In the midst of health contingencies, and having academic and cultural face-to-face activities suspended in higher education institutions worldwide, the headquarters of UNAM at Boston launched the digital project: “Tertulias at UNAM-Boston”
The relationship between Mexico and the United States is one of the most important in the continent. In the last three years, it has faced enormous challenges, from the renegotiation of NAFTA to new immigration protocols that forced asylum seekers to wait on the Mexican side of the border, to the continued smuggling of weapons to drug cartels. These difficulties have been exacerbated by the particular goals of the men who have been in charge of the presidencies of their respective countries, but in particular by Donald Trump.
In this discussion we explored the specific problems that have arisen in the relationship, with particular emphasis on the humanitarian crisis that has been developed along the U.S.-Mexican border as a result of the asylum policies of the Trump administration. We considered how and why this is happening, and more specifically, why Lopez Obrador has responded the way he has; a policy that is somewhat surprising given his previous rhetoric and the cost that Mexico is bearing as a result.
We also discussed Lopez Obrador's policy towards Central America, the development of the caravans and what we can expect as the COVID-19 pandemic further complicates an already volatile situation. As the possibility of things getting worse increases, it is not clear what options states or municipalities can make, but we discussed some possibilities.
As Trump's first term comes to an end, it is extremely important to have these conversations so that the public knows how much is at stake and how this could change or improve if the U.S. president is re-elected or not.