“We are going to defend Mexico as a free, sovereign and independent country, that we have enormous cultural and economic wealth, and that any collaboration, coordination with the government, particularly of the United States, will always be on equal terms,” she said in her usual press conference.

Responding to a question about the next ambassador to Mexico (Ronald Johnson, former officer of the Central Intelligence Agency) nominated by the president-elect of the northern territory, Donald Trump, she reiterated that her administration will collaborate with the neighboring nation, but without subordinating itself.

She stated that “with this ambassador or with others we are going to defend our sovereignty, our condition of equality and we are going to collaborate and cooperate in everything that is required, but always in the interest of the people of Mexico and the nation.”

“The entry of fentanyl into the United States, we are obviously going to collaborate, it is a humanitarian issue, but we also want them to collaborate so that not so many weapons enter” our territory, said the dignitary, mentioning that 75 percent of those seized artifacts come from the United States.

She again expressed her conviction that there will be an agreement with the future US government and asserted that it will be defending this Latin American country and not subordinating itself to the needs of the northern nation alone.

“This is a collaboration. We want the reduction of violence and the construction of peace. We want homicides and other high-impact crimes to decrease, many of which are linked to organized crime and that represents a decrease in the entry of weapons,” she insisted.

Regarding her administration’s security strategy, she said that intelligence, investigation, and coordination with the Attorney General’s Office and with the states are being strengthened, but attention to the causes remains the main element, as well as the purpose of reducing impunity.

Two weeks ago, Trump promised to raise tariffs on goods from this Latin American country, Canada, and China from the first day of his administration, in retaliation for illegal immigration and “crime and drugs,” he said.

In a response described as firm by politicians, citizens, and the media, Sheinbaum said that threats and tariffs will not solve the migration phenomenon and drug use in the northern neighbor.

The president said that “cooperation and mutual understanding are required for these great challenges” and warned the future ruler that “one tariff will be followed by another in response.”

ef/ro/las