In the first visit to Mexico by a U.S. leader in almost a decade, President Biden met with Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador on Monday to discuss trade, the drug war, and record levels of illicit immigration in a wide-ranging conversation that was mostly cordial but at one point turned testy as the Mexican leader claimed that the US has abandoned the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean.
AMLO also encouraged him to prioritize fixing the migration crisis affecting the U.S.-Mexico border.
While public comments mostly struck a positive tone, López Obrador pressed Biden over his “abandonment” and “forgetfulness” to help Central American countries.
“This is the moment for us to determine to do away with this abandonment, this disdain, and this forgetfulness for Latin America and the Caribbean,” Lopez Obrador said during a press conference Monday.
“You hold the key in your hand,” the Mexican leader said of the U.S. president.
By Tuesday, López Obrador’s comments were more positive as he commended Biden for not building “even one meter of wall,” a clear reference to Biden’s predecessor, former President Donald Trump.
Still, López Obrador urged Biden to “insist” Congress make more accommodations to allow undocumented Mexican migrants to work in industries where American employers are struggling to hire.