Speaking during a Sunday, March 24, interview with “60 Minutes” correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador warned that the massive flow of migrants into the United States will continue unless America meets the demands of Latin American countries for massive amounts of foreign aid.
As background, in January of 2024, Obrador issued demands to the Biden Administration about what it must do for him to stop the flow of migrants over the border. At the time, Obrador demanded, among other things, amnesty for the illegal immigrant workers in the United States and $20 billion a year in foreign aid for Latin American countries.
During the “60 Minutes” interview, Alfonsi asked Obrador if he has it within his power to shut down the mass migration through Mexico and into the United States. Further, she asked, if he does have the power to do so, if he plans to crack down on the mass migration and stop the tidal wave of migration into the United States. She asked, “Everybody thinks you have the power in this moment to slow down migration. Do you plan to?”
Obrador responded by saying that Mexico does have the power to stop mass migration, but that he won’t do it unless his demands from January are “seriously looked at” by the American government. He said, “We do, and want to continue doing it. But we do want for the root causes to be attended to, for them to be seriously looked at.”
Responding to that, Alfonsi noted that Obrador’s demands included not just the $20 billion a year in aid and amnesty for illegals, but also an end to sanctions on Venezuela and an end of the Cuba embargo. After reiterating that those were his demands, she asked, “If they don’t do the things that you’ve said need to be done, then what?” Obrador, in response, said, “The flow of migrants will continue.”
Alfonsi said that those demands were “diplomatic blackmail,” at least according to his critics. She asked, “Your critics have said what you’re doing, what you’re asking for to help secure the border, is diplomatic blackmail. What do you say?” Obrador instead labeled his demands as frankness, saying, “I’m speaking frankly. We have to say things as they are. And I always say what I feel, I always say what I think.”
Alfonsi then asked Obrador if he would stop the migration if his demands are not met. She asked, “If they don’t do those things, will you continue to help to secure the border?” At that point, he backed down somewhat, saying, “Yes, because our relationship is very important. It is fundamental.”
Obrador also said, during the interview, that Mexico does not have the same drug problems as America because it doesn’t have the same family disintegration and disappearing culture and traditions issue as America. He said, “Do you know why we don’t have the drug consumption that you have in the United States? Because we celebrate our customs, traditions, and we don’t have the problem of the disintegration of the family.”
Watch him here:
President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador of Mexico on 60 Minutes says, "Do you know why we don’t have the drug consumption that you have in the United States? Because we celebrate our customs, traditions, and we don’t have the problem of the disintegration of the family.” WATCH pic.twitter.com/lScK7x1TaJ
— Simon Ateba (@simonateba) March 25, 2024
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