President López Obrador declared this morning he won’t fight with the United States government after President Donald Trump accused Mexican soldiers of pulling their guns on U.S. soldiers in an incident at the border two weeks ago.
Trump declared on Twitter this morning he was sending troops to the border in response. “Mexico’s soldiers recently pulled guns on our National Guard soldiers, probably as a diversionary tactic for drug smugglers on the border. Better not happen again! We are now sending ARMED SOLDIERS to the border. Mexico is not doing nearly enough in apprehending and returning!”
The incident took place April 13 when six Mexican soldiers approached two U.S. soldiers in a vehicle near Clint, Texas. According to Newsweek magazine, the latter were “gently searched” and questioned.
Later it turned out that the Mexican soldiers had inadvertently crossed the border into U.S. territory.
Broadcaster CNBC reported “it was not immediately clear whether the president’s tweet meant that more troops will be deployed or if their mission will change. The White House did not respond to a request for comment.”
Mexico’s Foreign Affairs Secretariat said this morning that the incident was not out of the ordinary and that both governments were in contact throughout the situation.
The president said at his morning press conference that his administration “will not fall for provocations,” and “the most important thing is to say that we want a relationship of mutual respect and cooperation aimed at development . . .”
He also stated that the April 13 incident will be analyzed taking into consideration the remarks of his U.S. counterpart, “acting in accordance to the law and our sovereignty.”
Source: El Universal (sp), Newsweek (en), CNBC (en)
