President Donald Trump has decided to delay his
plans to legally designate Mexican drug cartels as terrorist groups.
He had vowed to label the gangs as terrorists after the killing last month
of nine American citizens from a Mormon community in Mexico.
However, the president has put the plans on hold on the request of his
Mexican counterpart, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.
The Mexican president said: “I
celebrate that he has taken our opinion into account.”
“We thank President Trump for
respecting our decisions and for choosing to maintain a policy of good neighborliness,
a policy of cooperation with us,” Andrés Manuel López Obrador added.
President Trump’s original announcement came after three women and six
children of dual US-Mexican nationality were killed in an ambush in a remote
area of northern Mexico.
Following the attack the victims’ community, the LeBarons, petitioned the
White House to list the cartels as terror groups, saying: “They are terrorists and it’s time to acknowledge it.”
The move would have widened the scope for US legal and financial action
against cartels but Mexico saw it as a violation of its sovereignty.
President Trump has now put the plans on hold.
He tweeted: “All necessary work
has been completed to declare Mexican Cartels terrorist organizations.
“Statutorily we are ready to do
so.”
However, he said his Mexican counterpart is “a man who I like and
respect, and has worked so well with us,” adding that he was temporarily
holding off on the designation and stepping up “joint efforts to deal
decisively with these vicious and ever-growing organizations!”
President Trump did not comment on how long the delay would last.
Mexico’s brutal drug war claims tens of thousands of lives every year, as
powerful trafficking groups battle for territory and influence.
In 2017 more than 30,000 people were killed in Mexico, with the murder rate
having more than tripled since 2006.
Andrés Manuel López Obrador has announced that “profound change” is coming for Mexico after claiming victory in the country’s presidential election.
The left-wing candidate, known by his initials Amlo, is projected to win about 53%. His rivals have conceded in a crushing defeat for the main parties.
Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s key pledge has been to tackle the “evil” of corruption.
The ex-Mexico City mayor has also been highly critical of President Donald Trump and ties with the US will now be closely watched.
Relations with the US have been hugely strained, with President Trump strongly criticizing Mexico over trade and migration. President Trump has sent a tweet of congratulations.
The 64-year-old promised to respect civil liberties and said he was “not looking to construct a dictatorship, either open or hidden”.
Some opponents have expressed fears that his leftist and populist policies could damage the already sluggish economy and turn Mexico into “another Venezuela”. Mexico is suffering a deep economic crisis and rampant inflation.
Hailing a “historic night”, López Obrador called on all Mexicans to reconcile and repeated his campaign pledge to review energy contracts for signs of corruption.
He said: “Corruption is… the result of a decadent political regime. We are absolutely convinced that this evil is the main cause of social and economic inequality, and also that corruption is to blame for the violence in our country.”
López Obrador has insisted that no-one involved in corruption will be spared, not even those he calls “brothers-in-arms”.
On combating Mexico’s record levels of violence, much of it related to drug cartels, he said he would have daily meetings with his security cabinet, which under him, he said, would be under a “unified command”.
The July 1 election followed one of Mexico’s deadliest campaigns in decades with more than 130 political candidates and party workers killed.
During the campaign Andreas Manuel López Obrador had often used confrontational language when referring to President Trump, but struck a more conciliatory note in his victory speech, saying he would seek “friendly relations”.
López Obrador also tried to reassure the business sector, saying there would be no nationalization and that he would respect private business. He also said his government would be fiscally disciplined and taxes would not be raised.
On social policies, López Obrador said he would double pensions for the elderly upon taking office on December 1 as a first step to reducing Mexico’s disparate income levels.
According to the latest figures from the Mexican electoral institute, Andreas Manuel López Obrador has won more than double the votes of his nearest challenger. It is the widest victory since the 1980s.
His rival, Ricardo Anaya, candidate for the conservative National Action Party (PAN), looked set to be runner-up to López Obrador.
Ruling party candidate José Antonio Meade, who lies in third place according to initial results, told supporters that he wished the winner “the greatest success”.
Tens of thousands of people in Mexico City are marching against the result of the presidential election, which was won by Enrique Pena Nieto.
The demonstrators, who are not necessarily linked to any particular party, say the vote was not fair.
They accuse Enrique Pena Nieto’s party, the PRI, of buying votes; some carried banners saying “Not another fraud”.
Enrique Pena Nieto, who was declared the winner after a recount of nearly half the votes, denies the allegation.
The second-placed candidate in Mexico’s presidential election, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, has said he will mount a legal challenge to the result.
Tens of thousands of people in Mexico City are marching against the result of the presidential election, which was won by Enrique Pena Nieto
Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said he would prove that illicit money was used to buy votes in the 1 July poll and secure the victory of centrist candidate Enrique Pena Nieto, who denies this.
Six years ago, after losing the presidential election by a narrow margin, the left-wing Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador led weeks of protests that caused disruption in central areas of Mexico City.
Enrique Pena Nieto was confirmed the winner on Friday after a final recount, with 38.21% to Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador’s 31.59%.
Third-placed Josefina Vazquez Mota, from the right-wing National Action Party, has admitted defeat.
There is a broad spread of people, not necessarily from the left, who feel that votes in their parts of Mexico were tampered with.
But Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, of the Party of the Democratic Revolution, said the election had been fraudulent and that he would file an appeal next week.
He accuses the party of Enrique Pena Nieto, the Institutional Revolutionary Party, of paying for votes using gift cards for a supermarket chain.
Numerous videos have emerged of people claiming they received credit in exchange for voting for the PRI.
The party governed Mexico for 71 years until it was defeated in the 2000 presidential poll.
Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), Mexico’s old ruling party, is set to return to power as early official results indicate its candidate Enrique Pena Nieto has won the presidential election.
Enrique Pena Nieto, 45, is on some 38%, several points ahead of Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who has not conceded.
Thousands of police were on duty for the vote, amid fears of intimidation from drug gangs.
Mexicans were also electing a new congress and some state governors.
Celebrations at the headquarters of the PRI started after the polls closed.
Enrique Pena Nieto declared: “We all won in this election. Mexico won.”
“This is just the start of the work we have before us.”
He thanked Mexican voters for giving the PRI a second chance, saying his administration would have a “new way of governing”.
The election campaign was dominated by the economy and the war on drugs.
“There will be no pact nor truce with organized crime,” Enrique Pena Nieto said.
Enrique Pena Nieto is on some 38 percent, several points ahead of Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador
He had been presented as the new face of the PRI, a break with the party’s long and at times murky past that included links with drug gangs.
The party held on to power for 71 years until it was defeated in 2000.
Enrique Pena Nieto built his reputation on the “pledges” he set out for his governorship in Mexico state, focusing on public works and improvement of infrastructure.
Outoing President Felipe Calderon has congratulated Enrique Pena Nieto and promised to work with him during the transition to his inauguration in December.
“I sincerely hope for the smooth running of the next government for the benefit of all Mexicans,” Felipe Calderon said, in a televised address.
Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, running for the leftist Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD) is in second place with about 31% of the vote.
The official quick count, published by the electoral authorities (IFE), is based on returns from a sample of around 7,500 polling stations across Mexico.
Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who was the runner-up in the 2006 election, has not conceded victory.
“The last word hasn’t been spoken yet,” he said.
“We simply do not have all the facts. We are lacking the legality of the electoral process.”
In 2006, he refused to recognize Felipe Calderon’s victory and led street protests for months afterwards.
Josefina Vazquez Mota, the candidate of the governing National Action Party (PAN) had already accepted defeat.
The initial results from IFE put her on some 26%.
Almost 80 million people were eligible to cast their ballots on Sunday.
Police and army were deployed to protect voters from intimidation by drug cartels at polling booths.
Officials said the voting was largely peaceful, but reported some initial problems as a number of stations opened later than planned.
With nearly half the Mexican population living in poverty, the economy was one of the main issues in the campaign.
Unemployment remains low at roughly 4.5%, but a huge divide remains between the rich and the poor.
Another issue dominating the campaign was the war on drugs, launched nearly six years ago by President Felipe Calderon, who is constitutionally barred from seeking re-election.
The main opposition candidates have been critical of Felipe Calderon’s policies.
They point out that more than 55,000 people have been killed in drug-related violence since 2006.
Mexicans were also electing 500 deputies, 128 senators, six state governors, the head of government in the Federal District (which includes Mexico City) and local governments.
This website has updated its privacy policy in compliance with EU GDPR 2016/679. Please read this to review the updates about which personal data we collect on our site. By continuing to use this site, you are agreeing to our updated policy. AcceptRejectRead More
Privacy & Cookies Policy
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
