After the inauguration of the President of the United States, Donald Trump, the President of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, denied some beliefs regarding the decrees signed by the president in his first hours in office. Sheinbaum explained in a morning conference from the National Palace that there are five points most relevant to Mexico following the signing of the decrees.
First, the president mentioned that the emergency zone decree at the southern border of the United States is virtually the same as the one established during Trump's first term. Despite this, she highlighted that the relationship with then-President Andrés Manuel López Obrador was positive during that period.
The second point refers to the "Remain in Mexico" program, which, according to Sheinbaum, was implemented in 2018 and states that people seeking asylum in the U.S. cannot remain in U.S. territory while their application is processed. In this context, Sheinbaum emphasized humanitarian assistance and the focus on protecting migrants while managing their possible repatriation.
Regarding the third point about renaming the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America, Sheinbaum was clear in stating that, despite the modification to the continental shelf, for Mexico and the world, it will continue to be the Gulf of Mexico.
As for new proposals in the decrees signed by Trump, the most controversial point is the possible designation of Mexican cartels as terrorist groups, which could pave the way for U.S. military actions on Mexican soil. In response to this situation, Sheinbaum emphasized the defense of Mexican sovereignty and the search for coordination to maintain security in the country.
Finally, regarding the threat to remove Mexico from the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), Sheinbaum read excerpts from the decree related to this agreement, highlighting that it instructs to begin discussions to review it in 2026. The president stressed that it is important to understand what is established in the signed decrees to avoid misinterpretations and act accordingly.
