During the seminar organized at the National Defense College, Gerardo Rodríguez Sánchez Lara, a professor from the Department of International Relations and Political Science at UDLAP, raised the challenges faced by Mexico, the United States, and Canada, with newly elected or soon-to-be-elected governments. This initiative, developed alongside El Colegio de México and the Mexican Institute of Strategic Studies in Security and National Defense, aims to understand how recent and future political changes in the three countries could affect trilateral cooperation in key areas such as trade, security, and climate change.
In an interview for Aristegui en Vivo, Rodríguez Sánchez Lara emphasized that the North American region is entering a critical stage due to the recent elections in Mexico and the United States, as well as the upcoming contest in Canada. Regarding the latter, he commented that 'Justin Trudeau has already announced that he will participate, though with little chance of winning against the conservative party.'
One of the main discussion topics is trade, where Rodríguez Sánchez Lara highlighted the importance of strengthening the USMCA while also exploring alliances beyond the region. Regarding climate change, the expert indicated that the three countries face significant challenges due to extreme hydrometeorological phenomena. In terms of security, coordination on cybersecurity and violent extremism issues is crucial for maintaining physical and digital security in North America.
In the specific case of the relationship between Mexico and the United States, Rodríguez Sánchez Lara pointed out the uncertainty regarding the migration and tariff policies of the United States in the event that Donald Trump returns to the presidency. He also addressed the recent security reform in Mexico, highlighting the central role assigned to the Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection.
Given the possible arrival of figures like Michael Waltz and Marco Rubio in the U.S. administration, the academic warned about the impact of this alignment on security and drug trafficking policy between Mexico and the United States. According to Rodríguez, the proposal to classify Mexican cartels as 'terrorist organizations' would intensify pressure on Mexico, potentially leading to greater demands to curb the trafficking of chemical precursors. In this context, the academic underscores the urgency of establishing strong and coordinated diplomatic dialogues between these countries, preventing the relationship from relying solely on personal ties.
