Puerto Vallarta (PVDN) – In a move that highlights the close collaboration between the United States and Mexico, the Senate of Mexico granted authorization for twelve U.S. soldiers to enter Mexican territory for a period of just over a month. The soldiers will be participating in the Combined Joint Exercises Training, which is taking place at the National Training Center in Santa Gertrudis, Chihuahua.
The authorization was detailed in a decree published in the Official Gazette of the Federation (DOF), which specified that the U.S. soldiers will be in Mexico until May 12, 2023. The Senate of Mexico also urged President Andrés Manuel López Obrador to instruct the Secretary of National Defense to provide a report on the training event, in order to ensure transparency and uphold Mexico’s sovereignty.
However, this military event takes place in the context of controversial statements by some American senators who want the United States to classify the Mexican drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations (FTOs). Lindsey Graham and John Neely Kennedy presented a bill that promotes declaring drug cartels as FTOs, which would activate more mechanisms to combat them, given the rise of fentanyl in the country. The main argument of US legislators is that in 2021, this drug took the lives of more than 71,000 of its citizens, in addition to considering the current administration of Mexico as “a narcoterrorist state.”
In response to these comments, President López Obrador called the Republican senators “wimps and interventionists.” He believes that declaring the drug cartels as FTOs would violate Mexico’s sovereignty and interfere in the country’s internal affairs. While Mexico and the United States have a strong relationship when it comes to combating drug trafficking and other issues, President López Obrador has been clear that he will not allow U.S. intervention in Mexican territory.
The joint training exercises are an opportunity for the U.S. and Mexico to work together to improve their military capabilities and coordination. It is important that this collaboration continues, but it must be done in a way that respects the sovereignty of both nations. The authorization granted by the Senate of Mexico is a positive step in this direction, and it is hoped that the training exercises will be successful in achieving their objectives.
