiations.
Chaparro also said that his sources revealed that Ovidio asked U.S. authorities for a “guarantee” that his mother (El Chapo’s ex-wife Griselda López Pérez) and other family members would be given permanent residency in the United States.
Sheinbaum said on Wednesday that the United States needs to publicly state whether there is an agreement with Ovidio Guzmán or not.
“They have to inform. And if they are coming to an agreement, they have to explain to the people of the United States how they do it,” she said.
Sheinbaum added that the United States government “obviously” has an obligation to disclose to its Mexican counterpart the reasons why it took in members of the extended Guzmán family.
“Why? First, [because] they’re Mexicans. And secondly, one of their family members was extradited [to the United States],” she said, referring to Ovidio Guzmán.
“In other words, there is an investigation file [on him] here. Beyond that there were members of the army who died in the operation [to capture him],” Sheinbaum said.
“… The issue here is what information is there, and how do they explain this. So, they have to inform, they have to inform,” she said.
Sheinbaum has a message for the new US ambassador
“The United States ambassador is now coming, the new ambassador is coming,” said Sheinbaum, referring to Ron Johnson, who was sworn in as ambassador in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday.
She said that arrangements are currently being made for Johnson to present his letter of credence to her.
Sheinbaum said that when she sees the new ambassador, she will request “a lot of coordination” and “collaboration” between Mexico and the United States as well as a “relationship of respect.”
That remark came after the president declared that her predecessor, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, “achieved a relationship of a lot of respect with President Trump and President Biden.”
“And that is our objective — to have good collaboration and a relationship of respect. … There will always be times when you don’t agree with one thing or another, but we’ve achieved a relationship of a lot of communication,” said Sheinbaum, who frequently states that Mexico is willing to cooperate with the United States but will never accept subordination or violation of its sovereignty.
José ‘Pepe’ Mujica was an ‘exemplary man,’ says Sheinbaum
A day after the death of José Pepe Mujica, Sheinbaum said that the former president of Uruguay — dubbed the world’s “poorest president” — was an “exemplary man in many ways.”
She said that Mujica, president of Uruguay from 2010 to 2015, had the ability to express “very profound thoughts” in “very simple and very brief words” and “always for the benefit of the poor, the dispossessed, those who have the least.”
“Very few people have that wisdom and that is a legacy he leaves us forever,” Sheinbaum said.
“The other thing is his vision that material things are not what provide happiness, which is very similar to our thinking,” Sheinbaum said.
“With his austerity, his simplicity and the scant luxuries that marked his life, and also with his expressions, he showed that; that he didn’t work to earn money, and more and more money,” she said.
Sheinbaum said that Mujica’s “modest, simple life” served as an example for others, and provided a contrast with the “trappings” other powerful people enjoyed in the past (and today).
“He was a man who leaves a lot for the progressive movement of Latin America. … Our affection, solidarity and thoughts for Pepe Mujica,” she said.
By Mexico News Daily chief staff writer Peter Davies ([email protected])
