As Mexicans continue to debate whether or not U.S. President-elect Donald Trump is really planning a military invasion of Mexico, a new snap poll by the Mexican newspaper Reforma revealed this week that a surprising 46% of respondents had a favorable view of Mexico collaborating with the U.S. to fight Mexico’s drug cartels.
It’s worth noting, however, that an additional 50% told Reforma that they opposed such an idea. But the results of Reforma’s poll have made headlines in Mexico and suggest that a significant number of Mexicans are dissatisfied enough with their own country’s performance in combatting cartel violence that they would consider outside help.
When asked “What’s the best way the U.S. can help Mexico fight insecurity?” nearly two-thirds opted for “a collaborative scheme relying on joint operations,” while 24% chose “undercover operations by U.S. security agencies.”
To a third question — “How do you rate Mexico’s efforts to combat insecurity in your city?” — 47% responded “very bad,” 37% said “very good” and 12% conceded that the government’s security policy was “just OK.”
The Los Angeles Times newspaper reported Monday that many Mexicans lament U.S. intervention in security matters and blame the U.S. for advocating using Mexico’s military to fight drug cartels, a strategy that has produced shocking violence levels in Mexico.
However, the Times also said that many Mexicans have lost confidence in Mexican law enforcement and its suspected links to organized crime. Therefore, the paper said, Mexicans might welcome U.S. troops.
While President Claudia Sheinbaum insists that Trump’s comments weren’t an implied threat (“He never mentioned anything about an invasion. Not once,” she said on Monday, according to the newspaper La Jornada), her government is not taking Trump’s comments lightly.
“Designating cartels as terrorist organizations would be a strategic error with unpredictable consequences for both countries,” a senior official at the Mexican Embassy in the U.S. told the newspaper El País on Monday.
Former Mexican ambassador to the United States, Gerónimo Gutiérrez, also weighed in, saying any U.S. military action in Mexico “would set the relationship between the two countries back three decades.”
Some opposition politicians in Mexico, however, are of a different mind.
In early October, lawmakers from the conservative National Action Party (PAN) proposed Mexico designate cartels as terrorist organizations.
Critics slammed the PAN at the time for “providing the United States with permission” to invade Mexico, though Pablo Girault Ruiz — a director of the NGO Mexico United Against Crime — soft-pedaled that notion.
“They aren’t going to ask permission,” Girault told the newspaper El Economista Monday. “If they decide cartels are terrorists and authority is granted to pursue them anywhere in the world, there’s not much we can do.”
“I would not be surprised to wake up one day to an American missile hitting a meth lab in Badiraguato (Sinaloa). It could happen,” academic and political columnist Carlos Pérez-Ricart told El Pais.
At her Monday press conference, Sheinbaum compared the PAN to the 19th-century Mexican conservatives who welcomed a Hapsburg monarch to rule Mexico — Maximilian I, installed by France in 1864 with conservatives’ help — and celebrated a French invasion.
“It’s the same today,” she said, labeling it an embarrassment. “How can someone celebrate another country invading Mexico?”
With reports from Los Angeles Times, El Economista, Radio Fórmula, El País and Rolling Stone
Well how can she and her predecessor condone the cartel violence, that will keep going on unless the government has the guts to start standing and quit talking.
Well, Dale, that actually wasn’t what she or anyone says or does. That is a Trumpian reconstruction of reality like saying the Democrats want open borders.
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Yes, get the popcorn. Orangemanbad isn’t even in yet and he is changing how Canada and Mexico are being run, including border control. 2025 will be the most interesting yet!
Mexico has shown that they are either unwilling or unable to eliminate or control the Cartels so the killing goes on without the politicians in charge agreeing to except help from other nations out of some national pride!
I think you mean accept help, not except help.
Where are you from? Name looks German, but your point of view feels Russian???
Your comments sound like a bot, first picky about grammer, thenn attacking the unwillingness of Mexico to provide interior security to much of its own country.
The USA needs to stay out of other country’s business and stop starting wars, of all kinds. Fix your own country and all the druggies in it. Start with that, maybe 🤔
It would be the height of hypocrisy for the USA to make illicit drug enterprise a terrorist event when it feeds USA demand. Instead, I advise a focus on true terrorism and quasi-military insurrection both of which have reachedalarming.ing levels. Mexico must choose how to extricate itself of narco terrorism and insurrection, but if it gets bad enough it will forfeit its sovereignty to the cartels and States threatened by them.
It is true terrorism, the cartels make more on moving humans including Al’kaida etc… into the US. They are terrorists.
The half that is NOT in favor of any intervention by the US is the half that is linked directly or indirectly to the Cartels. This includes all of the politicos who do not want this. The infestation of the Cartels goes from the very top all the way to the bottom of Mexicos socio economic system. I see it all the time when Im in Mexico and hear it from my friends down there. This is why it cannot fix itself because the same people who are supposed to be fighting the Cartels and owned by the Cartels. Just pointing out the obvious.
Ding Ding Ding Ding!!! Bingo, 100%! Only US intervention could impact the Mexican cartels.
Agree. It’s not just shipping drugs to the US. The domestic kidnap/extortion/protection rackets are thriving everywhere.
How do people think the various cartels have gained such strength, made those billions, and purchased state of the art armament (armored vehicles, 50 caliber, automatic, rapid fire machine guns, drones, night vision glasses etc).?
Do people think that Mexican entrepreneurs have built the cartels from the bottom up with no outside resources?
Or do they understand that a voracious demand from North American drug addicts is driving the drugs-guns trade?
That’s like blaming a rape victim for wearing a sexy dress
Trump is setting up an intervention for sure. He was criticized for not seeing the root problem is in his own country. The oligarchy has control of so much of the money, leaving middle class and below in a precarious place. Homeless is rampant because of inability to get enough money. Many self medicate to kill their pain. Mentally ill have no other option than to self medicate. So many living on the street for all these reasons. Trump is saying that he is going to address this crisis by a campaign to show the effects of drugs via photos. No reasonable person would expect this to work. “Just say NO” is really to just “DO NOTHING”. That is his plan to address this crisis. He then will say that he made his best effort and it did not work because Mexico is causing the problem. We live in dangerous times with an anhistoric idiot with so much power. All our President can do is to continue to tell truth to this power.
Polls are never right can’t believe Mexico doesn’t want to take out All Carrtels members of Cartel must be big part of Poll the sooner USA takes out Cartels Mexico will be a better place mexico will never do it cause they are already part of Government
This is a bilateral problem that must be worked on by both countries.
The US is as responsible as Mexico for his, but the cartels have outgrown the capacities of the Mexican governments to stop violence.
All you “guys’ are out of your mind. The government “can’t get rid of the Cartels by yourself. The Cartels are in CONTROL of the entire government ‘whether you want to hear that or not. Look around and see all the violence. Do you feel “SAVE” living in Mexico? ” NO” , Anyone tha “screws” around with the Cartels, and you are a “dead pigeon”, The government can’t do this job alone, they need lots of help from the US. All “politicians” are involved to some degree with them and t are “scared” to death” of the Cartels,
The Mexican government has failed at ever trying to curb the cartels. AMLO’s response was not only negligible, but laughable. By doing NOTHING AMLO, and subsequently, Sheinbaum are complicit in the cartels exponential growth. President Sheinbaum, and everyone else who wants to pass the blame, can continue to push the narrative that it is the addicts to blame, is just more of the same lack of willingness to do ANYTHING. Yes, the guns come from the US. Yes, the demand is from the US. And yes, the answer will come from the US. Trump’s whole cabinet were chosen and the narrative has been set, to address these issues as a national threat to America. You can waste all the time you want hoping and telling yourselves that there is nothing to fear, but you are very much out of touch with reality. If anyone can point out a time in American history where the US government worried about hypocrisy, or not doing what it felt like, please do. In almost 250 years America has done whatever the Hell it Damn well pleased in the name of Democracy and National Security. Of note… those were all sane Presidents with checks and balances in place to at least give the appearance of neutrality and what was best for global interests. This time, things are infinitely different. The President has unwavering support from the majority of Americans, he is safe from prosecution thanks to the Supreme Court giving him the freedom from prosecution for acts committed as President – especially where national security is concerned. Both houses of congress are under his control. The elites and money that drive America’s economy have beaten a path to his door to show support because they know his shit tweeting will tank their stock value. The media are careful not to upset him for fear of retaliation. What, in any of this, sounds like this man is going to sit down and negotiate. Just this past weekend an illegal immigrant who had already been kicked out of the country once, literally a woman on fire and sat down to watch her burn to death. Do you think it matters where that man came from? His actions were heinous and the spin will be he got here through Mexico and that he is a thug like the narcos. By letting the narcos murder politicians and people associated with the military, police and political positions, just proves that Mexico is unable to protect itself and America’s interests.
The reason Mexican citizens want US intervention is because they know their government is corrupt and unable as well as unwilling to DO ANYTHING. They also know that after Trump takes office, there is a real opportunity coming to actually help them. Regardless of how logical the arguments are that the US shouldn’t, or previously wouldn’t, enter Mexico to solve this problem, we are not in rational, logical times. Wake up! Quit lying to yourselves and the Mexican people. Mexico can either be proactive and agree to work with Trump, or step aside while the inevitable happens. Mexico is still very much a developing country. Without remittances the country’s GDP decreases. There are huge water and infrastructure issues, tariffs and American threats will scare off foreign investment. There are no nations going to help Mexico “fight” the American war machine. I don’t say these things with pride or ill intent. They are the damn facts. There is an unhinged, narcissistic, self proclaimed “savior”, who has heralded the actions of Dictators worldwide and has zero interest in being “politically correct”, taking power of last great Superpower. You can argue China is still a factor, but in reality their economy is in shambles and they need time and the Brics nations to get powerful enough to take on the US and at this time NATO in any way other than all out nuclear war. What do people not understand about the reality of what is about to take place. It is down right scary and a real threat to Democracy. The things Trump has talked about doing in/to America are horrendous on their own. And you think he gives a damn about Mexico? Again, the checks & balances that used to be in place are no longer in place. Like others have stated, he’s not even in office yet and he’s is affecting Canada & Mexico, not to mention the US. The people who empowered him have no idea how the economy works, how tariffs affect what people pay, how much of the US’s food comes from outside the country. Trump has already gone on record saying he can’t and won’t confirm/promise he will help inflation or costs at the grocery store. Ignorance is bliss for the damned ignorant. For the rest of us it’s a pain in the ass. The inmates are in charge of the asylum. God help us all.
A pretty good summary of Dictator Trump and where and how American power will be exercised. Very scary. I add, all exercise of American power will be so Trump and the oligarchs can take further control of the wealth of America. Avarice drives their every move
The soon to be felon, adjudicated rapist in chief does not have the backing of the U.S. citizens. The majority DID NOT vote for him. Thus, the orange turd has no mandate. Look what fine ethics gaetz would have brought to the job of AG. Wonder what skeletons donnie’s other picks have hidden away for blackmail. And they are going to get rid of the cartels? They are most likely in bed with them or will be.
The US has a history of brutal interventions all over the world, the hypocrisy of “spreading democracy” by destroying countries. They should focus on fixing their own problems, i.e. public health addiction epidemic fueled by their own physicians that prescribe tons of opioids for any pain; homelessness, mass shootings in schools, lack of health care, and the consequences of hipercapitalism making the gap between the haves & have-nots wider &
deeper.
I would warn the Mexican people that, if the leaders in Washington decide to intervene they will and they will be merciless! The Mexican military will be swept aside like a rag doll it won’t take more than 2 or 3 days tops. If Mexico resists Mexico will become a conquered land and the vast majority of the American people will cheer the American military on!
The U.S. will do as it pleases, because there is no one to oppose the U.S. in this hemisphere no opposition of note. In fact anyone who dares oppose Uncle Sam would be crushed so maybe some nations will yell bloody murder, but by and large that will be it!! Also remember Trump doesn’t have to worry about reelection he is term limited this will be his last 4 years in office, so beware Mexico either cooperate and survive or oppose the U.S. and become a colony or worse of the U.S.
Let me give you an example of what could happen a large group of B-52’s destroy a Mexican city just as a reminder of who is calling the shots. Who ever sits in the OVAL office at 1600 Pennsylvania ave. their orders will be obeyed one way or the other. Better to cooperate than be blown to smitherins!!
Imagine having a school bully problem and calling the mafia to “get things under control”.
I live down the street from where 10 people were murdered recently in Queretaro. Cartels are everywhere. Trump can drop some bombs in Sinaloa and it won’t matter. He won’t do anything. All hat, no cattle.
“Former Mexican ambassador to the United States, Gerónimo Gutiérrez, also weighed in, saying any U.S. military action in Mexico “would set the relationship between the two countries back three decades.”
Only if Mexico refuses to help and negotiates a process acceptable to both sides. In that case, Trump will not invade, and both Mexico and the US will continue to suffer cartel crime and violence.
Some great comments here by Norse and others.
Yes, the fish stinks at the head. The cartels have entrenched themselves in every level of Mexico’s bureaucracy. Instead of viewing Trump as an interventionist, Claudia’s only hope to rid the country of cartels is Donald Trump. Former U.S. Attorney Barr, previously serving under Trump, tried to enlist Amlos support for a joint operation, but Amlo had no interest in upsetting the apple cart like many Mexicans I’ve spoken to, have come to accept the cartels as a fact of life. By his silence he fanned the flames of violence to a point not seen before.
Under Trump, illegal immigration plummeted and the supply of fentanyl came to a trickle. Under Biden, the doors to all bad things flew open and reached record levels infection . Biden and company did more harm to the U.S. than any President in history, and Amlo did nothing to check his swing. For those that think Trump is just talking, be prepared for a wake up call. His job is to protect Americans, and will travel to any part of the world to do his job. The days of your presidents playing dodgeball with the U.S. and putting their heads in the sand will no longer be tolerated.
This incredible country will never achieve its rightful place in global prominence if this cancer is allowed to spread. If I were Claudia, I’d be on the next plane to Mar-A-Lago to partner with Trump, and Make Mexico Great Again. If Mexico won’t stop the cartels, Trump will. The fact that corruption exists on so many levels (as it does in every country, but not with such pronounced violence) ; or that it’s too complicated to fix, is a pathetic excuse to do nothing
Stopping these cartels will not stop the capitalistic opportunity to supply new forms of illigal drugs to the self medicators up north. The root cause of this crisis is not being addressed, just like in the times of prohibition. Smuggling was rampant. Beer suppliers busted, whiskey got in. Whiskey got busted, moonshine got in. Do you actually think that these wackamole strategies will solve the problem? You can raise a glass of booze today and not think of the times when this drug of choice caused so much pain to so many by prohibition. Up is not down and down is not up!
How attractive simple solutions to complex problems can sound! Like the election of Trump: only a nation in decline would ever allow such an idiot to ascend to the presidency. Twice! Only a nation in decline would produce such flaccid opposition in the form of the Democratic Party. Not only that, but how well did interventions work out for the US in Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan? Closer to home, how about Chile, Guatemala,, Nicaragua, and El Salvador? Think a US invasion of Mexico would go well? Good luck with that. If past performance is any indicator of future results, and I think it is, nationbuilding isn’t exactly our strong suit. No, the solution lies elsewhere.