Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum rejected several of Donald Trump’s assertions about her country during a Wednesday morning news conference. In response to Trump’s comment that Mexico was “essentially run by cartels,” Sheinbaum said, “with all due respect, the president-elect is ill-informed.” She emphasized that in Mexico, the people rule and that the government prioritizes collaboration with the United States on issues like immigration containment, security, and drug trafficking.
However, she also expressed concerns about U.S. guns smuggled into Mexico, stating that 75 percent of seized guns are illegally imported from the US. This is a contentious issue, as Mexico has strict gun control laws with only one store issuing fewer than 50 permits per year. Despite these regulations, gun violence persists.
Sheinbaum highlighted an interesting historical fact: a 1607 world map labeled North America as “Mexican America” and identified the Gulf of Mexico as such. When asked about Trump’s suggestion to rename the Gulf of Mexico to “Gulf of America,” she jokingly replied, “Why don’t we call it Mexican America? It sounds pretty.” The president-elect’s comments have sparked a lively debate between the two nations, with Sheinbaum reaffirming Mexico’s commitment to sovereignty and cooperation.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/08/us/politics/mexico-president-mexican-america-trump.html