“I hope we will have good relations with Mexico. Nothing terrible will happen if it doesn’t happen,” said President Donald trump. Thus, he expressed their contempt and complete indifference to the ex-US President George Bush, who attached great importance to strengthening relations with Mexico.
President trump should not be confined to expectations of “good relations” with its neighbor to the South. It’s not a matter of chance or luck. Mexico has a common land border with the United States stretching over two thousand miles and every year buys in the United States of goods and services in the amount of $ 250 billion. More than 10% of the US population are immigrants from Mexico. No other country in the world has such a great impact on the daily lives of Americans.
Over the last two years of abusive rhetoric from the United States, more and more distributed in the address of the Mexicans. The blame for the deterioration of relations is largely falls on trump.
If trump will not change its behavior towards Mexico, the gap in relations between the two countries is almost inevitable. Now it is necessary to change the political course of the White house, stop to impose its will on the Mexican authorities and not to seek short-term political and economic benefits at the expense of Mexico. Such changes in U.S. policy are unlikely. Trump all sails carried today to the gap of uneasy relations with Mexico and not think about the harmful consequences of his short sighted policy.
Differences between Mexico and the United States were not born today. In the history of relations between the two countries was as hidden and open contradictions. For a long time in the relations between the governments of the USA and Mexico was mutual distrust and suspicion.
Unfortunately, neither trump nor his advisers failed to understand that problems cannot be solved unilaterally. It concerns the balance of payments deficit, illegal immigration, the deployment of U.S. companies, industrial enterprises on Mexican territory to drug trafficking.
Since 1990, the United States and Mexico tried to smooth over the contradictions on the basis of signed agreements on cooperation in various areas, but with the arrival of trump’s solution to these problems will be difficult.
Of course, trump may withdraw from previously signed agreements with Mexico, but he is unlikely to convince the Mexicans to build at his own expense a wall on the border with the United States. Currently, dozens of American building campaigns are lining up in hopes of getting a contract for the construction of the wall from the us government.
Like previous presidents of the United States, trump has the power to expel from the country the Mexican illegal immigrants (in some cases even those who are in the U.S. legally). According to the agreement the North American free trade area, signed 22 years ago, immigrants can be sent home, by notifying them at least six months.
Trump has already shown his strength, pushing the idea of returning to the birthplace of American companies operating in Mexico, as well as restrictions on the construction of new production facilities abroad.
Trump the desire to implement this kind of idea, can turn to America’s heavy losses. First, the United States would risk losing the support of the Mexican authorities in countering illegal immigration and drug trafficking, as well as in implementation of joint projects for the protection of the environment.
Second, the United States will not be able to rely on Mexico to solve problems that inevitably arise in border States. This can be a joint action against the spread of epidemics, elimination of consequences of natural disasters, the fight against terrorism. To solve them requires a high level of trust and goodwill.
The causes of the conflict between the US and Mexico
The growing alienation between the U.S. and Mexico not only due to the lack of understanding between the trump and the Mexican government. History shows that not only neighboring countries but even the closest allies are regularly debating on various issues. However, such disputes should not be accompanied by hostility and open confrontation. Currently, the Mexicans were deeply offended by the constant threats trump.
A symbol of division and mistrust may be the construction of a wall on the border through Mexico. The situation is compounded by accusations trump that Mexico “for too long used USA” and indirectly responsible for the trade deficit. Trump threatens to tax on import and sending to Mexico of U.S. troops to “stop bad guys”.
Instead of recognizing shared responsibility for failures in the fight against drug trafficking, as did his predecessors, trump blames the Mexicans. Most of all offended the Mexicans statements trump on migrants from Mexico, who according to him are “criminals, drug dealers, and rapists”.
Neither the government of Mexico is unable to maintain good relations with the United States, when their citizens are subjected to insults and attacks. Imagine the reaction of Washington, if Mexico or any other country was subjected to abuse American citizens.
To date, the relationship between the U.S. and Mexico reached their lowest point. The administration of the tramp in the eyes of ordinary Mexicans look like the enemy who cannot be trusted. It should be noted that the situation is complicated by the fact that a significant number of Americans believe that Mexico is the main source of their problems and failures. Many of them approve of the plans of the US President to prohibit the import of goods from Mexico and enter the country of the Mexicans.
Mexican-American relations suffered serious damage, and restore them on the same level will not be easy. If the administration trump will not change its position, relations with the southern neighbor can get worse over time until their complete rupture. Despite the dissatisfaction of various segments of Mexican society by the actions of the United States, the Mexican government said that advocates broader dialogue with Washington.
And it’s probably the right decision. It is a pity that the trump does not show much interest in the discussion of controversial issues with the Mexican authorities.
Dialogue with Mexico will require trump to take some serious steps associated with a high political risk for him. Trump is supposed to moderate the aggressive tone towards Mexico. To do this he must drop some of their crazy ideas voiced during the presidential campaign. In this case, ardent supporters of the trump can you turn away from him.
To start with, Trump should abandon the inflamed ideas to impose their political will in Mexico. The Mexicans will never agree with the decisions of trump alone. Neither the Mexican government will not make unilateral concessions to the White house. The administration trump and Mexican leadership needs to sit down at the negotiating table and overcome the existing differences, otherwise confrontation will only intensify.
The white house should reckon with the national interests of Mexico, regardless of whether built wall on the border with Mexico or not, start the process of revising the North American free trade agreement (NAFTA) — or not.
Possible ways of settlement of the conflict
Instead of erecting a wall on the border with Mexico isn’t the United States government to hear the objections of Mexico on this account, and try to find an alternative solution to the problems that Mexico could support?
This also applies to the North American free trade agreement. In this question it is possible through negotiations to reach mutually acceptable solutions and to minimize the loss of the parties to this agreement. It would be helpful if the administration would trump refused to threats of withdrawal from the North American free trade agreement and would not impose high customs duties on Mexican goods.
The United States and Mexico could start a dialogue on immigration policy, including temporary labour migration, deportation and grant legal status to illegal immigrants residing in the United States. These are very painful and sensitive issues requiring a speedy solution for establishing good neighborly relations. It is unlikely that parties will agree on the issue, not solving the problem of border control.
We cannot ignore the risks associated with painful rupture of relations of Mexico with the United States. Losses from this policy will exceed the potential benefits that can be obtained from the projects trump.
Mexicans willing to sacrifice himself for the sake of respect for themselves, they are often willing to pay a high price.
In 2018, Mexico will hold presidential elections that may become “hot”, if not to resolve the current antagonism with the United States. Over the past 30 years, the United States and Mexico have cooperated closely in various fields — the fight against drug trafficking, cross-border crime. The volume of U.S.-Mexico border trade amounted to $ 600 million.
Relations between Mexico and the United States difficult for the past 180 years since the military conflict in which Mexico lost a huge part of the territory. Mexicans are always jealous of the independence and integrity of the country.
Currently, the issues of preservation of sovereignty remains the main objective of Mexico.
