Hundreds of thousands of people flocked to Mexico City’s central square on Sunday to join President Claudia Sheinbaum in celebrating the United States’ decision to suspend tariffs on most Mexican goods.
And under blue skies on a warm day in the capital, a jovial celebration it was. An ensemble of mariachi musicians and various singers warmed up the large crowd before Mexico’s first presidenta exited the National Palace and strode to a stage in the Zócalo to deliver a celebratory, patriotic and optimistic address.
“No estás sola,” or “You are not alone,” chanted the masses as the highly popular president stood behind a lectern, poised to begin her speech.
“On this occasion, and due to the strength of the people of Mexico, we gather here to congratulate ourselves,” Sheinbaum said three days after she spoke to Donald Trump and the United States president subsequently announced that imports from Mexico covered by the USMCA free trade pact would not be subject to U.S. tariffs until at least early April.
“… In the relationship with the United States, with its government, dialogue and respect prevailed, and the tariffs that were being applied to the products we export to the neighboring country were lifted. This, I repeat, is an achievement of all of us,” she said.
Last Tuesday — the day the Trump administration imposed 25% tariffs on all imports from Mexico — Sheinbaum said she would announce retaliatory “tariff and non-tariff measures” in a speech in the Zócalo on Sunday.
What was slated to be a defiant rally marking the commencement of a trade war with the world’s largest economy was rebranded as a “festival” by the president after her successful call with her U.S. counterpart last Thursday morning.
“As you well know, this assembly was convened in case we didn’t reach an agreement,” Sheinbaum told a sea of supporters that the Mexico City government put at more than 350,000 people.
“… Fortunately, dialogue, and above all respect between our nations, prevailed,” she reiterated.
Indeed, Trump’s ostensible reason for suspending the tariffs until April 2 was “as an accommodation, and out of respect for President Sheinbaum.”
“Our relationship has been a very good one, and we are working hard, together, on the Border, both in terms of stopping Illegal Aliens from entering the United States and, likewise, stopping Fentanyl,” he said on social media.
Trump’s main stated reason for imposing tariffs on Mexico and Canada was that the two countries had not done enough to stem the flow of fentanyl into the United States.
Sheinbaum told reporters last week that in her call with the U.S. president, she emphasized that her government is in fact “getting results” on security issues, including in stopping the trafficking of fentanyl across Mexico’s northern border.
Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard estimated last Friday that between 85% and 90% of Mexican goods exported to the United States won’t be subject to tariffs as a result of Trump’s decision to suspend tariffs on imports from Mexico covered by the USMCA free trade pact.
‘We’re neighbors, we have the responsibility to collaborate’Â
Accompanied in the Zócalo by cabinet ministers, lawmakers, state governors and other dignitaries, Sheinbaum once again expressed optimism that Mexican goods won’t be affected by reciprocal tariffs the United States intends to impose next month on imports from many countries around the world.
In her speech, Sheinbaum asserted that the United States will have no reason to impose reciprocal tariffs on imports from Mexico because there are “practically” no duties on the goods the U.S. ships to its southern neighbor.
“We’re neighbors, we have the responsibility to collaborate,” Sheinbaum added.
“… But we must be clear, as [independence hero and former president] Vicente Guerrero said, ‘The homeland comes first!'” she declared.
For his part, Trump said in an interview that aired on Sunday that he had given Mexico and Canada “a little bit of a break for this short period of time” on tariffs.
However, in an apparent reference to imports from Mexico and Canada, he said, “The tariffs could go up as time goes by.”
Despite the reprieve Trump gave Mexico last week, 25% tariffs on the steel and aluminium the United States imports from Mexico are still scheduled to take effect this Wednesday.
“We have to reach an agreement on steel and aluminum,” Ebrard said last Friday.
Sheinbaum reaffirms commitment to combating fentanylÂ
“Today I want to take the opportunity to say to the United States people from the political center of our republic that we have no intention, nor will we ever have any intention, to harm you,” Sheinbaum said.
“We’re determined to collaborate with you in all domains, especially in light of the concern due to the serious problem of the use of synthetic drugs,” she said.
Federal authorities intercept more than 20 million fentanyl doses in Sinaloa
“For humanitarian reasons, Mexico will continue collaborating to prevent fentanyl from reaching young people in the United States. … Not only do we not want this drug to reach young people in the United States, but we do not want it to reach any part of the world or young Mexicans,” Sheinbaum said.
In her call with Trump last week, the president said she highlighted that fentanyl seizures at the Mexico-United States border have declined significantly in recent months.
Mexico collaborates with the United States on security issues in a range of ways, including by allowing its northern neighbor to send drones to Mexico to spy on drug cartels and hunt for fentanyl labs.
The CIA drone flights over Mexico only occur after the government of Mexico has requested them in order to obtain information to be able to respond to prevailing “security conditions,” Sheinbaum said last month.
‘We cannot cede our sovereignty’
While Sheinbaum stressed that Mexico is willing to collaborate and cooperate with the United States, she also used her 44-minute-long speech on Sunday to once again demonstrate her commitment to acting in the nation’s best interests and not allowing any violation of its sovereignty.
“We cannot cede our sovereignty, nor can our people be affected by decisions made by foreign governments or hegemonies. In such a case, we will always act immediately,” the president said.
“… When a short while ago a journalist asked me … Aren’t you afraid [of Trump]? I said: No, because there is an entire people who support us, because there is no separation between the people and the government. We will always be together and together we will always move forward with courage, with a cool head, and with a lot of love for the people of Mexico,” Sheinbaum said.
“With will and tenacity, we must always keep dialogue as the [first] option. So far, it has yielded results and I think it will continue to do so. However, we must be attentive and informed in case it is necessary to convene an assembly again in this public square,” she said.
“Do you agree?” Sheinbaum asked the large crowd in the Zócalo.
“SÃ,” the president’s supporters roared back, before breaking into a chant of “The people united will never be defeated!”
By Mexico News Daily chief staff writer Peter Davies ([email protected])
