With a trade war elaboration, President Trump gave the Mexican President a sign of respect: « You are hard », he told him in a phone call last month, according to four people with knowledge of the exchange.
According to their most recent conversation, the two leaders negotiated compliments and rescued some real -time rates, according to the people who knew the call.
When Claudia Sheinbaum Became president on October 1The first woman to govern Mexico, there was doubts about how she would manage her relationship with the United States, especially if Mr. Trump won the election.
A proud left and a scientist forming -Ms. Sheinbaum had little experience in foreign policy in his previous post as mayor of Mexico City. Unlike its predecessor, Andrés Manuel López Obradorwho met with Mr. Trump and shared his Bombastic style, Ms. Sheinbaum was more seen as a reserved technocrat than a political show woman.
But he has surprised many of his country not only to defend a threats from Mr. Trump, but also for forging a bit unlikely a public respect relationship with his north -American counterpart.
« No one was waiting for him to be so good, or that luck, » said Carlos Bravo Councilor, Mexican political analyst. « Whatever it is, it works. »
On the campaign court, Mr. Trump made Mexico a clear goal of his attacks. Once elected, he promised to impose tariffs on the southern neighbor of America until the Fentanyl stopped flowing to the United States.
However, lately it has been eliminated Praise to Ms. Sheinbaum, even when excited by the most experienced world leaders. He calls her « a wonderful woman » with whom she has a « very good » relationship.
His calm behavior and the results he has given to migration and Fentanyl seem to have gained his respect, according to officials of the two countries, impressive the key members of his administration, including the Deputy Director of Staff Stephen Miller, who has the supervision of national policy and is national security adviser.
His relationship with the North -American President is partly helped by the contrast with Mr. Trump’s much more controversial relationship with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Canada, who left office on Friday.
At the beginning of her most recent conversation last week, Ms. Sheinbaum spent about five minutes doing a framework for everything he had done to secure the border and fight Fentanyl’s traffic, according to two people who know the conversations. Before the call, he had sent Mr. Trump’s data to back up his points. He suggested that the rates would only make it more difficult to explain this level of cooperation for its citizens.
Mr. Trump remained silent at a long pace after he stopped talking, and then, after completing Mrs. Sheinbaum, threw himself abruptly in an attack on Canada, according to the people. He asked what Mrs. Sheinbaum thought of Mr. Trudeau. He said he didn’t talk much to the Canadian leader. Trump said he was lucky.
At the end of the call, the people said, Mr. Trump offered to exclude many Mexican merchandise from the rates, and then began to dictate, out loud, a real social place announcing the agreement. Ms. Sheinbaum and his team were delighted.
Trump published that he was delaying the rates until April 2 « out of respect » by the Mexican President, adding: « Thanks to President Sheinbaum for your hard work and cooperation! » Ms. Sheinbaum said the call was « excellent and respectful » in a Publishes Ax.
So has it Bolds Movements against Drug Cartels Known to revenge demanding those who threaten them. Perhaps the most drastic: the transfer of 29 Drug Gentlemen In the United States to face criminal accusations in late February. This movement was a colossal for organized criminal groups and sent a message that Ms. Sheinbaum was serious to fight them.
Shortly after the delivery, Ms. Mobile. Sheinbaum was hacked, according to several people who knew this. A spokesman for the Mexican presidency refused to comment.
Despite co -operating intensely with Mr. Trump, Mrs. Sheinbaum has also diverted the nationalist sentiment at home, reminding the Mexicans that the country is not « a colony of anyone » and repeating some version of the phrase « Coordination, yes; shipping, never ».
In recent months, their approval qualifications in Mexico have been reduced above 75 percent.
However, despite the efforts of Ms. Sheinbaum, Mexico has not been protected by Mr. Trump’s unpredictability. Like the rest of the world, the country expects another round of potential rates on April 2. It is also struggling with the steel and aluminum rates imposed this week, as well as duties on goods not included in the United States-Mèxic-Canada Agreement, which were approximately Half of the country -American exports of the country Last year, according to an official of the White House, not authorized to speak publicly. Commercial interruptions have already done assaulted the Mexican economy.
But as Mr. Trump continues Hammer Canada with new threats of ramed rates and abrupt annexesMexicans mainly enjoy a drama break, at least for the moment.
« This is like an episode of the real life of ‘The Apprentice’, said Bravo Councilor, in reference to the 2000’s reality series starring Mr. Trump. » The aim of the whole show is to survive until the next episode, and has been able to do so so far. «
The two leaders have traveled a long way in a few months.
Trump has accused Mexico run by Cartels and has threatened military strikes to Mexican soil. And while Mr. Trump often said he had a fantastic relationship with Ms.’s predecessor and mentor. Sheinbaum, Mr. López Obrador, also worked out about the Cartel’s violence of former Mexican leader.
Mr. Trump and some key members of his team were initially skeptical with Ms. Sheinbaum, two people familiar with their thinking said, in part because of the media coverage that portrayed her as a left as an ideologically.
At first, his rhetoric towards Mr. Trump was sometimes adversary.
At a November press conference, she Read aloud a letter quite words She had written Mr. Trump responding to his threat of rates. « For each rate, there will be a response in kind, until our shared companies are at risk, » he said.
Some members of Mr. Trump’s transition team saw the letter as unnecessary bonding and provocation, according to five people who know their thinking.
Then, in early January, after Mr. Trump said that the Gulf of Mexico would change the Gulf of America, Mrs. Sheinbaum joked that the United States is called « Mexican America ». The comments were widely interpreted As fun to Mr. Trump.
But his style began to change, as some of his advisers began to feel that the tactics confronted only Mr. Trump.
He won points by deciding to talk to Mr. Trump in English about his calls, they said three people who know the conversations. Mr. López Obrador spoke to Mr. Trump in Spanish, through an interpreter, and spoke for so long that the president often bored, according to officials.
On the contrary, Ms. Sheinbaum has come to his talks with the President extremely prepared, according to three North -Americans and Mexicans. She has studied her speeches, watching the videos, to try to understand the communication style of Mr. Trump.
His tone with him has been calm, and has encountered such serious and transparent officials. This uniform approach has made an impression, especially because it is so different from that of Mr. Trudeau, who has had more controversial exchanges with Mr. Trump.
Mexico observers noted the Escape his warming between the United States and Canada As a sign that maybe the lightest touch of Ms. Sheinbaum with Mr. Trump has protected the country from more interruptions.
« She has been dignified and discreet in not choosing a struggle, » said Enrique Krauze, a prominent Mexican historian. « Its natural characteristics have worked well, for the moment, in the face of a personality like Trump. »
Maria Abi-Habib Contributed reports.
Leave a Reply