Four months ago, Andrés Manuel López Obrador left the presidency of Mexico, but his legacy is still present in Claudia Sheinbaum's government. The security policy 'Hugs, not bullets', implemented by López Obrador, has been pointed out by experts as a factor that has aggravated violence in the country and has put Mexico in the spotlight as one of the culprits in the trafficking of fentanyl to the United States.
Guillermo Valdés, former director of the National Institute of Investigation and Security (CISEN), noted that the 'Hugs, not bullets' policy gave criminal organizations the freedom to continue producing and exporting fentanyl with impunity. It also allowed for the development of pacts between the political class and organized crime, according to Valdés.
To avoid the imposition of tariffs by Donald Trump, Mexico must show greater willingness to combat fentanyl trafficking and dismantle organized crime networks, Valdés explained during his participation in the forum 'The challenges of Mexico in the new era of Trump'. Trump has threatened to impose tariffs on Mexico and Canada if they do not take measures against the flow of drugs and illegal immigration.
The elected president of the United States, Donald Trump, has warned of possible tariffs on Mexican and Canadian goods as retaliation for drug trafficking. However, Howard Lutnick, nominated as Secretary of Commerce of the United States, indicated that the initial tariffs could be avoided if neighboring countries take concrete actions against drug trafficking.
José Ángel Gurría, former Secretary-General of the OECD, pointed out that the fight against drug trafficking must be a shared task among Mexico, the United States, and Canada. He also mentioned that a considerable part of Mexican territory is under the influence of organized crime at the municipal level, thus collaboration in technology and efforts to combat this problem is needed. Trump seeks to pressure Mexico and Canada to take effective measures against drug trafficking and organized crime, highlighting the importance of collaboration among the three countries in this task.
