Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum rejected Donald Trump’s accusation that her country is linked to cartel activity, saying coordination would be maintained in relations with the United States.
Speaking at a news conference in Mexico City, Sheinbaum responded to Trump’s remarks at the United Nations General Assembly. The Mexican leader pointed to the high level of illicit drug use in the United States and the large number of weapons produced there.
Sheinbaum said she could criticize the neighboring country for having such high levels of illicit drug use or producing so many weapons, but that she would not do so.
Sheinbaum said she supported maintaining good relations with Trump and the U.S. administration, adding that the two countries would continue working in coordination. She also emphasized that Mexico’s sovereignty must be respected.
Trump’s cartel accusation in his U.N. speech
In his speech to the United Nations General Assembly, Trump described cartels in Latin America as the “ISIS of the Western Hemisphere.” The U.S. president portrayed Mexico as the center of these groups’ activities.
The United States accuses the Sinaloa Cartel of being one of the main suppliers of the synthetic drug fentanyl. The U.S. side claims that fentanyl causes the deaths of 100,000 people in the country each year.