Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum stressed that she would defend her country’s sovereignty and independence, calling for a “cool mind” in future discussions with the United States.
In his first comments following President Donald Trump’s inaugural address, where he signaled his intention to curb illegal migration, Sheinbaum was firm in his response.
“It is important to always keep a cool head and look beyond the actual speeches, the context of the signed agreements,” he said at a Tuesday morning briefing.
“Regarding the orders that President Donald Trump signed yesterday, I would like to say the following: The people of Mexico can be assured that we will always defend our sovereignty and our freedom.”
What executive orders did Trump sign?
On his first day in office, Trump said that along with sending troops to the Mexican border to curb crossings, he reiterated that tariffs on Mexican imports would likely begin in February.
The 47th US President also signed an executive order on Monday to designate Mexican drug cartels as a terrorist organization. A separate executive order declared illegal immigration at the US-Mexico border a national emergency.
Meanwhile, he used his inaugural address to say he would rename the ‘Gulf of Mexico’ to the ‘U.S. Gulf’, just hours after he signed an executive order to do so.
Sheinbaum opposed Trump’s immediate orders to deny the name change, saying: “He says he’ll call it ‘America’s Gulf’ on the continental shelf. To us it’s still the Gulf of Mexico and to the whole world it’s There’s still the Gulf of Mexico.”
However, he said the Mexican government will seek coordination with its northern neighbor on security and other matters and is committed to revising trade terms in 2026.
km/jcg (AFP, AP, Reuters)
