Calay News
The president of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, has requested a bilateral meeting with his American counterpart, Joe Biden, scheduled for November in Washington, as announced by the Mexican Foreign Minister, Alicia Bárcena, in New York.
López Obrador’s request comes amid a migration crisis that has overwhelmed Mexico. The summit of Latin American leaders called by Biden for November 3 will be the appropriate occasion for this bilateral meeting. The summit is part of the “Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity” initiative launched earlier this year in Los Angeles, which aims to strengthen ties in the region and attract investment.
The Mexican president intends to address issues related to migration with Biden, such as legal procedures, the humanitarian situation, asylum applications, and work visas in the agricultural sector. Currently, Mexico faces a constant flow of migrants, with approximately 8,000 people arriving daily at its northern border seeking to reach the United States.
According to Bárcena, around 140,000 asylum applications are expected to be processed this year, placing an overwhelming burden on Mexico as the country is responsible for providing support to migrants while their documents and employment are managed or they are returned to their countries of origin when the United States rejects them. Mexico is seeking international support to deal with this crisis.
In addition to the immigration crisis, the meeting between López Obrador and Biden will also address the problem of fentanyl, a drug that has caused numerous overdose deaths in the United States. The issue will be addressed in terms of how transnational mafias transport fentanyl precursors from China to Mexico, where the pills are produced, and then reach the United States.
The bilateral meeting between Mexico and the United States in November will be a key opportunity to address these shared concerns and explore solutions to regional challenges.
