us-mexico relations

Immigrant workers in Oxnard California. Photo by Alex Proimos via Flickr (CC BY-NC 2.0).

Mexican diplomat Rodrigo Márquez Lartigue describes a U.S.-Mexico initiative via the Mexican consular network.

Photo by Neal Rosendorf (Ciudad Juárez, Mexico)

What might dismantling the U.S.-Mexico border wall symbolize for America? Neal Rosendorf looks to the future with lessons from the past.

Mexico's nominee to be its next ambassador to the United States said Thursday that the two countries' relationship is at a “critical” juncture with the new administration of President Donald Trump. Ahead of high-level talks scheduled for next week in Mexico City, ambassador-in-waiting Geronimo Gutierrez Fernandez said Mexico must pursue a good relationship with Washington but that should not come “at all costs nor under just any conditions,” or in a way that is “to the detriment of national interest.”

Tonight, TBS will air an hour-long special called Conan Without Borders: Made In Mexico. [...] “With all of this week’s negative news about the relationship between the United States and Mexico…I thought I’d try and do something positive,” he said on Conan. America’s longest-serving late-night host, O’Brien has distinguished himself by filing more field pieces than his peers, particularly from areas of the world that have experienced tension with the U.S.

Trump’s plans to build a wall at its south border, deport millions of undocumented immigrants and renegotiate NAFTA force Mexico to reconsider the friendly relation it used to maintain with the U.S. The Obama era is gone and the cooperation narrative that existed between the two countries is being challenged. Mexico needs to defend or create new narratives to confront Trump, and win allies in the United States to help Mexico defend its interests.

Castro said that past presidents including George W. Bush have understood the value of economic and cultural exchange between the U.S. and Mexico. But Trump isn’t like past presidents. "Of course, there was a phone call recently between President Trump and President Pena-Nieto," Castro said. "That was not encouraging. My hope is that the president will surround himself with good people that understand the relationship.

One way for North Americans to transcend the ugliness of politics and assert a shared identity would be by hosting a World Cup together. The 2026 World Cup is the next one to be awarded, and the North American region is a strong contender, given the tournament’s traditional rotation among continents. Both Mexico and the U.S. are expected to submit compelling bids. 

Foreign officials in Washington are struggling to get to know the president-elect's transition team and are experiencing a sense of anxiety about the incoming administration. But none of them, as an Obama White House official told me, are as worried as the Mexicans.

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