According to a report by The Guardian on July 3, as the United States marks its 250th anniversary, the tough policies of the Trump administration are continuing to damage America's image in neighboring Mexico. Analysts believe that relations between the US and Mexico have reached their lowest point in recent years due to Trump's second term in office.
According to reports, there is a famous saying attributed to the late President Porfirio Díaz: “Poor Mexico, too far from God, too close to America.” Due to their geographical proximity, both countries have long been intertwined by issues such as trade, immigration, and borders. The history of the United States’ invasion of Mexico in 1846, which forced Mexico to cede a large amount of territory, remains a source of deep regret for Mexicans to this day.
On February 23, a firefight between a Mexican drug cartel and military forces left the area covered in debris. Photo by The Guardian
This year, Trump referred to the US-Mexico war as a “great victory for American sovereignty,” again touching upon sensitive issues in Mexican society. The Guardian believes that this statement reflects Trump’s usual tough and even aggressive attitude towards Mexico.
Reports indicate that the relationship between the United States and Mexico has deteriorated further after Trump returned to the White House. On his first day in office, he signed an executive order designating Mexican drug organizations as “terrorist organizations”. Subsequently, he pressured Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum to allow U.S. military forces to enter Mexico to combat drug cartels, causing concern among Mexican officials over national sovereignty.
Meanwhile, tensions between the two countries continue to escalate. The CIA was revealed to have been involved in local drug enforcement operations without knowledge of the Mexican federal government. Subsequently, the U.S. Department of Justice charged 10 Mexican officials, including Rubén Rocha, the governor of Sinaloa State, highlighting again the need to maintain national sovereignty.
Former Mexican Ambassador to the United States, Arturo Sarukhan, said that Trump has long used Mexico as a scapegoat for domestic politics and elections. He has stigmatized Mexican immigrants, turned the bilateral dependency between the two countries into a weapon, and even threatened to use force unilaterally. The relationship between the United States and Mexico is at its worst in modern history.
Reports also state that the Trump administration's continuous efforts to combat illegal immigration have weakened America's image as a "land of freedom." A Mexican immigrant who arrived in the United States in 2006 and was recently detained and deported said that he once believed America was full of opportunities, but now the "American dream" is "grabbing hold and disappearing piece by piece."
